International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

	Connie Loeppky Kathy Giesbrecht

To: Friends in MC Canada
From: Connie Loeppky, Kathy Giesbrecht, MC Canada Resource Centre
Subject: International Day Of Prayer for Persecuted Churches

The following late-breaking message comes to us via the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and concerns the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP, Nov. 17). Listed are several resources that you may find helpful, should your congregation choose to recognize this day in a formal way. The materials may be ordered directly from IDOP in three ways: by mail (IDOP Canada, M.I.P. Box 3745, Markham, ON, L3R 0Y4), by phone (905) 479-5885, or online at http://www.idop.ca.The cost is $25.00.

Resources for persecuted church now available online

IDOP Canada is pleased to announce that the resource kits for the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) are now available for purchase online at www.idop.ca. On November 17, churches from around the world will join together to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith. This year, IDOP Canada seeks to encourage Canadians to pray especially for Christians living in Pakistan, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam and Laos. Christians in these five countries are facing some of the most intense persecution found anywhere in the world today.

IDOP Canada has worked to produce resources that will fit every group's needs. This year, churches and groups can choose between the original, paper-based kit, a CD-Rom kit that includes a special PowerPoint presentation, or a Teacher's kit designed to meet the needs of Christian educators. In addition, you can now purchase and download the IDOP kit online (some components will arrive by mail).

The resource kit is designed to assist churches, university chapels and prayer groups who pray for those who are persecuted. It includes:

Country Profiles describing the history and special prayer needs of each focus country
Video (6 minutes)
Sermon outline
Prayer map
Children's activity sheet
A month-long devotional in which you will hear the voices of the persecuted as they challenge Christians in North America to walk closely with Jesus Christ
Worship resources, including suggested songs, a responsive reading and a litany
21-day devotional book on persecution covering a new country or region each day

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Bringing Christians together for greater impact in mission, ministry and witness
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is an association of denominations and ministry organizations collaborating for Christian mission. In addition, congregations and individuals are invited to partner in this shared enterprise. The EFC cherishes the historic Christian gospel described succinctly in the World Evangelical Alliance's Statement of Faith. There are an estimated 3 million Protestant evangelical Christians in Canada of which approximately 1.5 million are affiliates of the EFC.