Secret Church 19: Prayer, Fasting, and the Pursuit of God

We on the Calvary Bible Church missions board are excited to announce our first year ever hosting the Secret Church delayed live stream event.  Whether you are a member of CBC or attend another church, you are invited to join us April 27, 2019 from 12:30 to 7pm! 

(Please note the above video shows the event's live date, but we will be hosting it the NEXT day, on April 27th!) 

 

Tickets and Promoting

See below, for information on costs and what's included for the price of the ticket.  If you are ready to purchase yours:

(click here to buy tickets if you do not see the option in the space above)

If you came here looking for resources to help you promote this event at your church, scroll to the bottom of this page for materials you can use.

 

This Year's Topic

(direct quote from their website

Our culture is constantly telling us that we can achieve anything we set our mind to. Sadly, many followers of Christ and many churches have adopted this self-sufficient mindset, relying on their own wisdom and abilities instead of relying on God. But what if we were never intended to be self-sufficient? And what if God has designed us so that our greatest satisfaction is found as we depend on Him fully for everything we need?

In Secret Church 19 we’ll take an in-depth look at the Bible’s teaching on prayer and fasting. We’ll see that our inabilities and weaknesses are the very place where God meets us with His strength and sufficiency. We’ll also see that faithfulness to the mission of Christ requires depending on the Spirit of Christ. Through prayer and fasting, we demonstrate our need for God’s power and our desire for His glory.

 

What is Secret Church?

If you are not familiar with the yearly Secret Church event, led by David Platt, put simply it is a 6 hour event combining 4 hours of teaching time with information and prayer for a specific under reached people group. For more information about Secret Church, in general, you can visit their website here: What is Secret Church? 

 

 

What Does a Delayed Live Stream Mean?

Because the event is broadcast from the East Coast (Washington DC) on a Friday at 3PM PST, it would be difficult for people in our area to get off work in time.  So we decided to delay it until the day after.  It will still be the entire event, just roughly 12 hours after the original event ended.

 

What's Included in the Cost?

We desire to make this event self-sufficient, and therefore are selling tickets in an attempt to break-even on costs.  The price of the ticket will cover the live stream licensing fee, the study material, and snacks provided throughout the day.

The cost to CBC differs based on number of licenses (buying more at once saves us money!) and material shipping cost.  The cost to you is progressively more expensive the closer to the event to encourage you to sign up earlier so we can reduce our per-person cost and the offset our higher costs as we get closer.

Tickets will be on sale January and February for $10.  In March they will increase to $15, and in April to $25.

If you buy in April, or pay at the door the day of, even though it's the most expensive ticket we cannot guarentee that any study materials will still be available.  So please plan ahead to not only save yourself money, but to make sure we have time are able to buy and ship your study guide to CBC in time for the event!

 

What Should I Expect?

If you have never attended or watched a Secret Church before, you are in for both a treat and a surprise!  This is unlike any preaching-type event you may have attended before.

Included in your cost is a study guide, which is a spiral-bound notebook roughly 5"x7", containing 150-200 pages of pre-filled notes, along with blank entries scattered throughout the notes for you to fill out.  Over the course of 4 hours of teaching time we will go through the entire guide.  This format of blanks to fill out has been devised to keep you engaged throughout the entire teaching time, while still being able to keep up!  When you leave you will have a completed set of notes that you can then study at your leisure.

As they state on their website:

...this deluge of teaching is meant to remind us of the hunger for God’s Word that exists among many underground churches around the world.

With few opportunities to gather and little access to biblical teaching, our persecuted brothers and sisters may meet for eight to twelve hours at a time simply to sing, pray, and study God’s Word. This God-centered focus is a helpful corrective to the desire for entertainment that characterizes many church gatherings in the U.S.

 

What People Group will be the Focus?

They have not yet announced the group and they may not until the day of.  By way of example of what to expect, last year they released a FB campaign to present the Gospel throughout Myramar to coincide with the start of Secrect Church 18.  Additionally, underground church members actively (but secretly!) started a coordinated, joint effort to engage their countrymen with the same Gospel.

So not only do we learn about a group of people we may not normally think of, there is also active evangelism going on in that part of the world at the same time.  It will be exciting to see where they take the Gospel this year, and how they disseminate it, given the culture and accessibility. 

 

Is Lunch or Dinner Provided?

No.  Part of the idea of Secret Church is to experience in a small part what the underground church experiences, and why Secret Church is so long, fast paced, with tons of information and no meal breaks.  We strongly encourage you to eat lunch before you arrive!

During the 3rd session (roughly 4:30-5), we will be opening Room 1 (our eating area upstairs) for those who have brought an optional sack dinner with them.  We will also be streaming Secret Church in that room so that you can continue to watch.  Please note that if you choose to do this, you will not be able to return to the Sanctuary until the 4th session starts to avoid being a distraction to others.

If you have never been to a Secret Church, please be aware that it is intensive.  If you choose to eat upstairs during the 3rd session, you will find it nearly impossible to keep up on the study guide while eating! 

 

Will an Offering be Collected?

Secret Church will be collecting an offering for our persecuted brothers and sisters.  CBC will participate in that, and any money given will be sent, in full, to radical.net.  You will also be able to donate directly to them online.  At the day of the event we will provide a collection box, as well as specific information for donating directly.

 

Promotional Material

Looking to promote this event at your church?  This link will provide the currently available resources: Promotional Materials

We will post as more become available from the Secret Church organizers, including videos.  In the meantime, feel free to also link or show the videos from this posting, as long as you follow the normal rules for YouTube and Vimeo video sharing!

 

Contact

For questions about the event in general, please contact Ruth Fish in the church office at 818.556.4840 ext. 200.

For questions regarding promoting the event at your church, please contact Jeremy Phillips.