Enlarging the Tent: Kerith is Joining the 24-7 Prayer Community Network

How joining a global prayer movement will strengthen and lengthen us as a church.

In May this year Kerith will formally join the 24-7 Prayer Community Network, marking the next step in a relationship that has been growing naturally for more than a decade.

How the Story Began

Back in 2014 three people from Kerith – Penny Lander, Jacqui Webber-Gant and Lee Layton-Matthews – travelled to Dublin to attend a 24-7 Prayer conference.

They came back inspired, sharing stories of what God was doing through prayer in churches around the world and wondering what that might look like in our own community.

Not long afterwards we opened a prayer room in Bracknell. At the time we had no idea how significant that step would turn out to be. But looking back now, it was the beginning of a journey that has shaped our church in many ways.

A Relationship That Has Grown Over Time

Over the years our connection with the 24-7 Prayer movement has steadily deepened. We’ve had the privilege of building friendships with many of the leaders in the movement – people like Pete Greig, Brian Heasley, Jill Weber, Alain Emmerson, Roger Ellis, Chris Westhoff, Lou Moore and Carla Harding. These friendships have enriched me personally, our leadership team and our church family.

Kerith has also been involved in a number of initiatives connected with the movement. We were part of the founding of the Wildfires Festival, which many from our church now attend each year. We’ve hosted 24-7 conferences and events, and many in our community regularly use resources such as Lectio 365 and The Prayer Course.

Through Prayer Spaces in Schools, Kerith teams have also been able to serve local schools by creating spaces where children can explore prayer and encounter God.

And many of us have enjoyed spending time at Waverley Abbey, the spiritual home of the 24-7 Prayer movement, whether for retreats, courses, worship nights — or simply coffee and cake in the café.

Learning and Growing Together

In the past couple of years our staff team has also been part of a learning community with six other churches within the 24-7 network. These relationships have been incredibly valuable as we’ve learned from one another and encouraged each other in mission and leadership.

At the same time we’ve been involved in helping shape Tribe, the emerging network of 24-7 churches in England, which is gathering real momentum.

An Invitation

Kerith will be formally welcomed into the 24-7 family at the GB National Gathering in Birmingham, taking place from 7pm on Friday 15 May to 9pm on Saturday 16 May.

The event is open to everyone, and I’d love to encourage anyone from Kerith who is free to come and be part of it. The venue holds around 600 people and tickets are going quickly, so it’s worth booking soon.

If you’re looking for somewhere to stay on the Friday night, many of us are booked into the Travelodge where you would be very welcome to join us (currently around £41 per night).

Also a quick note that Wildfires Festival is already selling quickly this year, with significantly more tickets sold than at this time last year. If you’re planning to come, it would be wise to book soon.

Strengthening Our Stakes

As a church we’ve been reflecting this year on God’s call in Isaiah 54:2–3:

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”

It’s a picture of God preparing his people for growth and fruitfulness beyond what they could currently imagine. I believe becoming part of the 24-7 Prayer Community Network is one of the ways God is helping us do exactly that.

Being part of a wider community strengthens us. When things go well we have people to celebrate with. When things are difficult we have people who stand with us. When we need wisdom we have others who can help guide us. And when we get things wrong we have people who help restore us.

That’s true for individuals, and it’s true for churches as well. Kerith will be stronger because we are part of a wider family of churches seeking God together.

Lengthening Our Cords

Community not only strengthens us — it also stretches us.

As we walk alongside churches and leaders who are different from us, who carry different gifts and experiences, we grow. We need apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers who help equip us to become more than we could ever be on our own.

Being part of this network will also increase our ability to bless others. We’re already seeing this as we host 24-7 events, help build the Tribe network of churches in England and connect with communities across Europe and beyond.

For most people in Kerith, this won’t suddenly change church life week to week. But it does mean we are more intentionally placing ourselves within a wider family of churches who share a passion for prayer, mission and justice. It means deeper friendships, shared learning and greater opportunities for people in our community to serve, grow and be inspired by what God is doing in other places. In short, it helps us become more of the church God is calling us to be.

Looking back, it’s remarkable how much began with that trip to Dublin in 2013.

When three people attended a conference, came home inspired, and a prayer room opened in Bracknell it seemed like a small step of obedience. But over the years God has used that step to weave Kerith into a much bigger story of prayer, mission and justice.

Which is why I’m so excited that we are formally joining the 24-7 Prayer Community Network. I believe it will help us both strengthen our stakes and lengthen our cords, as we grow in prayer and increase our capacity to bless others.

Who knows what small steps of obedience God will use next.

Simon

The photo at the top of this blog was taken at the 24-7 Prayer Euroleaders conference I attended recently in North Macedonia — a wonderful time with leaders from 20 different nations. It contains the names of all the communities represented at the event.