Young people are being encouraged to expereince what it would be like to be part of a secret church and have to hide their faith. 

The Christian freedom charity Open Doors have created activities for youth groups for 'The Secret Church Experience' to help people identify with those who could be locked up for being a Christian.  

The activities include creating a trail to a secret meeting place for youth group, hiding everything that indicates you may be a Christian, reading a story about Jesus without mentioning him and writing Bible verses on toilet paper and flushing them away when you've learnt them. 

The toilet paper exercise is based on the experience of a man from Eritrea. 

Emma Worrall from Open Doors explained: "Gideon was locked behind bars for reading the Bible. He was beaten, tortured and almost died for his faith. 

"While he was in prison, he and other Christians encouraged each other by sharing Bible verses written on toilet paper."

Head of youth development at Open Doors, Naomi Allen said: "We want young people to understand and experience some of the risk and danger involved in choosing to follow Jesus where that choice can get you killed.

"There is so much that we can learn about what pressures the persecuted church are living under. 

"Lockdown was a temporary experience for us in the UK, but for many secret believers, isolation, fear, lack and exclusion are normal."