Determined to search out & know the spiritual experience of every person in their communities, an increasing number of planters are finding non-threatening ways to visit every home in their areas.

In Berkley – a community of 6,000 ‘working class’ people in Wollongong (south of Sydney), a Church Army (Anglican) team has begun a radical ‘adopt a block’ strategy. It is a community with people hanging around – where most churches have failed to establish any presence. Each member of the mission team has adopted a block of 50 households as their ‘church’. They doorknock every house and also go out to community hot-spots to build relationships and share the gospel. Dave, a 31-year old electrician, is a ‘block pastor’. He says, “I was absolutely scared. I wasn’t a fan of doorknocking. Mate, my legs were bricks.” But the response was amazing. “I thought we were going to be persecuted, I was prepared for that. But not one house knocked us back,” Dave says. “This job is going to be huge. It took me nearly two hours to do ten houses. The response we got was unbelievable.” Energy will be focused around a kids’ club & a weekly community BBQ. To get the full story read Wrestling for Souls.

In Tullamarine – close to Melbourne's airport (again, a 'working class' community), Adventist planter Loren Pratt has his team organised around the slogan 'Do Your Block!' Whereas this is an Aussie term for losing control in emotional outbursts, team members at Northpoint have adopted a block that they regularly visit – usually the block in which they live. They 'prayer walk' around their blocks, visit each home, conduct simply surveys to understand the needs, provide food and support, offer DVDs introducing Jesus, conduct a fortnightly 'recipe club' for their blocks, deliver a monthly Christian magazine – and just build relationships. Loren is convinced that a planter needs to get to know people – and that means door-knocking!