What to Expect at Secret Church 20

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. . . .” (Romans 13:1) 

But what if you don’t agree with who those authorities are and how they are governing? How does this apply to different types of governments in different parts of the world? How does this command apply to the persecuted? In summary, how should Christians relate to government? Should we gladly submit to government, work to change government, or both, or neither? And what do Christians do when they disagree about political positions and personalities, cultural concerns and challenges? 

What to Expect At Secret Church 20

Secret Church 20 will explore how the gospel transforms the way followers of Jesus relate to governing authorities. The purpose of Secret Church 20 is definitively not to advocate for a political position, party, or candidate in any particular country. The purpose is to establish biblical foundations for understanding how the character of God and the content of the gospel totally transform the way Christians relate to government.

Along the way, we will examine how these biblical foundations help Bible-believing Christians promote love and preserve unity even when we disagree on policies and politics. Ultimately, we will encourage one another to live faithfully as citizens of heaven while we’re citizens of earth. 

For those who have never participated in Secret Church, the three main components of the night can be summarized in three words: study, pray, and act. 

Study

Every year at Secret Church, we do something that may sound strange to some. We gather together for about six hours straight of study in the Word and prayer. Most of the time is studying God’s Word together; you might call it intense study of the Word. The reason for this is based on time David Platt spent with underground churches in places around the world. When people gather together at the risk of their lives, they make the most of their time because they do not know when they will be able to gather together again. That’s why we use the phrase “open mouth, insert fire hydrant” to describe the teaching portion of Secret Church. It’s meant to be edifying, encouraging, and to create a deeper hunger for God’s Word.

Pray

During Secret Church, we spend concentrated time in prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world and for the unreached. Each year we have a particular focus for our prayer time. This year we are going to be focusing on the unreached, and, more specifically, on the places around the world where Radical is linking arms with indigenous believers to make disciples among the hardest to reach peoples and places on the planet.

Right now there are billions of people in the world who have little or no access to the gospel. Many of them have never even heard the name of Jesus, and many of them live in places where the government and their own communities and families make it difficult for them to follow Jesus or even to hear the gospel. So we will pray for the sending out of laborers into the harvest field of the unreached. 

Act

The purpose of Secret Church has never been simply about an event on one night. It is intended to fuel so much more. We hope it will lead many to act in a variety of different ways. 

1. Pray: We want to pray more intentionally for the persecuted church and for the unreached––in our own lives, in our families, and in our churches. We hope this time of prayer fuels this kind of praying throughout the year. 

2. Giving: The second way we act is through giving. At Secret Church, we take up an offering. This year’s offering will be aimed at the spread of the gospel among the unreached. We hope this time of giving will fuel more giving as local churches use their resources for the spread of the gospel among all nations.

3. Share: The third way we encourage people to act is to take what they learn and share it with others. God’s Word is not just intended to stop with us; it is intended to spread through us. As we look at this topic of God, government, and the gospel, we hope that you will be equipped to share God’s Word with others long after this one night.

Learn more about Secret Church.