Our History
The School of the FireKeeper (though it wasn’t called this at first) began in October 2010 when a few fiery young believers came together to lead their first “Night Watch” at their local church, which was an all night gathering for worship and intercession. It started as a cry of desperation to go deeper in God, and to see His power and presence released in the Church. It was weak, but God still did some amazing things in the hearts of those who participated. They have continued these “Night Watches” every month since then. It eventually became a regular prayer ministry of the local church, called the Community Prayer Room (CPR), which hosts weekly community-wide prayer and worship meetings (Prayer Watches) in the church sanctuary for believers to come an exalt Jesus and contend for revival. Out of the time spent with Jesus in the prayer room came an overflow of love and compassion for people, which led to the establishment of the Community Kitchen ( a ministry of the church which serves free meals twice a week), and a variety of other outreaches. Thus, we saw prayer and missions converge in our small community. We’ve seen tremendous break through in our church, our community and our own hearts. The need eventually arose to train others to “keep charge” of the prayer room, and out of this, the School of the FireKeeper was birthed.
Who We Are Today & Where We Are Going
SFK is a unique discipleship school called to make wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ who would proclaim the gospel and reach out to others from a lifestyle of prayer, worship and fasting. As the current movements of prayer and missions converge throughout the Body of Christ, we feel the Lord urging us to build a team that would mobilize and train others who are called to build the house of prayer in the spirit of the Tabernacle of David (worship leaders, singers, musicians, intercessors, etc.), while we join together to keep charge of a prayer room and do works of justice. We want to labor alongside other churches and ministries in our region to build night and day worship and prayer that would exalt Jesus, revive the Church, fuel the Great Commission and impact a broken world with the Kingdom of God. We want to fan the flame of the Bride’s first love and help keep that fire burning bright until the Bridegroom returns by calling her back to her birthplace: A Prayer Room (Acts 1:14). We hope to be a catalyst for the larger Body of Christ, restoring a culture of prayer among God’s people that would bind the powers of darkness and loose His brand of revival in the earth. It is not our desire to take away from other churches or ministries, but rather unite them in war (intercession, works of justice) and worship. As laborers, we hope to bring strength and life to the local church. We are believing for this school to become a proven weapon in one hand of the Church that would slay the works of darkness through prayer and works of justice, and a tool in the other hand that would be used to rebuild the broken altars and help disciple this next generation.
Our Mission is to mobilize and train intercessory missionaries, while we unite with others to keep the fire burning in worship and intercession and do works of justice.
Intercessory Missionaries = worship leaders, prayer leaders, singers, musicians, intercessors, proclaimers, others called to keep charge of the “house of prayer”
Works of Justice = proclaim the gospel, win the lost, heal the sick, feed the poor, care for the widow and orphan, etc.
Our Vision is to work in tandem with other leaders to establish and fuel a twenty-four hour missions base (House of Prayer) in Central Texas that would serve the larger Body of Christ as a hub for ministry outreach, a place for community and as a resource/training center for believers to be equipped and sent out, while we work together to keep a worship-based prayer room burning at the center. We want to join forces with other tribes to exalt Jesus, contend for revival, and raise up messengers after His heart. From this community of unceasing prayer and worship, we hope to see many other outflows of ministry and works of justice go forth.
And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. (Lev. 6:12)
Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle a fire on My altar in vain? … For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations. (Mal. 1:10-11)
I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob. (Ps. 132:4-5)
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is truly plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matt. 9:36-38)
Luke 6:12-13; 10:1-20
Acts 13:1-3
Some Details:
We feel God has divinely set us and others in the regional sphere of Central Texas, which includes the capitol city of Austin and its surrounding cities and areas. Austin is one the most influential cities in America with its successful economy, college life (UT), and music scene among other things (it is also known as the “Live Music Capitol of the World”). The Greater Austin area is currently the home of over 1.8 million residents (35th in the US). We are believing for the Lord to unite His people to build His prevailing house of prayer in this region and use its influence to help shift the course of this nation and touch the ends of the earth with His glory and gospel.
The School is currently headquartered in Burnet, TX (~50 mi NW of Austin) with HCTOP Ministries under the apostolic oversight of spiritual fathers and mothers.
We are still in the infant stages of organizing, building a leadership team and raising support as we wait on God’s perfect timing and provision. There are a faithful few who have been keeping the fire burning in the Community Prayer Room and serving the church since October 2010. See schedule for an overview of our current operations.
We refer to our staff (leadership team, interns, and volunteers) as “intercessory missionaries” (See Below).
There are 5 primary ways you can be involved with this team:
1) Full-Time Intercessory Missionary
2) Part-Time Intercessory Missionary
3) Volunteer Community Intercessor
4) Intern (Students are eligible to join full or part-time after internship)
5) Financial Partner
These full-time missionaries are set by the Lord to minister to Him and intercede for justice as their full-time occupation while they serve the church and reach out to others from that place (Luke 2:36-38; Isa. 62:6-7; Luke 18:6-7). Although their primary vocation will be to keep charge of the prayer room along with others, they will be deeply involved in making disciples (teaching classes, leading worship teams, etc.), leading outreaches, and serving at various ministry events. They will relocate to our HQ while part-time missionaries and community intercessors (volunteer) might live all across our region serving under their own churches or ministries.
All missionaries are responsible for raising their own support while occasional stipends are given to the full-time team as they become available.
This is a Kingdom ministry. We are not affiliated with any particular denomination. This is also an equipping ministry. Joining our team full-time is not for everyone, thus our goal is to inspire and equip others to help lead the prayer charge with the church and/or ministry God calls them to or they are already apart of. We simply want to equip and send laborers.
What is an Intercessory Missionary?
Check out the Live Web Stream from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City:
Nick & Jenny Russo 