These tips will help a leader prepare to teach the material.

I. Teaching Options for Taking Prayer to the Streets

The Prayer Journey Guidebook can be taught completely in twelve sessions of one hour each. Before feeling overwhelmed by that much time, take comfort that the outline can be presented in as little as one hour.

A. Choose a format:

1. Many churches prefer to study Prayer Journeys in a one-hour meeting for 12 weeks on Sunday night or other weeknight. End each class in a response time for guided prayer. This may be the best format with a local teacher.
2. Some churches prefer a five to six night seminar. They begin on Sunday evening with dinner and a two-hour session. Then Monday through Thursday or Friday they have a light dinner and 2 hour sessions. Adapt the length of time as needed in your congregation. This approach may require reducing the number of sessions or the length of time given to each session.
3. A one-day seminar is popular in many churches. The training time can begin at 8:00 a.m., break for lunch and continue until 4 p.m. The Prayer Journey field and support teams receive their assignments and return to the church by 5:00 p.m. for the thirty minute reporting time.
4. A weekend conference or retreat is another option. Begin with dinner on Friday evening. Introduce session one. Complete the training on Saturday and conduct the Prayer Journey on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon.
5. Personal study guide. Some believers find it helpful to read through these scriptures as part of their daily study time.

2. Teaching schedule. Create whatever schedule and length of time works best for your church. These suggestions may help those who are new to teaching.

1. Begin each session on time with prayer. Maybe include a very short praise song.
2. Cover the material so that the students can complete the listening guides. Watch the time carefully, there is a lot of information in each session. If you aren’t careful you will only get part way through the material.
3. Encourage interaction but do not let any one person monopolize the discussion. Acknowledge the person but say kindly, "Let’s hear from some others too."
4. Vary each session to maintain interest.

1. Lead the response time as the Spirit leads you. Be sure to give enough time for people to pray about what they learn in each session. Be sure to give enough time for people to pray about what they learn in each session

C. Teacher preparation

Teaching depends on the personality and preferences of the teacher. The goal is for everyone to learn the material and become more like Christ.

1. Teaching Styles include: Discussion, Lecture, and Question and Answer. Vary your approach so that everyone can learn in a way that is enjoyable as well as informative.
2. Work hard to include class involvement. Ask participants to read scripture, share testimonies and comments. Encourage everyone to say something. Gently guide those who might dominate the discussion to let others have a turn.
3. Use teaching aids and audiovisuals whenever possible. Make posters of key points from the sessions. Use overhead cells or the power point presentation.
4. Repeating key facts and having the students repeat key facts helps students remember each lesson.
5. Work hard to provide practical application to your church and community.
6. It is very important to be prepared. Study the material and share it with enthusiasm.
7. Start and stop on time.

II. Teacher/Prayer Coordinator’s duties. There are several things that need to be done to prepare for teaching a Prayer Journey Seminar. Delegate as many of these responsibilities as possible to the prayer council.

A. Before the seminar

1. Decide which format schedule will work best for your church.
2. Begin planning early enough to pick a good time on the church calendar.
3. Choose a teacher or invite the guest teacher as early as possible.
4. Provide child-care if possible.
5. Decide if meals and refreshments will be provided and make plans accordingly.
6. Order the guidebook, evangelistic booklets and power point presentation or make the overhead cells in Appendix H.

B. Immediately before the seminar

1. Set up the room. Don’t put too many chairs per table. This is a long seminar. Make sure everyone can see the screen.
2. Set up refreshments and put hard candies or mints on each table.
3. Make copies of the listening guides from Appendix I. Put a copy of the listening guides at each place and provide pencils.
4. Make copies of the Church Growth Study Plan forms in Appendix J in case people want credit.
5. Decide on the communities for the field teams to visit.
6. Prepare to give brief, general demographic and cultural information for an area.
7. Create maps of the areas and decide how many teams will be needed. Make three copies of a map of the area and mark the streets to be covered in the Prayer Journeys. Give a copy of the map to the field team and the support team. Post a copy of the map in the prayer room.
8. Prepare information brochures about the church for the field teams to hand out. Include information on the schedule for services and ministry activities in the church. Write the brochure to provide information for people who may have never attended church and are not sure of its purpose or activities. Include the church address and a map to the church. Always include a brief plan of salvation or a gospel booklet.

III. Communicate with the church. Use all of the communication channels in the church to publicize Prayer Journeys. Put a notice in the bulletins and newsletter. Include announcements in every Sunday School class and activity. Have the children’s classes and missions organizations make posters to place in the hallways and classrooms. Let the congregation know if meals and child-care will be provided.

A. Eternal Life booklet training. The kit includes a copy of the Eternal Life witnessing booklet. Take time in session

In most churches pastoral leadership is very important to any seminar’s success. A praying pastor will have a praying church. Assign different responsibilities to as many people as possible. A veteran church prayer coordinator advises, "Keep everyone informed and involved." There is some clip art to use in publications in Appendix E, on the CD Rom and online at namb.net/prayer.

IV. Communicate with the Community.

A. Prayer Request Post Card. Consider mailing a postcard to persons in the target area telling them the date and time your church will be in the community praying for people (see Appendix C or the CD Rom). Encourage each person in the community to call or email the church with prayer requests or talk to a team member when they come by.

B. Identify the field teams. Prayer Journey field teams may want to identify themselves while in the community. This helps people who received a prayer request post card to catch the field team to share a prayer request. One way to do this is to wear your church’s or the NAMB "On Mission" and "On Mission to Share Jesus" caps, t-shirts, or jackets. (see Appendix D). You may want to make signs for the cars or vans too.

C. Servant Evangelism. Prayer Journeys can be combined with Servant Evangelism to improve the reputation of the church in the community. Servant evangelism includes acts of kindness done in the community in Christ’s name. Servant evangelism projects include going door-to-door giving away a light bulb, providing a free car wash, wrapping presents, and thousands of other options. It is important to take every opportunity to share Christ with the contacts.

V. Work with the Association and other evangelical churches. Consider coordinating your Prayer Journey with other churches in the county or association. Coordinate the assigned areas so that every home and business are covered in prayer and witness. Steve Hawthorne’s PrayerWalk Organizer Guide is very helpful to organize city-wide prayerwalks or Prayer Journeys.