For the past few years, the Stanford-le-Hope Boiler Room community have been hosting small groups of 24-7 Transit students who have come to learn and pray and join-in with their rhythms of community life. This year (2011-2012), 24-7 Transit students will be particularly involved in the thriving Prayer Spaces in Schools work around the Stanford area.

If you’re interested in taking a year out to relocate and join with the Stanford-le-Hope Boiler Room community from 5th September 2011 to August 24th 2012, to learn and live, pray and serve with them, then click here to read more.

You can also contact Sally Harman for more information.

In addition to 24-7 Transit, we’re also focusing on developing and deepening the rhythms of discipleship and learning within the Boiler Room communities themselves this coming year. As each of these communities grows in confidence and sustainability, they will offer places to people who would like to come and join in… those who want to move into the locality and join in with the community rhythms of prayer and mission and learning, for at least 12-18 months. We’re calling this Roots.

When Jesus trained the 12 disciples he very rarely did so in sit down, classroom style teaching. As the group walked together and shared life Jesus grabbed teaching moments and asked questions. The disciples learned from Jesus, from each other and from others they encountered. Jesus asked them to reflect on the experiences they were sharing. He gently guided them to become the men he could see inside each of them.
24-7 Roots is an opportunity to join in with one of 24-7’s Boiler Room communities to learn as a disciple among a community of disciples. Joining in with a lifestyle of prayer, mission, justice and learning, you will have some teaching moments mixed in with experiences and reflection.
The experience in each location is slightly different, depending on the particular activities of the community. However, each Roots experience shares the following:

• God Story – Learning the Bible as a narrative. This has proved to be one of the most important parts of our current and past learning programs.

• Mentoring – Having someone to walk alongside you, offer support, ask questions, listen when needed, push when needed and generally shape the learning experience.

• Community – Being part of a 24-7 Boiler Room community sharing in all their rhythms, serving the community and learning from all that is happening there.

• Prayer – Each of the communities has a rhythm of prayer. Joining in that rhythm and create a personal rhythm of prayer as well.

• Mission – Each of our communities is well connected in it’s community, reaching out to the people around them. Getting rooted in the community, meeting people, making friends, sharing the gospel is an important part of the experience.

• Learning – While all of life is a learning experience, there will be some specific teaching, based around the values of the Boiler Room (prayer, mission, justice, hospitality, creativity and learning) and the 3 Loves (love for God, love for others and love for the world).

• Work – As part of a normal and healthy rhythm of life, all students are encouraged to have a part time job (or volunteer work). This will also help in developing mission.

For the 2011-12 season, the Guildford Boiler Room will be continuing to offer Roots learning experiences. (It’s possible that other Boiler Room communities will also be offering spaces.)

If you’re interested in joining Roots with the Guildford Boiler Room community, or one of 24-7′s other Boiler Room communities, or if you have further questions about Roots, please contact uk@24-7prayer.com.