We gather many kinds of demographic information before we start a new church. The most valuable information we gather is from door to door survey work in the community. By doing survey work door to door we get real-time information that is very current. The answers to the questions we ask help us formulate how God wants this church to be started.

For example, it would be good to know the answers to some of the following questions, in Laramie:

• Why do you think people don’t tend to attend church in this community?
• What needs do you think this community has?
• What things would you like to see in a new church? What would be important to you?
• What types of music do you like? Would you want or expect the music of church meetings to be in those styles, too?
• What are your hobbies? Where do you like to hang out to have fun?
• What books have you recently read?
• What is your favorite website?

So when you sign up to travel to Laramie for a prayer journey, we may ask a few in your group to do some survey work for us. We never want to assume we know anything about the community we are trying to reach until we have actually talked with members of the community. Such research will help us determine how this new church should operate to best have an impact in Laramie!