Great prayer room.....What's next?

I have that New Year feeling...that back to school feeling...that do the new things again feeling. I have had some holiday, and now it's time for more.

Yesterday, some folk from the Boiler Room Community, and people interested in the Boiler Room Community, met for tea and wonderful cakes at Jenny and Jamie's house. And, Phil and Emma Togwell from UK 24-7 prayer joined as well, fresh from crabbing at Mersea!

We met new people, reflected on the Abbeygate prayer room abit, and agreed we want to see more prayer rooms happen soon.

Also we planned to create and run a 24/2 weekend prayer room alongside Journey into Wholeness on weekend 23/24 September. I'll be confirming the dates and venue with JIW prayer supremo, Paul (not his official title!).

We agreed to meet again 8pm - 10pm on Tuesday 12 September, at the St Pauls Centre, Colne Bank Avenue to plan how to create the prayer room.

Also, I have spoken to Mike and found out he had a great time in Pula, Croatia. Thank God. And also Pete, who had a great time in Peru. Thank God. We should be getting some more news from them soon about their trips.....

Also, there's a number of Boiler Room-ers who'd like to do more prayer and street mission. I plan to ask some folk to be organising a regular time of praying and going out on a weekend night.

Enjoy this "back to school" time...let's persevere with the work and enjoy seeing each other and being together...

love Richard

More stories from the Prayer Room...

Here's a great report, prepared by the beautiful Katy Smith;)

Summary
The week began at 2pm Sat 8th August with 3 empty rooms at Abbeygate Church Colchester. By kick off at 6pm, these were transformed into a creative space for prayer, including maps, art materials, a beach themed room with genuine Mersea sand, and a quieter space with drapes, a cross and candles for more intimate time with God.
By 6pm Sat 13th August the rooms were crammed full of prayers, written, drawn and sculpted around the rooms. 59 people filled slots in the prayer room from 16 different congregations! Other visitors included friends and family invited by the pray-ers, and interested passers-by who just dropped in.

Highlights
2 young people (dressed in Gothic style) called at the prayer room at 2am one night, because they wanted to sort out their heads

A grieving man saw the 24-7 prayer sign outside and asked for prayer for his family, and his own grief. 10mins before he came, £20 was found in the sand in the 'beach area'. It was then used to buy the man a bible, which he requested to take with him on a hike with friends!

and then on Friday night..... (10pm-4am!)

15 people from 10 congregations met at the prayer room and took shifts to stay in and pray or walk in small groups to pray blessing on the town - This brought the following opportunities

• Praying with a homeless man for forgiveness from guilt and suffering in his life. He said he felt peaceful and much better after our prayers
• Telling 2 policemen about the week of prayer, and offering to pray with them the policemen agreed we could pray for them after they had gone
• Assisting a drunk young man to pull up his pants and trousers, and helping him out of the middle of the road
• Bringing a homeless woman back to the prayer room for food, drink, shelter and prayer. She stayed in the prayer room until 4am, then was able to receive hospitality from the boiler room community. Later on Saturday she wrote a note of thanks in the prayer room
• Praying for a friend's brother who wanted to know what to believe
• A sense of fulfilling Matt 25v35-36 - Feeding the hungry, giving drinks to the thirsty, inviting in strangers, and clothing the naked...
  

Quotes and feedback from the prayer room
"A place that inspired us to pray"
"Surely this is a move of God"
" I just enjoyed space away from everything"
"I went in there and cried for hours"
"There's a real theme of mission here"
"Heavy, wonderful presence of God at 7.30am, pouring out until I felt full to bursting"
"Very aware of Jesus' suffering for us"
"Strong sense that God is planning to stir up the Church in Colchester and throw us out of our cosy nests"
"Thurs 6am 5 of us were praising the Lord with drums, guitar and piano"

Thanks

• To Jesus for answered prayer and for doing new things
• To Abbeygate for their generosity in lending us the building
• To everyone who joined in with setting up, clearing up, praying and bringing friends
  
  

Reflecting and looking ahead

What an awesome time we had during the 24/7 prayer week 5 - 12 August! It really exceeding my hopes and my imagination.

Thank God that we were provided with the venue, and with the planning team, and with the people to come and pray.

How wonderful it was to meet new people, read and hear other people's prayers, and to spend time with God in the prayer room. How amazing that people that don't usually do church came in...one friend of mine came and added prayers for the Hythe and commented that there was a really good spirit in the prayer room. And what an exciting time of mission that we had on Friday night....feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing shelter, praying with people on the street and giving out the good news....

I am missing the prayer room. Perhaps grieving abit. And also overwhelmed by possibilities for the future with so many interested people....

Here's a date for future action....23 and 24 September we'll be running a prayer room with Journey into Wholeness. Keep it free and sign up for a slot when it's publicised.

And we'd really like to get a regular prayer and street mission time going on a Friday night...so watch this space.

love Richard

Jamie's at it again! More town centre worship and mission.

"Behold he is doing a new thing!"

Thanks for those who prayed last Sunday - had a good time, sun shined, apparently sounded OK, and got the best response when I sang "How great Thou art"

I have another opportunity on this Saturday - 2pm to 4pm, Lion Walk opposite Costa Coffee.

Prayer request: protection, practical need of how to get my equipment from the car park to Lion Walk (the artist who followed me on Sunday had a rather useful trolley), opportunities for the gospel and kingdom!!

Blessings

Jamie

Prayer fuel for people on mission from Colchester

Please pray for Michael Holden and the 24/7 mission team that he's leading in Pula, Croatia. The mission lasts from 2 August to the 14 August.

The team are Michael (leader and teacher from Colchester), Adam (student in Colchester), Amy (co-leader and student from Dublin), Becky (student from Belfast) and Kate (student from Bristol).

Pray for;

• Unity and love for one another in the team
• Boldness to share Jesus with people on the streets, in bars,cafes and in the church
• Strength and wisdom for the whole trip
• Good health and no sickness
• Fun and joy!

For updates on the Pula mission visit http://www.20six.co.uk/pula

Please also pray also for Pete, a student who's away in Peru from 4 August to 20 August on a mission to build houses and tell people about Jesus.

Pray for;

• good love and support and work relationships in the team
• opportunity to tell people about Jesus, and for people to commit to following Jesus
• that the houses will bless the Peruvian people
• Pete's role as a leader of the musical worship
• safe travelling

Please also pray for John and Pauline Holden (yes that's Michael's Dad and Mum!) who are on a ministry trip with Lifestyle International Ministries to Uganda and Kenya from 26 July to 17 August.

Please pray for;

• safety in their travels
• good health
• safe arrival of luggage!
• anointing of the Holy Spirit on their Ministry, so that people will be blessed of the Lord