At its widest, the Austin House of Prayer community is loosely defined and structured, on purpose. We want to make as much room as possible for followers of Jesus to engage for a season, contribute to and receive from the ministry of AHOP, then move on without feeling like they have violated a commitment.

Accordingly, the AHOP Community is and will continue to be a fluid, voluntary group of Christians building united 24-7 prayer in Austin. Some people have their name on the prayer board (may there be more!), some people give time, talents, or treasure (may there be more!), some people show up only occasionally at community meetings or prayer times (may there be more!), and some people engage intensely for a while then drop out of sight for a while (may there be less!).

In the coming years, we will be moving towards a permanent home and shared housing for community members who have a long-term dedication to God through AHOP. We envision that the structure of the community will be extended to allow for carefully considered commitments. These will always be voluntary, with a clearly defined discernment process and also a clearly defined term of commitment. In 2007, we actually took the first step in this direction, with the definition of The Third Rule, which is a way for people in everyday walks of life (students, home makers, church leaders, professionals, etc.) to walk out the ideals of AHOP in the context of "normal life."

If you're interested in how we are organized for decision making & volunteering, you can view our Leadership Structure diagram. It also shows areas where we need volunteers to step up and take ownership.