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2011-04-26

Secret Church

Secret Church

ROMA

Posted: 25 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Persecution comes in many forms! Sometimes it is an overt attack, which happens among European Roma or gypsies, and sometimes it is the more subtle refusal to provide medical care or basic rights given to other citizens in the country.  A millennium has passed since the first major migrations of Roma from India. Centuries have passed since Europeans first saw this exotic people and called them Gypsies assuming that they had arrived from Egypt.
Historically they are a migrant people and most Europeans would like to see them continue to travel out of their current town or village.

Yet God is calling the Roma to Himself. International Mission Board (IMB) workers have seen hundreds come to faith over the past 15 years and scores of new churches have been planted in 8-10 countries. Though many Roma believers are young in their faith, they have a heart to reach their near and distant relatives scattered throughout Europe. More than 125 have participated in a summer missions program where they moved to another city in their country, or a nearby country, and helped strengthen the work of evangelism and discipleship among the Roma.  Four couples and three singles agreed to serve for an entire year and left their meager belongings to move to another European country to help start new churches. One couple in their sixties saw ten Roma come to faith the first weekend in their new country. After a few months, they attended training in a nearby country and were denied access when they returned to their mission field. Undaunted, they accepted an assignment in a new country and have seen a church started over the past six months.

Two young families accepted the challenge to move their families to a neighboring country and began boldly sharing their faith in Roma communities. They helped strengthen a young existing work and began making plans to start a new church in the country's capital. After a monthly meeting for three months, they returned to the many neighborhoods where they had shared the gospel and announced the official church launch. Over 60 Roma attended the kick-off service in January and rarely a week has passed without someone confessing the Savior!

Some church planters may complain because, by nature, the Roma are transient but IMB workers are rejoicing at new groups started by traveling Roma in places like the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and England. They may be denied basic services where they live but they will not be denied the gospel. Roma believers are seeing to that!
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Mark and Susie Edworthy were appointed in December 1990 and departed their home state of Texas to open the IMB work in Poland. They took their three preschool children with them and the Lord added Polish nine-year-old twins in 2000. The Edworthys started two churches in Warsaw and Mark also served as a professor and academic dean of the Polish Baptist Theological Seminary. Mark served in various roles of responsibility with the IMB and currently serves as the Affinity Group Strategy Leader for European Peoples. He and Susie make their home in Prague, Czech Republic.

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SECRET CHURCH // SC 10 :: TEACHING SEGMENT #4

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 03:17 AM PDT

Here is Michael’s post on the fourth session. To see his post click HERE.

SECRET CHURCH // SC 10 :: TEACHING SEGMENT #3

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 01:45 AM PDT

Here is Michael’s post on the third session. To see his post click HERE.

SECRET CHURCH // SC 10 :: TEACHING SEGMENT #2

Posted: 23 Apr 2011 12:40 AM PDT

Here is Michael’s post on the second session. To see his post click HERE.

SECRET CHURCH // SC 10 :: TEACHING SEGMENT #1

Posted: 22 Apr 2011 10:45 PM PDT

Here is Michael’s post on the first session. To see his post click HERE.

SECRET CHURCH // SC 10 :: OPENING

Posted: 22 Apr 2011 09:00 PM PDT

We have asked Michael Kelley to do some live blogging as Secret Church happens. He will be posting during each break. To see his opening post click HERE.

PERSECUTED COMMUNITY // JOIN US!!!

Posted: 22 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT

It’s not too late to join the simulcast of Secret Church. Click on the following link that best describes you and the people watching.

Small Group of 1-7 HERE
Small Group of 8-14 HERE
Group of 50-99 HERE
Group of 100+ HERE

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HONORING THE PERSECUTED // STUDY

Posted: 21 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT

In just a few hours over 400 small groups, colleges, and churches will gather to study God’s Word and to pray for persecuted believers around the world. As you prepare for all that God will reveal in the next 24 hours take some time to pray through and study the following passages.

The way of Christ is hard to follow: Luke 14:25-33
The way of Christ is always fruitful: John 15:1-14
He is just in all His ways: 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10

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THE PERSECUTED CHURCH // INDIA

Posted: 20 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Do We Really Believe What We’re Saying? from The Church at Brook Hills on Vimeo.

This Friday Secret Church will feature India. In preparation for Good Friday and Secret Church. Take some time to think about India. Here are some quick facts:

Total People Groups: 2,533
Population: 1.2 Billion People
79% are Hindu
12% are Muslim
2% are Christians

Praise:
Economic growth which equals forward thinking and openness to Christianity

Request:
Constitution will be held up maintaing religious freedom
Corrupt Government at certain levels
Malnutrition effects 40% of the population

Sources:
The International Mission Board
Voices of the Martyrs
Operation World
Joshua Project

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SECRET CHURCH // HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE

Posted: 19 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Who Can Study the Bible?

By David Platt

The good news is that anyone can study the Bible. Anyone in this room can study the Bible. The difference is only those who have the Spirit of Christ can understand the Bible. And this is the key. It is the key as you read. Anyone can study this book, but unless you have come to the point in this life where you have trusted in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins and he has put his Spirit in you then you will never be able to understand this book. This is what 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 says.  14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. We need the Spirit of God to understand the Bible. The Spirit has done a few things and does a few things with the Word.

First of all: The Spirit inspired the Word. And this is key. The Spirit just like we saw in 2 Timothy 3 breathed this Word and has given it to us just as he gave it to them a couple of thousands years ago. He has given us this Word. Now the thing is this Bible, this Book is the inspired Word of God and we don't need to add any other books that are inspired by him. This is enough for us. The Spirit inspired this book and God is not in heaven thinking I really wish I had added some things to this book to help people out in the 21st century. He has given us all we need. The Spirit has given us all we need to grow in Christ. That is huge because there are questions that we have that are not answered in this Book, that sometimes we want to be answered. But we have got to trust that God has given us everything we need through his Spirit. He inspired the Word.

Second: The Spirit illuminates the Word. What happens is when you begin to study the Word, the Spirit of God is right there helping you to understand it. Illuminating it, opening your eyes and your heart to see it and the Spirit instructs us in the Word. He instructs us. The Spirit shows us how this Word applies to each our lives. That leads us to this next picture.

How do we study the Bible first of all? This is an overview but it is so foundational. We study the Bible Prayerfully. I want to remind you ladies and gentlemen that when you sit down to study the Bible, you never study the Bible alone. It is a divine interaction with Holy Spirit of the God of the universe that is going in your bedroom, or going on in your kitchen or going on in this room tonight. The Spirit of God. As a result, we study the Bible prayerfully. We study the Bible in conversation with God.

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