Along with a call to build a prayer garden, we also distinctly heard the call to align ourselves with like-minded communities here in the UK; communities also called to be “arks of refuge” and “outposts of prayer.” In the autumn, East Mountain UK made two significant connections: to the Sannox Christian Centre on the Scottish Isle of Arran and to the Order of the Mustard Seed.
Sannox Christian Centre (https://www.sannox.org/) is a retreat centre and local house of prayer based on Celtic Christian rhythms. Devotion to God, hospitality and service to the community and mission to the world are at the heart of the Sannox vision. Located on the beautiful Sannox Beach on the east shore of Arran, the Centre has welcomed East Mountain’s interest in joining our community to theirs as a like-minded “outpost of prayer.” We are excited about the future possibility with Sannox and with other similar communities in Scotland, England and Wales!
Another thrilling connection forged in late 2020 is with the Order of the Mustard Seed (https://www.orderofthemustardseed.com/). The Order of the Mustard Seed is an ecumenical, lay-lead, dispersed community of over 300 members, inspired by the original Moravian OMS of the 18th Century. Today’s OMS shares the wider objectives of the 24-7 Prayer movement, to revive the church and to re-wire the culture, through the mobilisation of prayer, mission and justice.
We were introduced to OMS by Jon and Emma Timms (pictured with the Furrs below), church planters in Dunbar, Scotland. Jon and Emma share East Mountain’s desire to see Scotland, the UK and Europe transformed by the power of prayer. The Timms will be leading an OMS “year of preparation” cohort in which the Furrs will participate. This may become a significant relational and missional connection for the East Mountain UK community. New doors are opening all around us!
