Suffering Church Action Week focuses on persecuted children

Children growing up in persecuted minority Christian communities are the focus of this year's Suffering Church Action Week AP

Barnabas Fund is asking the church to rally around Christian children growing up in hostile parts of the world where they are part of a persecuted minority.

The organisation, which supports persecuted Christians, is asking believers to support the next generation in the suffering church with their prayers.

Free resources have been put together to enable churches and individuals take action on their behalf during Barnabas Fund's Suffering Church Action Week 2013 running from 27 October to 3 November.

The week includes a worldwide Day of Prayer on Friday 1 November.

Barnabas Fund warned that the wake of the Arab Spring had brought a strengthening of Islamism and a deterioration in conditions for persecuted Christian minorities.

It said Christian children growing up in this context "will need to be courageous in the years ahead".

"When Christians are persecuted, it is often children who suffer most acutely," said Barnabas Fund.

"They are easy targets for violence or injustice. Persecuted Christian children are often subject to aggression at school, discrimination in exams and pressure to convert to the majority religion."

However, it added that even Christian young people growing up in Western countries were in need of prayer to "stand firm in their faith at a time when it is being publicly undermined and marginalised".

Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund, said: "Christian children need protecting, teaching and strengthening in their faith to stand amid persecution.

"By providing for children's spiritual and material needs, supporting suffering families and resourcing the persecuted Church today, we are helping to raise a new generation of courageous Christians.

"Please make a note of the dates for our Suffering Church Action Week and start to think about how you and your church can get involved in this important campaign.

News
Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary Orthodox Easter truce
Russia and Ukraine agree to temporary Orthodox Easter truce

In the Orthodox calendar, Easter falls one week after the date celebrated in western Europe.

Bishop urges people of Britain to stand up for Christian truth
Bishop urges people of Britain to stand up for Christian truth

It follows an earlier open letter addressed to King Charles, calling upon him to defend Christianity in line with his titles of Supreme Governor of the Church of England and "Defender of the Faith".

Fundraising Regulator reminds churches that collections are subject to code of practice
Fundraising Regulator reminds churches that collections are subject to code of practice

Churches can breach the code even when acting in good faith.

Religion is often left unspoken in the workplace despite widespread faith identity, research finds
Religion is often left unspoken in the workplace despite widespread faith identity, research finds

Fifteen per cent of UK employees with a faith say they have experienced religious discrimination in the workplace.