How to fill out the Religious Survey Record.
Caller A, B, C, D. This column denotes the “caller.” The person doing the talking is the “caller.” The names of team-members are listed on the top of the sheet. Please mark the corresponding letter of the caller for each house in this column.
“Answered Door but Didn’t Take Survey.” When someone answers the door and declines to take the survey, put an X or a check-mark in this box. If someone answers the door and takes the survey, then leave this column blank.
House Number. It is important that we have records to know what houses we have visited. For that reason, the house number should be listed here (along with the street name). Once the street name has been listed, all subsequent calls on that street can have just the house number. If the street name changes, then the new name needs to be denoted.
Know Church. If the person taking the survey is familiar with the church (even if the ONLY thing they know is where it is located), then put a Y in this column. If they are unfamiliar or aren’t sure put an N in this column.
Past Denomination. When you ask, “Did you go to church when you were growing up, and what denomination was that?” This is where you write down that answer. If they say, “No.” Put “No Church” or “N/A” (not applicable) in this box.
Present Denomination. This is filled out the same way you fill out the previous column. Roughly one-third of the people you talk to do not currently attend a church. If they do not currently attend a church—even if they attended a church in the past!—please put a “No Church” or “N/A” in this box.
Baptized Y/N or ?. If the person is baptized, put a Y. If they are not, put an N. If they are unsure, put a ?.
Have Bible? Y/N. If they have a Bible, put Y. If they do not, put N.
Favorite Bible Story. Statistically, more than half of the people surveyed do not have a favorite Bible Story. If they don’t have one, put N/A in the box. If they do have one, write down what they say (even if what they say is not a Bible Story, like the time a man told me his favorite Bible Story was Ben-Hur, or the other time when someone told me their favorite Bible Story was, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime”).
Name. We’re only asking for a first name. If you don’t know how to spell it, that’s ok, do the best you can. If someone answers the door but doesn’t take the survey, please write DNTS in this column.
Where Will They Go When They Die. Listen carefully, and write what they say. If, by this point in the survey, they have stopped taking the survey, please write, “Didn’t answer.”
Jesus/Good Works/Didn’t Know/Didn’t Answer “Heaven” Columns. IF, and only IF, they say they are going to heaven when they die, then these boxes are designed to record how or why they believe that. If they say it is because of Jesus, put a checkmark in the “Jesus” column. If they think it’s because they are a good person, check the “good works” column. If they don’t know, check the “don’t know” column. And, on the rare occasions when they don’t answer how they intend to get to heaven, mark the “Didn’t answer” column.
“Didn’t Take Survey”. This column is the same darkened shade as the second column on purpose. If you put an X in column two, YOU ALSO NEED TO MARK AN X IN THIS COLUMN. The reason you are asked to mark both columns is because it aids your eye when you transfer this information to the Team Report. This is not complicated. If someone answers the door but declines to take the survey, you mark both gray columns and write DNTS in the name spot.
Want Bible? If someone doesn’t have a Bible and they want someone from the church to bring them one. Check this box.
Prospect. If the person you are talking to is interested in learning more about the congregation and is amenable to a follow-up visit, please check this column. Be sure you have as much accurate information as you can get before leaving the home, and fill out the top portion of a JD2D Prospect Report that should be included with your canvassing materials.
To help show you visualize an accurately filled out form, see the image below and the corresponding “play-by-play” of a hypothetical scenario where a team of three people: Riley, Jordan, and Micah go canvassing on August 24th, 2022 on behalf of a local congregation named Trinity Lutheran Church.
1. The first house is 719 Sunset Ln. Riley is going to do the talking. They ring the doorbell. It doesn’t sound like it works. They wait a few seconds. They knock firmly. Nobody answers. They leave gospel and congregational literature at the door.
2. The second house is 715 Sunset Ln. Nobody is home, again, they leave literature at the door.
3. The third house is 711 Sunset Ln. A heavy-set man answers the door. The team introduces themselves as members of Trinity Lutheran Church in town who are taking a religious survey. The man declines the opportunity to take the survey. They thank him for his time and walk to the next house.
4. The fourth house is 707 Sunset Ln. Nobody is home.
5. The fifth house is 706 Sunset Ln. A woman answers the door and says she knows where Trinity Lutheran Church in town is located. She grew up Methodist and is still attending a Methodist church. She is baptized and has a Bible. She couldn’t think of a favorite Bible Story. Her name is Julie, and when asked, “Where do you believe you will go when you die?” she said, “Heaven.” When asked, “Why do you believe that?” She said, “I don’t know, I’ve just always believed that.” The canvassing team leaves her with literature.
6. The sixth house is 203 Lamar Drive. Jordan is doing the talking this time. A young woman answers the door. She is new to the area. She is unfamiliar with Trinity Lutheran Church in town. She grew up Catholic but isn’t currently attending any church. She is baptized and has a Bible. Her favorite Bible Story is Jesus Walking on Water. Her name is Laney. She thinks she’s going to heaven because she’s a good person. The canvassing team leaves her with literature.
7. The seventh house is 207 Lamar Drive. Nobody is home. Literature is left at the door.
8. The eighth house is 208 Lamar Drive. A man answers the door. He’s familiar with Trinity Lutheran Church in town. He grew up UCC (United Church of Christ), but now attends the Christian church in down. He is baptized, has a Bible, and his favorite Bible Story is the Flood. His name is Craig, he thinks he’s going to heaven because Jesus died for all his sins. The canvassing team leaves him with literature.
9. The ninth house is 202 Lamar Drive. Riley is doing the talking again. A young woman answers the door. Politely declines taking the survey because she’s currently putting her baby down for a nap. She agrees to take congregational literature before closing the door.
10. The tenth house is 701 Sunset Ln. A middle-aged man answers the door. He’s unfamiliar with Trinity Lutheran Church in town. He grew up Lutheran but doesn’t currently attend church. He's baptized and has a Bible. His name is Tim, and he when he dies, he thinks he’s going to go into the ground.
11. The eleventh house is 615 Sunset Ln. Nobody was home. Literature was left.
12. The twelfth house is 611 Sunset Ln. An older man answers the door. He is familiar with the church, he grew up Methodist, but he hasn’t been to church in many many years. He is baptized and has a Bible but doesn’t’ have a favorite Bible story. He thinks he’s going to heaven because he believes in Jesus. He was open to having someone from Trinity Lutheran Church in town come back and talk to him. The canvassing team filled out the top portion of the JD2D Prospect Report and left him with literature before they left.
13. The thirteen house is 610 Sunset Ln. Micah is doing the talking. A young man answers the door. He is not familiar with Trinity Lutheran Church in town. He never grew up going to church and he doesn’t go to church now. He is not baptized and he does not have a Bible. He doesn’t want anyone from the church to deliver him a Bible. His name is Max and he doesn’t know where he will go when he dies.
14. The fourteenth house is 609 Sunset Ln. An elderly woman answers the door. She knows Trinity Lutheran Church in town. She’s been Methodist her entire life and still goes to the Methodist church regularly. She is baptized and has a Bible. She couldn’t pick a favorite Bible Story “Depends on the season of life” she said. She said her name is Michelle and she believes she’s going to heaven because of Jesus’s death on the cross for her sins.
15. The fifteen house is 607 Sunset Ln. Riley is doing the talking. A young man is outside mowing the yard. When asked if he would take a religious survey he said, “I’m Mormon.” He then starts up his lawn mower and continues mowing his yard. This could be listed as a “Answered door but didn’t take survey.” But in order to reflect that the canvassing team learned his denomination, they listed Mormon under present denomination and wrote, “Didn’t answer” in the What Will Happen When They Die? column.
16. The sixteenth house is 205 Willow Drive. Nobody was home. Literature was left.
17. The seventeenth house is 206 Willow Drive. An older woman answered the door. She was unfamiliar with Trinity Lutheran Church in town. She grew up Lutheran and still attends a different Lutheran Church. She is baptized and has a Bible. Her favorite Bible Story is the Bible Story of Deborah. Her name is Frieda. She believes she’s going to go to heaven because “I think I’m a pretty good person.”
Below is the “Map” that this particular team was using for their canvassing route.
