Creating a Prayer Space at the Heart of the Community
Each year, Strathendrick Baptist Church runs its annual Reflections Room at Balfron High School. The room operates as a prayer space open to pupils and staff throughout the school day, and remains open until 8pm to welcome members of the wider community. Using adapted resources from Prayer Spaces in Schools, the church team sets up a number of prayer stations around the room.
Over time, the team has learned that creative approaches to prayer can be just as meaningful as traditional ones—particularly for those who may not feel comfortable in a church setting. These stations invite people to pause, reflect, and pray in ways that feel natural and unpressured.
Some of the most popular stations include The Empty Chair, where people are invited to reflect on those they are missing, and For Our World, where participants place an electric tealight on a world map to symbolise praying for a particular country.
The journey began around 15 years ago, when the church first encountered the idea of prayer events and decided to try it out. Starting small, they created a 12-hour prayer room in the local village hall. The experience left a deep impression on the church, with a strong sense that God was present and at work. That moment sparked a commitment to continue.
When the team later discovered the concept of prayer spaces in schools, they felt inspired to approach their local high school. After years of praying, persisting, and knocking on doors, the opportunity finally came—through the connection of a Christian teacher—and the school agreed to host a prayer space.
Over the years, engagement with the room has steadily grown. In earlier seasons, involvement from high school staff was limited, although primary school classes would occasionally visit. More recently, the church has focused on building stronger, year-round relationships with the high school. The appointment of a Youth and Outreach Worker has significantly increased engagement, with more teachers actively encouraging pupils to visit the space during class time.
The team has continued to persevere because they strongly believe this is something God has called them to do—creating opportunities for young people to encounter God’s love for themselves.
Time and again, they have seen God honour that commitment. Feedback from pupils, staff, and community members has been consistently positive. Many describe a tangible sense of peace upon entering the room, and others speak openly about experiencing God’s presence there.
The church is excited about what God is doing through this prayer space within their small community—and the vision continues to grow.
Recently, the church has been given the opportunity to rent a building in the village, with plans to develop it into a community hub called The Beacon. This space will serve the local community in practical ways and also provide new opportunities for prayer—creating places for reflection that are open to everyone, from those who pray regularly to those who have never prayed before.
