Senior pastor Justin Eldred was living in California more than a decade ago when he said he heard the word of God tell him he needed to go back to Auburn, his Alma Mater.
In 2006, Auburn students began gathering everywhere from campus buildings, dorms, houses and coffee shops, these students assembled to spread the teachings of Christianity. A community that eventually grow into the Auburn House of Prayer.
It wasn't until 2008, when Eldred heard about this, was he sure what his purpose in Auburn would be.
Fast forward to today and Auburn House of Prayer is an officially recognized church in the City of Auburn that caters to Auburnites of all backgrounds, from guiding students, counseling newlyweds and working with the families of Auburn – Eldred and his staff do it all.
Chris James, a 2016 graduate of Georgia Southern University and college pastor for the Auburn House of Prayer preached the campus ministry's openness and freedom, something he believes you wont always get in other congregations.
"We're really down to earth people; anyone can just walk in and join in prayer." James said.
This upcoming spring semester, AHOP will hold prayer services on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., and James encourages anyone who is interested to stop by and join in prayer.
"The atmosphere is really free," James said. "It's joyful, and I have a lot of fun."
James added that the energy at atmosphere that AHOP brings definitely helps the group spread the spirit of Christ.
"You can stand up, you can dance, you can shout, you really have a lot of freedom in worship; it's not like a traditional church," James said.
James' early college life was full of partying and drinking until one day he realized he needed a change.
After graduating college in 2016 and getting married shortly after, James moved to Columbus, Georgia, where he still lives today. However, being a pastor wasn't something he always wanted to do. After attending an AHOP event, James and his wife fell in love with the Auburn community.
"The people of Auburn accepted us so quick, and that was exactly what I needed in my life," James said.
James commutes an hour everyday from Columbus for his job at AHOP, but before he started working there, James was struggling to find a job. It was only when we was sitting down during a church service when he heard the Lord tell him to ask senior pastor Justin Eldred for a job on his staff.
Initially afraid to ask, James built a relationship with the AHOP staff, and then eventually, on a trip to Appalachian State University, Eldred asked James to be the new college pastor.
The Auburn House of Prayer is in for a busy semester as it plans to host numerous events on campus and in the Auburn area in the coming months.
On Feb. 5 and 6 from 6-10 p.m. AHOP will host "Carry The Love," a California initiative that's a part of Youth With A Mission with a goal to "inspire our generation to love like Jesus." The two groups will gather for a night of worship at the Auburn Chapel by Samford Hall.
Additionally, on March 22, the Auburn House of Prayer will host an impressive 22-hour prayer set on the campus Green Space for anyone interested.
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