www.youth.opendoorsuk.org PO BOx 6 / Witney / OxOn Ox29 6WGOPen DOOrs reGistereD Charity in enGlanD anD Wales nO. 1125684

drama

/ PaGe 1

Open Doors Youth want to resource you to help others to take action for Christians who live in places where faith costs the most.

Why? It really matters and it really makes a massive difference.

A group from the Open Doors Youth Brave and the Bold weekend put this drama together. We’d love you to make use of this drama in your church to inspire other people to respond to the needs of persecuted Christians.

Thanks to Andrew K for coming up with the idea.

CharaCters

reVerenD Keith – the most annoying church leader ever. Has a propensity to hum in agreement with what people are saying, whilst vigorously shaking his head. Talks in a slow and laboured manner

Jillian & Mary– Reverend Keith’s ‘yes women’ – agreeing to his every word. They stand to protect themselves and their ideas in the church meeting

PerseCUteD 1– A woman/man who has grown up as a Christian

PerseCUteD 2 – A woman/man who has converted from Islam to Christianity.

(On the right hand of the stage, we see a table with three chairs. Keith, Jillian and Mary are sitting around the table. A box/pile of Bibles are next to the table. On the left of the stage, there are two people kneeling in prayer. The narrator stands centre stage)

perseCuted ChurCh Vs. the western ChurCh

narratOrWelcome to a church hall in (western country/town). Jillian, Mary and the Reverend Keith are talking. All three have at least four Bibles. One in their bag, one by their bedside, and although Keith does not like to admit it, one in the toilet. Thursday is their weekly meeting.

reV. Keith(Passing mugs to the two women)Your tea ladies.

Jillian & MaryOh thank you.

reV. Keith(In the most annoying and winy voice possible)Well, welcome to you both. I would like to start with item one on the agenda. This item is so pertinent to the effective running of this church, yet ladies, I am afraid we have encountered a problem. (Turning to Jillian)Jillian, where did you park today?

JillianWhy where I always park Reverend; the second row, just next to where Mrs Simmons parks.

Mary(Reverand Keith hums throughout in agreement)Oh Jillian, you know you can’t park there. Dear Mrs Jones needs that space. Her and Mr Jones do struggle with the walk to the church, and especially with her hips, I would have thought you would have realised.

JillianBut I have always gone there, ever since.... (interrupted by narrator)

narratOrHold on, hold on! (Church meeting freezes) Many miles away, in a dirty, smelly and dark house in Cairo Egypt, two Christians are meeting. This isn’t a church meeting, that would be too dangerous.

(Two people are seen kneeling together. They are praying)

PerseCUteD 1Dear God. Thank You that You are with me all the time. Thank You for Your love. I thank You that I have been friends with You for so long. I thank You for the support and help You give to me, growing and living here, when so many of my family and friends are Muslims. Please protect me, and those few Christians who I know, who live out our faith secretly. Lord, I am scared. Please be with me.

(The two people praying freeze. The meeting members unfreeze)

reV. KeithItem two. Another issue which is so important to the running of St. Mary-Mead-in-the-hills-of-Yorkshire-in-the-grange-of-St.Peter-Trinity Church (sharp intake of breath to recover). Ladies, I regret to say with have an issue with the tea rota.

MaryI am so glad that you raised this Reverend. I am very concerned about the fifth Sunday of the month. We have absolutely no-one allocated for the job.

JillianI quite agree Mary. Last month was an absolute disaster. The digestives ran out, and as you know they are the only ones I can stand, the milk was starting to turn and I am not entirely sure the tea bags were our usual brand.

MaryThat was the least of our problems. We had no decaffeinated coffee! Reverend do you have any suggestions?

reV. KeithAs a matter of fact Mary, Maureen and I have been talking about it and have decided that as a family, on every Saturday before the fifth Sunday, we shall fast and pray.

JillianFor the persecuted church?

reV. KeithNo, no Jillian. I am still talking about the tea rota. We shall pray for guidance on how to fulfil the congregation’s needs for drink and biscuits. After all this is so important to the functioning of this community.

(The meeting members freeze. The two people praying unfreeze.)

PerseCUteD 2Lord, thank you that I have found you and your love. But Lord, I am scared; I am scared that people are going to hurt me and my family because I love you now. I am scared that they will take away my job, and my money, leaving us with nothing. I pray for my friends and family who are still Muslims. I pray that you will help and guide them, and show them that you are the only way, the only light which they can have in their lives. God I thank you for your love, and pray that one day I will be able to have a Bible of my own, to read, and to learn more about you.

(The two people praying freeze. The meeting members unfreeze)

/ PaGe 2

reV. KeithLadies I shall not detain you much longer. We have only items three and four left now. Item three. We need to decide on the hymns for Harvest Sunday. Any preferences?

JillianI would go for some out of ‘Golden Bells’. They are my absolute favourite, or maybe even ‘Mission Praise’.

MaryWell I think we should go for some of the classics.(Sings any old song ie. Amazing Grace)

reV. KeithOr what about one of these hippy-hoppy ones. I rather like ‘Blessed be Your name’.(Sings the song slowly, badly and with careful pronunciation)

JillianOh no Reverend, they are just too energetic for our type of church and congregation!

reV. KeithYes, on second thoughts I think we better go with your suggestions. Quite right. Ah, now ladies, item four is most exciting! We have received a delivery!

MaryOur new urn?

JillianThe monthly toilet paper supply?

MaryNew pew covers?

JillianOur new leaflets with the redesigned logo?

reV. KeithNo, no. Our new Bibles! We can now finally rid ourselves of those old and disintegrating monstrosities!

Jillian & MaryOh wonderful! (etc)

reV. KeithWe have to decide what to do with the old ones however. I am afraid the vestry cupboard is far too full with the church posters and banners though. Any suggestions?

MaryWell, if we are not going to use them, then we may as well get rid of them.

JillianI quite agree. Just throw them out Reverend.

/ PaGe 3

reV. KeithThat’s fine. I will get Paul to take them down to the tip when comes in to repaint the toilets on Monday. For the mean time ladies, if we put them in the porch.

(The three move the Bibles to the centre of the stage and exit)

PerseCUteD 1I am so glad that we are part of the Church. The chance to meet with other Christians is so precious. Thank you for taking the risk to come today.

PerseCUteD 2I am just so grateful that Christians in the West are praying and supporting us.

PerseCUteD 1I have a gift for you. I want you to borrow my Bible. (Carefully hands ‘Persecuted 2’ a battered Bible)

PerseCUteD 2(Struggling for words) Thank you. Thank you so, so much. Until we meet next time, I will try and copy as much as I can. Thank you so much.

“yes, i aM haPPy, i haVe My OWn COPy Of a BiBle. i feel satisfieD, nOW i Can stUDy On My OWn. JesUs, i thanK yOU,” Bala Musa (13). “it’s aMazinG! i nOW BelieVe in the Unity [We haVe] in Christ. lOOK at hOW PeOPle i haVe neVer seen in My life sPent their MOney tO BUy these Gifts fOr Us. i aM haPPy tODay.”Hassan Saleh (17).

stand up For theIr rIght to haVe a BIBLe In 2009 Open Doors gave over 90,000 Bibles and New Testaments to young people. In 2010 we want to do even more. We believe every Christian teenager has the right to a Bible. Do you?

For less than a Big Mac meal or a tub of Ben and Jerry’s you can give a persecuted Christian a Bible. £2.50 is all it costs.

Can yOU GiVe a BiBle?

Make a cheque out to Open Doors and send into Open Doors Youth PO Box 6 Witney OX29 6WG

Give £2.50 a month to Open Doors - you can set up a direct debit really easily or send in a gift every month - email youth@opendoorsuk.org for a direct debit form.