In an attempt to promote Ashland University’s Judeo-Christian values, two students have begun knocking on doors and offering to pray with their fellow students.

Sophomore Paul Lattimer and junior Cory Smith came up with the idea so that they could spread religious ideas beyond the chapel.

“We were looking for ways to bless the campus and engage people where they were,” Smith said.

Through a program called the Isaiah Project, hosted by the Center of Religious Life, both students went on two trips to Las Vegas. Later on, Lattimer continued his missionary experience in Hong Kong, China. These mission trips are where the “door-to-door outreach” idea came from.

“We learned how to do evangelism and share God’s love with people in an effective way, and we both got really excited to see that God still moves today,” Lattimer said.

After being taught this, Lattimer and Smith were anxious to share it with the rest of AU’s students.

Starting at the beginning of this semester, Lattimer and Smith have been knocking on students’ doors asking if there is anything they need to pray for. They have already finished all floors of Amstutz Hall and plan on going everywhere else by the end of the school year.

Students seem to be really open to this way of praying, according to Lattimer and Smith. Most of the students so far have been willing to stop and pray even if they are unable to think of something they need to pray for in particular.

“94 percent of the people that answered their doors upon a knock have been receptive,” Lattimer said.

Smith explained that there are already excellent Religious Life organizations on campus that students can get involved with. This is not what they are aiming for.

“Basically, our goal for this outreach is to glorify God in unusual places… namely outside the church walls,” Smith said. “We believe in a God who constantly works toward invading the secular with the sacred, so we’re trying to share the peace, love and hope we’ve found in Christ in the places that need it most.”

Lattimer and Smith, along with the other few people that have joined them, meet in the Eagles’ Landing at 8 p.m. every Wednesday night, where they said anyone is welcome to join.