Congregations seeking to transform have primary knowledge of their community context. This is not something they know by just driving through it–although that helps. This is not something they know by studying demographics–although that helps. This is not something they know by just walking around their community–although that may help a lot.
It is something they must know by walking around their community, and encountering and engaging real people in their context. Then going back regularly and walking the community in a prayerful attitude and engaging in real prayer for people you now know and are developing a caring relationship with.