Following the Spirit: Bethel House of Prayer

What started with two students simply wanting to worship God has become a growing movement of prayer and worship on Bethel University’s campus.

During the first week of Gavin Mullin’s freshman year in 2025, he and classmate Lilly Tyran felt a desire to spend their evenings worshiping in Shiloh, Bethel’s prayer chapel. They invited others to join them and on their first night, 20 to 30 students gathered.

 As the week continued, the number grew to nearly 80 students each night.

Then, student Jacob Massey approached them with a similar conviction. He believed God was calling them to establish a house of prayer on campus and lead students in worship. Rather than rushing ahead, the students prayed together. They sensed the leading of the Holy Spirit and believed God was asking them to move forward…together. From that step of obedience, Bethel House of Prayer (BHOP) was born.

Today, BHOP meets Monday and Friday evenings from 9-11 pm. The gathering begins with prayer, followed by an extended and spontaneous time of worship. There is little of the structure found in a traditional-style church gathering. Students pray for one another, respond to what they believe God is doing, and worship freely.

The seven student leaders—Elijah Poorman, Preston Gascho, Xavier Watson, Rafael Ferreira, along with Gavin, Lilly and Jacob—have learned that their primary responsibility is not to control what happens in the room, but to remain close to Jesus and follow His direction. As Gavin shared, “We have learned that in order to hear from God regarding BHOP, we must continually seek Him in prayer ourselves.”

 That posture of dependence has helped create an environment where students are increasingly stepping into ministry themselves. The leaders have noticed students who are not part of the leadership team openly praying for others without being asked. The result is a welcoming community where students are learning to love and encourage one another from the abundance of Jesus’ love.

The response has clearly reflected God’s providence.

At this year’s kickoff, approximately 130 students packed the room. Ten people gave their lives to Jesus, 15 rededicated their lives, and three people were baptized. Another student made a commitment to Jesus the following week. On a typical night, 60 to 100 people may gather with many coming from other nearby college campuses. But the impact should not be measured only in numbers.

Students have found a place where they can be vulnerable, ask for prayer, and share struggles they might otherwise keep to themselves. Some have experienced healing through prayer. The faculty have also noticed the impact. In one introductory kinesiology class, when asked, a significant number of students listed BHOP among the things for which they were thankful.

The student leaders say their goal has remained the same from the beginning: to worship God, host His presence, encounter Him, and see the culture of Bethel transformed. “We want to change from just a culture of saying we’re Christians, to actually acting that out and living out those lives,” stated Gavin.

For the “seven,” leadership has been an unexpected part of the journey. They did not begin with years of experience or a detailed plan. They just wanted to worship and followed what they believed God was asking them to do. Along the way, they have learned about teamwork, healthy conflict, responsibility, and the importance of leading from a place of dependence on Jesus.

Their prayer now is that BHOP will continue long after the current leaders graduate. They are asking God to call more student leaders who will carry BHOP forward and keep providing a place where the Bethel community can encounter Him.

What started as a few friends worshiping together has become something far beyond what they imagined. The leaders expected perhaps 30 friends in a room. Instead, they have seen more than 100 students gather, lives changed, first-time commitments, rededications, baptisms, and a growing hunger for Jesus.

This is not their story. It’s God’s story. The students are humbly following the Holy Spirit, trusting God with BHOP and giving Him room to work. And they are quick to point away from themselves.

As Gavin reiterated time and time again, “All glory goes to God.”