24-7 Prayer Rewind - International Gathering 2014
The location of our 2014 International Gathering is announced...
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Make Something Beautiful – The Polylux Community Story
Rachel Wegner
Through the humble hearts of a small 24-7 Prayer community, God is redeeming one of the poorest neighborhoods in Neubrandenburg, Germany…one friendship and one story at a time.
Mach was Schoenes.
It’s the simple motto of the 24-7 community in Neubrandenburg, Germany that translates as “make something beautiful.” Against the stark backdrop of the block housing typical to Eastern Europe, Ralf and Katharina Neumann have made their home in one of the poorest neighborhoods in town. Since 2007, the Neumanns, three of their friends and their families have lived, served and sown into the community around them. Within the last two years, they have moved into a neighborhood perched atop a hill known as Datzeberg.
“This place caught our hearts right from the beginning,” Ralf said. “It's not one of the most beautiful places, but we already loved that part of town. We started praying and settling in as a community, trying to get jobs and get to know people. We felt rather alone at times because we didn’t know that many people, but also very much in the right place.”
Early on, they adopted the name Polylux for their community, which means “much light” in Latin. As their relationships grew, the Polylux community became more deeply invested into the stories of their neighbors and the people they met. They began inviting new friends into their homes, praying with people around their neighborhood, playing games of soccer with the local youth and even joined a program to help kids with their homework after school.
Eventually they connected with a local Catholic charity and helped to launch a family center. Two of the Polylux crew staff the center and many others volunteer time each week at there. At a nearby primary school, they also began a program called Adventure Land, where they teach children simple Bible stories, sing songs, play games and make art. They often find their time spilling over into the evenings as they get to know the children and their families. Some days, they have as many as 50 children and their families in attendance.
“It’s lively,” Katharina said with a laugh. “The interesting thing is, although we thought we’d just tell the stories to the kids, the adults are listening to everything.”
The majority of the Polylux community lives on the same block in different apartments. They spend time together as a whole each week, sharing corporate prayer times, meals and serving together. They also rent a space where they host a prayer room. They invite their friends, neighbors and the churches in the city to join them during 24-2 weekends of prayer every-other-month.
“Everything has started with prayer and building friendships,” Katharina said. “It’s so beautiful to see every age, different denominations and different ways of expressing God come together.”
Katharina shared the story of one young woman who came to the prayer room in October 2013. The girl had recently become a Christian and was wrestling with depression and the medications she took for it. She said that she didn’t feel able to talk to Jesus herself, so she asked Katharina to pray with her. As they prayed, the young woman encountered God’s love.
“She was so longing to hear the truth,” Katharina said. “She’s still wrestling with harder times in life, but knows and feels that a life with Jesus is so much better. The brokenness of this place is starting to crack open. Step by step, God is showing up. There are only a few Christians in this place, but the ones who are here are really in love with and focused on Jesus.”
While the Eastern European landscape is largely devoid of a church presence, the Polylux crew believes that small communities of believers have the power to change the culture of entire neighborhoods. Ralf explained that this is a desperately needed piece, especially in the East of Germany, since people commonly hold a negative view of God, even though many of them have never been to a church.
“They never get the chance to get to know the God who has become so important to us and who changed our lives in such a wonderful way,” Ralf said. “We want to see God’s Kingdom spread out in our area, in all of its expressions.”
As the Polylux community continues to invest in their neighborhood, Ralf and Katharina said that they have great hope for what God will do in their city. Even in the midst of small—but growing—projects, they see Him at work every day.
“It's a comforting thought that it's not up to us to start bigger and better projects, but that God can do what He wants, even in small things,” Ralf said. “So we agree with Mother Teresa: ‘It's not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.’”
If you feel inspired by the Polylux community and can speak German, you can join a mission team this summer to go and spend a week serving alongside the Polylux community.
Rachel Wegner oversees journalism and media for 24-7 Prayer USA. She moved to Kansas City in May 2009 to join the Campus America team and stayed on as 24-7 Prayer USA fully relaunched in January 2011. She is an active member of the Kansas City Boiler Room and involved with the thriving artists community therein.
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Blogging
International Gathering 2014: Location Released
Adam Heather
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Every year friends and family of the 24-7 Prayer movement gather together to encounter Jesus, pray for our world, share their stories and have fun.
We always try to pick a new city to host the Gatheirng, so far the list has included the likes of Edinburgh, Frankfurt, London, Southampton, Seville and Amsterdam.
Last October over 500 people from 30 nations gathered in Dublin (Ireland) for an incredible few days. You can catch up with some of the highlights here.
This year we are pleased to announce that the 2014 International Gathering will be held in....
... MADRID!
And not just Madrid, but a monastery in Madrid. The tile of this year’s Gathering is Presencia (Spanish for presence).
The dates are confirmed as the 16th - 19th October and tickets will be going on sale later in the year (dates to be announced).
But go ahead and grab your diary because we would love to see you for what is certain to be an incredible time of prayer, worship, fun, food and …. Presencia.
Adam Heather helps to keep 24-7 talking to the world as head of the communications team based in Guildford. He got connected with 24-7 after spending a year studying with a church in California. He loves stories and is easily captivated by any exciting new idea. You can catch up with Adam on twitter (@Adam_Heather)
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Podcast week 3: Zacchaeus (All episodes)
Brian Heasley
In case you missed them, here are all 5 Podcast episodes from this week, hosted by UK and Justice Director Brian Heasley.
week explores Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus.
Monday: episode nine - Living up to names // Climbing Trees
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Tuesday: episode ten - Demanding Response // Climbing Down
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Wednesday: episode eleven - Counter Culture // Mercy and Judgement;
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Thursday: episode twelve - Consumerism and Generosity // Giving your Heart
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Friday: episode thirteen - Called // Saved
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Join us next week as Hannah McVeigh (UK Vision Course Leader) explores Jesus' encounter with Mary of Bethany.
You can You can access the Podcast via iTunes subscription and YouTube. We will also be posting them via our Twitter and Facebook. Alternatively you can watch them directly on the Podcast page of this site.
Brian Heasley is national director of 24-7 Prayer in Great Britain after leading 24-7 Ibiza and has been part of the prayer movement since it began. Brian is a gifted communicator with passion for prayer, mission and justice. He is married to Tracy and has two teenage sons. The family live in Norfolk and are involved in a Christian community there. Brian’s other passions are Liverpool football club, tapas and photography
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Hospitality and Prayer
Andy Freeman
“Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.” Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out
Whatever happens within the 24-7 family, we tend to do it with food. This has always been something very important to us.
Hospitality is the bigger word for simply saying to people, come in, rest, let me care for you, let’s eat together, or even here is a cup of tea. It’s about giving .... or as Nouwen says above, about creating. It makes a lot of sense when you think about prayer.
When we first opened Reading Boiler Room in 2001 we had no idea what to do. When began by praying, and made the space available for that. But one Saturday, when about 100 young people turned up on our doorstep we faced a dilemma. If we said ‘come in’ would our lovely quiet prayer venue change forever? If we kept them outside, what did they say about our faith and our care towards them.
In the end, we opened the doors and the most extraordinary few years of my life began to take shape. You can read more of this story in Punk Monk if you’d like.
But what eventually occurred to us, was that this was prayer. To open our doors, to provide shelter and food and drink - it was the most basic prayer we could offer. Here our words in the prayer room took legs and went out into our neighbourhood. Our prayers took on fresh reality.
Jesus famously told his disciples “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35)
Our acts of hospitality are part of worship and relationship with God. But Jesus is also saying that our words must result in actions .... “whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me” (25:40).
We had been praying for our local community and these young people. Now they were at our door. Being hospitable was part of the way we took that prayer forward, and created an equal space for them and for us, and for God. We marvelled as we saw God work time and again after that.
If you and your friends are praying regularly for your community why not:
Organise a community meal and invite your neighbours?
Throw a party to celebrate summer and ask people you’ve met to come along.
Take drinks out to those waiting for buses or waiting in a line somewhere?
Bake bread and cakes and give them away to your neighbours.
Jesus says when we give a drink to someone who’s thirsty we do this for him. Let’s pray and worship with hospitality and see what happens.
Andy Freeman is 44 years old and a father to 5 beautiful kids. He lives in Winchester, England. Andy was part of the team that pioneered 24-7's first Boiler Room community and is a regular contributor to New Monasticism in the UK and abroad. Andy works developing resources and supporting those in pioneering mission in the UK Church. He's also a freelance writer. Andy loves reading, movies, music, cricket (the sport) and Arsenal football club. You can continue to dialogue with Andy on his twitter (@AndyF247).
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Going deeper
The Prayer Course
Six videos to fuel discussion and deepen the prayer life of your church
24-7 Prayer and Alpha have teamed up to produce The Prayer Course - six 10 minute videos, hosted by Pete Greig, to help you explore different themes of prayer found in the bible: adoration, petition, intercession, unanswered prayer, listening to God and spiritual warfare. Available for free download at www.prayercourse.org
24-7 Prayer - UK Registered Charity 1091413
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