Lecture on Community Needs Assessment and Prayer Walks

Important Announcements

• Quiz Deadline: Extended by one day for Flex students.
• Next Class (18th):
  • Focus on Community Needs Assessment.
  • Participate in a Prayer Walk in New Orleans.
  • Flex students should conduct their own Prayer Walk for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Discussion forum set up for sharing Prayer Walk experiences (all students).

Prayer Walk Overview

• Purpose: Engage with the community, ask for prayer requests, and pray for them.
• Guidelines for Flex Students:
  • Go with at least one other person for safety.
• Methodology - P.E.L.S Walk:
  • P: Prayer
  • E: Evangelism
  • L: Listening
  • S: Serving

Personal Reflection on Prayer Walking

• Initial Skepticism: Thought it was a way to avoid evangelism.
• Changed Mind: Realized the importance and impact of prayer walking.

Mission Trip to China

• Background: Collaborated with a missionary in Southwest China.
• Objective: Initially aimed to plant a church.
• Preparation:
  • Prayed and fasted weekly.
  • Aimed to plant a church in China with 14 participants.

On Ground Experience in China

• Security Measures:
  • Advised to not bring or distribute Bibles or religious literature.
  • Main task was to prayer walk to "shell the beaches" spiritually.

Three-Part Mission Strategy

1. Prayer Walk: Establish presence and legitimacy for future missions.
2. Literature Distribution: Done by a subsequent group.
3. Evangelism:
   • Conducted by Mandarin-speaking missionaries to engage with prospects.

Experiences in Villages

• Travel Challenges: Remote areas with no previous Christian presence.
• Local Interaction: Offered food to children, engaged with locals.
• Unexpected Events:
  • Bus limitations and detours revealed new villages and challenges.
  • Divine opportunities for worship and engagement with locals.

Concluding Thoughts

• Impact of Prayer Walk: Realized significant opportunities for engagement and service.
• Next Steps: Further details in a subsequent video.