Prayer Chapel
The Downing House
Prayer Chapel
“Jesus said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
A prayer chapel is a sacred place. Most chapels are constructed to be places of prayer, built with the intention to create a sacred space. The Downing House prayer chapel was not. It was originally built as a pool house for a private residence. It is a beautiful example of an ordinary place that became a sacred place for people to connect with God.
The Downing House became a nonprofit in 1986 based on a family’s conviction to gift their private residence to become a hospitality house for people to deepen their relationship with Jesus. The guiding influences were a unique combination of the relational ministry of Young Life, and the values of hospitality and learning of L’Abri, founded by Francis and Edith Schaeffer in Switzerland in the 1950’s.
A small pool house that had stored supplies, inflatables, and maintenance equipment was renovated to become a prayer chapel in 1989. It is an intimate space with only 8 chairs. The agreement was the chairs would never be circled for a meeting, but always facing forward for people to meet with God. There are art meditation pieces consistently on display. During the seasons of the Christian calendar of Advent and Lent the art changes weekly. It is a place where the holy and hidden work of tears and prayers, lament and confession, celebration and song has consistently occurred. A board member of the Downing House described the importance of the prayer chapel, “Some of the most precious work goes on in the prayer chapel. And it is work known only by God.”
A pool house at a private residence reimagined to be a prayer chapel is an invitation to consider what are other small spaces that could be repurposed as sacred places. The prayer chapel at the Downing House is a place set apart to enter stillness and silence. It is a place to be with God. The prayer chapel is a sacred place.
Thank you to the Downing House staff and leadership for sharing their stories of this sacred place.
