There are many Bible verses that underpin the Nightlife ministry of 24-7 Ireland, but none more so than Philippians 2 (Message version). ‘Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry this light-giving message into the night.’ This verse, more than any other, encourages and challenges me. So how can Christians give clubbers a glimpse of God?

A lot of people ask me what we ‘do’ when we go clubbing, which kind of makes me smile, as it’s very simple: we go to dance and enjoy ourselves. I think many people have this notion that mission is boring, or have to involve preaching or handing out tracks, and definitely means no enjoyment just in case we get sucked into the evil darkness surrounding us. Yet there’s a different and more engaging way of ‘doing’ club ministry.

Having done club ministry in places like London and Ibiza for many years, I’ve learnt that what impacts people the most is that we’re not getting drunk or taking drugs. Drink and drugs are both massive elements of clubbing, with people openly saying that they can’t enjoy their night out without them. So when people find out you’re not getting high but just enjoying yourself, it never ceases to surprise them, giving them a glimpse of good living. This in turn offers us the chance to explain why, giving people a small glimpse of God. I like to call this ‘dancing to a different beat.’ We’re all on the same dance floor, moving to the same rhythm, yet the beat Christians have is a beat from the Father, from heaven itself. It’s the beat of our Christian faith that we keep in step to, so we live and act differently, with pure motives and Godly intentions, choosing not to do whatever everyone else is doing. Yet on the outside it’s no different to the way others might dance. Jesus puts it this way: ‘by opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open themselves up to God’ (Matthew 5 Message).

Just like the stars in the night sky twinkle and glow in the darkness surrounding it, we too can shine and be attractive to the clubbers around us. As we celebrate, along with countless others, to the music and the people around us, we have an opportunity to make a lasting impact. I am reminded of Jesus, coming to earth from heaven, dwelling among us and living out the powerful message of God’s love, acceptance, grace and forgiveness. As we dance and pray, we too get to share and participate in this mission to share the love of God. It’s about girls chatting to guys with completely pure motives; guys asking others if they’re having a good time, all these conversations being seasoned with the salt of our faith, bringing out the ‘God-flavours’ of this world.

I believe that we are standing on the edge of an amazing opportunity for the Church to reveal and share the attractive message of God’s love to the clubbers of Belfast. In April of this year, when a small group of us were dancing and praying in Club Mono, I really sensed the size of this God-opportunity. I imagined a massive group of us, all dancing together and being a huge light to the people around us. My question to you is: are you up for joining us? Do you want your prayers to glow in the dark? Do you fancy letting your light shine in some of the forgotten places and people of our city?

Check out www.nightlifeministry.blogspot.com for more info about the work and details of the next night out.

So far this year we have seen a prayer space in a school in every month of What IF? For me I love asking the questions like ‘What IF we prayed for our school?’ or ‘What IF we really prayed for those sitting beside us in class? It’s a simple idea but seeing these What IFs being turned into realities in schools this year has been an immense privilege.

Prayer spaces have been springing up in both secondary and primary schools all over Ireland and each time they do I marvel at the fact that God is stirring hearts of teachers, pupils and youth workers alike to truly pray for their schools. It is God who is driving this movement and he is having a HUGE impact.

We are very lucky here in Ireland to be able to speak about God in many schools and we have a freedom that other countries may not have therefore it is amazing to see God speak into the everyday school life.

A prayer space in every month so far may seem like little but knowing the impact they are having fills me with joy! I think that sometimes we get bogged down by numbers, ‘how many where there tonight?’ or ‘the turn out is a bit low eh?’ assessing the success of an event on the quantity of people there rather than being encouraged by how God moved or spoke. Prayer spaces in schools have been amazing, not because there where millions gracing the doors of a sacred space but because in a very simply decorated creative space God has been speaking into the lives of pupils and teachers alike.

I sat in a prayer space in a primary school before Easter with a young boy who was going through a really difficult situation. As he sat in the prayer room he came to a realization that he was loved and that no matter what is going on God cares for him and has a future and a hope for him (Jeremiah 29.11).

Ballymena Academy held an outreach week with ‘curious’ as its theme and a prayer room as part of this week. Even for the time I was in the room there was a constant hum of pupils being curious about what this was all about stepping in to see. Prayer spaces if anything spark conversations where God is at the heart! Prayer spaces create inquisitiveness in teachers too and for some the knowledge that they are being prayed for is very powerful. I believe that this is only the tip of the iceberg!

In June there are two more prayer spaces happening in Methodist College, Belfast and in Lisnagarvy High School in Lisburn so please keep them in your prayers as they plan and get ready!

If you are interested and want to know more about hosting a prayer space in your school email beth@24-7prayerireland.com

some prayer stations used in Rathcoole Primary