
Summer Retreat 2025
June 20-22, 2025 | Pepperdine University
Come join our English and Mandarin Ministries for weekend away at the seaside campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu!
We hope you can join us for fellowship and be discipled to grow in your walk with Christ!
Register Early!
Take advantage of our discounted rates by registering and paying by May 25th
Adults: $160 per person
Youth/College Students: $90 per person
Children (3-11 yo): $50 per person
Infants (under 3 yo): Free
Prices increase after May 25th

Retreat Speakers at Pepperdine
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Dr. John Gill
ENGLISH RETREAT SPEAKER
Elder at Redeemer Baptist Church & Professor of Church History, CBU Riverside
John Gill has been married to his wife, Jin, for over 22 years. They are the parents of three sons. John serves as an elder at Redeemer Baptist Church and is a professor of Church History at California Baptist University in Riverside, California. He has studied at the University of California San Diego, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and the Southern Baptist Theology Seminary. Aside from family, church, and studies, John enjoys yummy food and coffee.
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Reverend Samuel Liu
MANDARIN RETREAT SPEAKER
President, North American Chinese Evangelical Seminary
Rev. Samuel Liu holds a Ph.D. in Theology from Concordia Seminary. He currently serves as the President and full-time professor at North American Chinese Evangelical Seminary, teaching courses such as Biblical Studies, Old Testament Theology, Biblical Languages, and Exegesis. He previously served as the President of China Lutheran Seminary and as a pastor at the Lutheran Grace Chinese Church.
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Patrick Phanthanusorn
CHILDREN’S PROGRAM SPEAKER
Patrick attended CBCOC in high school and college where he began a mature following of Christ. Since then he has worked with children for 18 years in public education and running after school Christian clubs. He currently works as a school counselor, pastors a local church plant, and runs a nonprofit ministry exposing students to local and global serving opportunities. He has been married over 20 years and has two teenagers.
Retreat Location
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263
Check in will be at the Rockwell Towers Residential Hall. Please use the adjacent parking structure for parking. Please use the parking lot only for loading/unloading and those with mobility needs.
The Google Maps plot point for Pepperdine is close to where the check in table will be.
Pepperdine Retreat Facilities
The Light House
TYLER CAMPUS CENTER | NORTH END, UPPER LEVEL
The Light House is a lounge space and meeting hall for the Mandarin Speaker Sessions.
Joyce & Stanley Black Family Plaza Classrooms
MULLIN TOWN SQUARE | NW CORNER, UPPER LEVEL
Located on the NW corner of Mullin Town Square next to Elkins Auditorium, these Lecture Halls will be the location of the English Speaker Sessions.
Rockwell Dining Center
TYLER CAMPUS CENTER | SOUTH END, LOWER LEVEL
The Rockwell Dining Center will be where all meals happen during retreat. Meals are All You Can Eat and there is both indoor seating and an outdoor Ocean View patio.
Appleby Center
MULLIN TOWN SQUARE | NORTH END, UPPER LEVEL
The Appleby Center has the classrooms that will host the Children’s program and Toddlers room.
FAQs
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The best way is to go to https://cbcoc.org/give and use the “Retreat Payments” portal via Converge Pay (not the normal Online Giving with Stripe). A collection of payment at the church patio is available every Sunday until June 2..
Registration Fees after May 26th
$200 per Adult
$100 for full time college students
$100 for Youth 12-18 years old
$25 Children 11 years old and under
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No, for the Mandarin and English retreats we strongly encourage you to join us for the full fellowship of all 3 days and to literally retreat from the everyday life and distractions to grow closer to God together.
Unfortunately, we cannot give any extra discounts for single day attendance. Our retreat rates are priced to encourage you to join us for all 3 days.
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If you live in Orange County, Pepperdine is actually closer than our previous retreat sites in the San Bernardino Mountains and travel times are shorter. Rush hour traffic typically goes in the opposite direction until you approach Santa Monica and the Pacific Coast Hwy.
Expect congestion along PCH (CA Hwy 1) and areas around Santa Monica. Please follow all speed advisories along PCH as the route passes by the areas affected by wildfires.
Without traffic, it takes slightly less than 1 hour to get to Pepperdine from CBCOC.
If you live next to the 210 Freeway it may be better to go 210 West, 134 West, 101 North, Exit 32 and left on Las Virgines Rd
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Please be aware that even though the campus is in the heart of Malibu, it is surrounded by natural areas and the Santa Monica Mountains.
Wild animals are present in the surrounding area such as coyotes, mountain lions, snakes, and squirrels just to name a few.
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It will be sunny with mild temperatures in the 70s and 80s in the day and cold (low 60s) during the nights. Anticipate Low clouds during the morning hours.
Friday June 14 77°F/60°F
Saturday June 15 82°F/61°F
Sunday June 16 79°F/61°F
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Check in will open at 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Look for a canopy in front of the Rockwell Tower Residence Hall. It is recommended you enter through the John Tyler Drive entrance off of PCH. The location on the map shown on this page is the approximate location of our check in tent.
After 10pm, only the Seaver Drive entrance off of Malibu Canyon will be open. If you arrive after 9pm, please see the CBCOC Administrator to check in and receive your room key.
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For those staying at Rockwell Towers, there is an adjacent parking structure with plenty of parking. Please only park in the parking lot in front of the entrance for loading/unloading and for those with mobility needs.
For those staying in the Suite Style Houses, Parking on Seaver Drive is located above the lodging but can only be accessible via stairways. Parking permits will be issued and must be displayed on the dashboard at all times while your vehicle is on campus.
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Housing will primarily be in Rockwell Tower with plenty of adjacent parking and Elevators to access the floors. Each Suite has 2 bedrooms to accommodate 2 people each (4 total with a connecting bathroom. Each floor has a common lounge space with varying sizes.
Larger families have the option to stay in House Style Suites with each suite having 4 Bedrooms to accommodate 2 people each. Each suite has a shared bathroom (2 showers, 2 toilets, 2 sinks) and a common living room with a small fridge and microwave. House style suites do require guests to use stairways to access their rooms. Pictures and Floorplans of the Lodging can be found here
Please do not bring any large appliances such mini-fridges, microwaves, televisions, portable air conditioners, etc.
Keycards will be loaned out for your assigned rooms at check in. Do not lose your key cards as Pepperdine will charge you $75 for each lost keycard.
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Please let us know if any attendees in your family has mobility needs upon registration.
We will have parking reserved near the building entrance for your convenience.
If you are unable to walk the distance from the housing to the main campus, attendees can drive between the Rockwell housing and Main Campus lot.
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Most meeting areas, main campus facilities, and the Dining Hall are surrounding the Mullin Town Center. There are stairways and ramps to reach the 2 levels of the main plaza.
It is approximately 1/4-1/2 of a mile to walk from the Suite-style Housing to the Dining Hall on the opposite end of the Mullin Town Center with minor elevation differences. Rockwell Tower housing is about a ½ mi walk from the Dining Hall.
The lodging suites are located on a 2-tiered slope on gradual and modest incline from the Mullin Town Center.
The athletic courts and fields as well as the park is located downhill from the main campus, adjacent to the Pacific Coast Highway.
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Scroll down below for a checklist on what to bring.
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No meals will be provided on Friday night, it’s recommended you find dinner before arriving at the retreat site. Malibu Village and Malibu Country Mart are nearby and offer dining and shopping options.
Saturday will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sunday will have breakfast and lunch. All meals will be in the Rockwell Dining Center.
Meal times are
Breakfast: 7:30 am
Lunch: 12:00 pm Sat, 11:30 am Sun
Dinner: 6:00 pm
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Late Night Snack times will happen nightly after the evening session at the Light House on the Seaver Main campus.
There is a Starbucks on campus with limited hours during retreat
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Cell service is generally good throughout the campus. However, it may vary in the trails in the Santa Monica Mountains.
There is public wifi access in the main campus areas in Pepperdine.
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It is recommended that you drive 10 minutes to the nearest beach (Malibu Lagoon). To walk one way could be over 1 hour and the return walk will be going uphill.
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Saturday 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Facilities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, and basketball courts.
There is a Starbucks on campus and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art will be open (Museum Admission is Free).
There are also hiking trails in the area and the closest beach is a 10 min drive.
Various shopping and options are available downhill at Malibu Village and Malibu Country Mart.
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Snack time ends at 10:00 pm. We ask all attendees to be back in their lodge buildings by 11:00 pm. After 10:00 pm, please no loud noises, voices, or conversations as a courtesy to other attendees and the local neighborhood. Sound does carry outside since the campus is located on the open hillside.
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There are no age restricted areas on the campus. Be aware that there will other groups and students on campus.
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No stoves, burners, or hot plates that could be a fire hazard.
Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs, Firearms, and Fireworks are prohibited, Non Street legal vehicles or Pets are also not allowed.
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Service animals are only allowed with proper certification.
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All Lodging Rooms must be cleared out by 10:00 am on Sunday. Please clear your rooms and load your items in your vehicles after breakfast on Sunday.
Room keys must be returned before the speaker session on Sunday to the Registration team.
Please take all your linens and towels and place them in the middle of your suite’s living room or outside the door in main hallway to help the Pepperdine staff clean up.
Please also clear out any food from your refrigerator and all trash is discarded in the garbage containers.
What to Bring Check List
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Clothing & Linens
• Clothing for 3 days
• Jacket, long sleeve clothing, pants/jeans for cold nights
• Pajamas or sleepwear
• Sandals
• One Piece Swimsuit or Swim Trunks (if using pool)
• Linens and Pillow will be provided for Bedding
• Beach towel
• Beach equipment & toys (if you’re going to the beach)
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Toiletries
• Towel for Pool
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste and/or Mouthwash
• Shampoo and Soap/Bodywash
• Comb/Brush
• Low Power Hairdryer (optional)
• Shower Slippers
• Bath Towels, Facecloths will be provided
• Other Toiletries
• Lipbalm and/or Sunscreen -
Other Items
• Bible
• Pens/Pencils
• Phone charger
• Flashlight
• Power Strip (optional)
• Basketball, Tennis, Pickleball, Sports equipment
• Water, Refillable Bottle
• Sanitizer
• Face Coverings (optional)
• Extra cash for Vending Machines, Starbucks