Tobar was birthed out of Emmanuel Church, Lurgan. Emmanuel Church carries a vision “to help rewrite the story of Craigavon, Ireland and the nations with the good news of the Kingdom of God.” For thirty years, we have given ourselves wholeheartedly to this vision—a rollercoaster adventure in which we have witnessed more than we could ever have asked or imagined. We have experienced extraordinary moments of Kingdom breakthrough, while also walking through some of the most devastating valleys.

Over the past fifteen years, God has “enlarged our hearts” for the whole island of Ireland, depositing within us a dream to believe for a spiritual awakening across the land. As our influence as a local church has grown over recent years and we have matured in a broader nation-wide vision we have sensed God call us to serve the wider Church in Ireland as a Resource Church. 

In response to this growing apostolic stewardship, we knew the Lord was leading us to give greater definition to what He was doing through us. Two passages of Scripture have been particularly formative in this process:

“Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water…”
Genesis 26:18–19

“Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka (Weeping), they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”
Psalm 84:5–6

The imagery of old wells being reopened and new wells being released has deeply captured the imagination of Emmanuel Church’s Leadership Team over the years. The name Tobar—the Irish word for well or spring—therefore became a natural and deeply meaningful indigenous identity for the apostolic network we sensed God was birthing among us.

Today, the Tobar Family is a network of churches, missional communities and houses of prayer across Ireland, united by the following shared values:

Relationship

We are friends, committed to life-giving relationships marked by trust, mutual encouragement, honesty and accountability.

Kingdom

We teach and embody a Kingdom theology in which the Lordship of Jesus is proclaimed and lived out in every sphere of society.

Missional

We are committed to those who are broken, marginalised and far from God in our communities. We long to see Ireland rediscover its identity as a sending nation in the twenty-first century, releasing people and communities to participate in God’s mission both locally and globally.

Charismatic

We love and value the person and presence of the Holy Spirit, and we welcome and seek to steward His gifts as He empowers the Church for mission and ministry.

Bible

We immerse ourselves in the great story of God revealed through Scripture. We believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word to us, leading us into personal transformation and shaping us for faithful and fruitful apostolic ministry.

Leadership

The Tobar Family of churches is served by an apostolic leadership team, recognised and released by the local eldership of Emmanuel Church. The team brings together a mixture of senior leaders from within Emmanuel Church alongside leaders from other churches within the Tobar Family.

Together, this team seeks to discern what God is doing, cultivate healthy relationships across the network, equip leaders and churches, and help release the apostolic calling that God has placed upon Tobar.

Tobar & 24-7prayer

Emmanuel Church has a long-established and fruitful partnership with 24-7 Prayer.

24-7 Prayer exists to revive the Church and rewire the culture through an international movement and communities committed to non-stop prayer, mission and justice. Around the world, churches of many different shapes and sizes find their primary place of belonging, support, accountability and shared missional purpose within the 24-7 family.

This global family of churches and communities is known as the 24-7 Community Networks. Their vision is to build an apostolic ecosystem of congregational churches, missional communities and houses of prayer across the nations, aligned around the core practices of prayer, mission and justice, and dedicated to fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20. Tobar is an indigenous expression of the 24-7 Community Networks in Ireland.

We believe this partnership gives expression to something deeply significant: a family of churches and communities across Ireland, rooted in prayer, shaped by mission, committed to justice, empowered by the Holy Spirit and passionate about seeing the Kingdom of God come in our land.

Our prayer is that, like Isaac, we would reopen ancient wells and discover new wells of living water—making places of springs even in the valleys of Baka. We long to see churches, communities and leaders across Ireland refreshed, equipped and released into all that God has prepared for them.