The Student Ministry at Journey Church held its second annual Secret Saints Meeting on Feb. 21.
The premise of the Secret Saints meeting was to place the students in a fictional country where Christianity is outlawed, and where admitting a Christian faith is punishable by death. The students’ mission was to get across the border into a free country where they could freely worship.
Much like the underground railroad, the students moved along in groups from contact point to contact point to reach the free land. They decoded maps received from secret contacts at each location. Each map took them further towards their destination.
Upon arrival at the border, and nightfall, the groups were encouraged to make the one-mile trek into the woods to avoid the border patrol (made up of adults from the church). The goal was to get past the border patrol’s guard shack without being caught. Students that were caught were told to deny Christ. If they admitted to being a Christian they were marked with a black X on their wrist indicating they had been killed for their faith.
After the surviving students reached "free" territory, the ministry held a bonfire and listened as former missionary Glen Cantou spoke about his time in countries where Christians are persecuted.
About 80 participants took part in the Secret Saints Meeting.
Journey Church is a nondenominational church that meets at Landrum Middle School. For more information about the church, visit ejourneychurch.com
October 29th 2009 - 5:01PM