Field Survey Research

Field Survey Research involved going on site to identify the locations of churches. Here you will find information to help research your city, neighborhood or district. You can organize a group in your church, a cell group, a youth group, etc. to do this. Then we will have the data necessary to complete our task of providing an accurate picture of the distribution of the church in the nation, and thus help insure that there will be a church within access of everyone in the nation in this generation.

The first research goal is to simply locate all the existing churches in the country. This data will serve as basis to evaluate the number of churches still needed and where they must be planted. This data is also a necessary foundation for drawing other pertinent conclusions about the Church, such as: the active number of evangelical Christians, their participation in churches, the number of ministries in churches, the reached and unreached ethnic groups, and the more efficient methods for planting churches.

For a better understanding about research and other possible research techniques that can help in the evangelization of your city, read How To Understand Your City found in the Resource Downloads (Training)

Outline:

• What Information Should Be Collected
• Field Research
• Urban Research
• Rural Research
• Analysis and Presentation of the Data
• File: Field Survey Research Form

WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE COLLECTED?

In the initial research, we want to get the name and address of each church in the area being examined. If other information is readily available, such as the name of the denomination, name of the pastor, church's telephone number, etc. it can be written down. Be careful, however, not to waste your time looking for this data or else you may not be able to complete the initial data gathering. With the list of churches and addresses in your hands, more information can be gathered through mail, over the telephone, or by organizing visits.

If a precise list of churches already exists, it is necessary to search each city, village, town and neighborhood of the country again. In fact, our goal in the long run is to update this survey every 2 or 3 years, so we can chart the growth and the changes that occur. With a more detailed, long-term study, it is possible to make projections about future growth.

If a list of churches already exists, this can serve as a starting point, but it may not be good enough for the following reasons:

• Many lists are outdated and do not contain the most recently planted churches.
• The criteria used by other surveys locating churches may vary.
• Churches are beginning to be set up in less visible locations, thus we need to verify every street of every neighborhood within the city's boundaries in order to have confidence in our data.
• There exist many independent churches that are not on a list.
• Some lists, especially denominational ones, are not updated regularly and still list churches that have closed.

Demographic data - Before heading off to the field, you must obtain some data from the public library or archives. This data will provide you with a better understanding of the cultural context of the area you are researching. Data from the archives or library is necessary for analyzing the information you are gathering and for determining where new churches should be planted.

• Number of people who live in each city and quarter or subdistrict
• Ethnic and social groups
• Maps showing the divisions used for the demographic data

Observations:

• The population of each quarter or neighborhood that is being researched is absolutely necessary. Social data on ethnic groups, social classes, per capita income, etc. are very useful if available.
• Sometimes it is difficult to obtain this data for very small areas. In larger cities, it is ideal to divide your search into sections with a population of 25,000 people or lower.
  Without maps showing where the quarters have been divided, it will be difficult to use the demographic and population data available to determine the number of people per church, etc. This calculation is essential for drawing conclusions about future church planting.
• A good source for such data is the mayor's office, the regional branch of the City Hall, or the City Planning Office.

FIELD RESEARCH

What is research:

The first step in deciding how to evangelize an entire city is to study it to determine exactly to how "evangelized" it already is. It is precisely this "study" that becomes the basic thrust of "research." Research is nothing more than examining something, observing the details, in order to understand what you are looking at.
Why we do research:

Understanding exactly how "evangelized" a city may be isn't only a good starting point, but is also an excellent source of inspiration, since God uses needed information about a specific location (village, city, neighborhood, region) to motivate His servants to be involved there. When it is perceived that there are people without access to a healthy, local church where they can hear God's Word and see Christ's love incarnated, God's servants are moved and want to act. In this manner, ministry isn't born out of guesses or assumptions, but from the truth, from the facts.

How to do research:

You will find information which will help you study your village, neighborhood, city, or municipality. You will learn how to organize the task, assemble a team, collect data responsibly and systematically, and create a database that will be useful not only to those who live in the area being studied, but to many other people around the country as well. The instructions as to how to perform this field research are not difficult, but they should be followed carefully, because the data that you will collect will be put together with data from other cities, regions, etc., to create a current and precise picture of this vast nation.

1. Defining the Assignment

In this initial phase, we want to obtain the name and address of each church in the geographic area being researched. If other information is readily available, such as the name of the denomination, name of the pastor, church's telephone number, etc., this information can be recorded. Be careful, however, not to waste your time looking for this supplemental data or else you may face delays, or even run the risk of not being able to complete the initial data gathering. (Later on, with the list of churches and addresses in hand, research can subsequently be done by mail, phone, or organized visits.)

2. And if a list of churches in your village, city, etc., already exists? Will it be considered sufficient?

The answer, unfortunately, is no. Even if a list of existing churches has previously been compiled for your area, it will be necessary to research each city, town, village, and neighborhood again, noting the date the data is gathered, and using the same methodology in each site. Why?

• Many lists are outdated. Frequently, lists are prepared and filed away without indicating the date on which the data collection was done. In recent years, church growth has been such that a significant number of new churches are constantly being opened, and others closing.
• The criteria employed to collect information adopted for other surveys may be different from ours. For example, certain types of denominations or churches may have been excluded in previous lists; the definitions of what is a "church" could have been different, etc.
• There are many independent churches that aren't in any of the denominational lists. Also, some lists, especially from established groups, are not updated and may still contain churches that have closed, for example.
• Churches are being planted in less visible locations. It is necessary to verify each street within each city and municipality to be sure that we have accurate data.
• Certainly, if there is already a list of churches in your city or region, it can be used as a starting point. But it cannot be considered complete if it hasn't been verified street by street. Neither can it be considered current if there are other churches that may have been opened since the list was compiled. Actually, it is ideal to update the study done in every geographic location every two or three years to verify the growth and the changes that may have occurred in a given area. With these periodic surveys, it is possible to make projections for future growth.

3. Before going to the field: Contextual Research

Before sending workers into the streets, it is very useful and convenient to collect some demographic information. This not only helps in the organization of the teams, but also provides the workers with a better understanding of what they will come across. This information gives the cultural context in which the growth of the church occurs and, thus, is called "contextual research." It should include:

• Number of people who live in each municipality, neighborhood or sub-district
• The ethnic and social groups present
• Maps showing the borders which were used to gather the demographic data obtained

Observations:

While the data on ethnic groups, social classes, age groups, per capita income, etc. are a big help when available, the population data for each neighborhood or locality being researched is absolutely essential in order to arrive at valid conclusions about the future comprehensive evangelization of the area. Also, without maps showing where the neighborhoods have been divided related to the demographic data, it will be difficult to determine the number of people per church. This calculation is essential in establishing priorities about future church planting. It is ideal to divide your study into geographic sections with a population of 25,000 people or less. This population/area data can be difficult to obtain, but it's worth going after, because the research task is easier to manage and the final analysis is much clearer. One good source for this data is the regional administration of the mayor's office, or the city planning office. Also, visiting the local library's public archives can be fruitful.

4. The team:

There are many important elements that, together, compose a good research team:

• Local Research Coordinator - This can be a person that participates directly in the research or that supervises those who gather the data. The main point of this coordination function is to assume responsibility for the progress of the project, from the beginning until the end.
• Workers - These can be lay volunteers (for example, a church's youth group, women's Bible Study groups, a prayer group, etc.) or members of a church staff (ministry interns, seminary students, etc.). The number of workers should be determined by the size of the geographic area to be studied and the amount of time that the research team has been given to complete the assignment. The workers can be paid (if there are finances for basic salaries or reimbursement for incurred expenses) or not, depending on the resources available for the project. In general, research studies accomplished by salaried workers are finished more quickly than those done by lay volunteers. The methodology, however, is the same for everyone.
• Analyst - To do the tabulation, analysis and presentation of the results. This can be the Coordinator or someone to whom this task is delegated.

Procedure - The Institutional Research

Once the demographic data and maps have been obtained and the team assembled, it is time to get organized to do the institutional research (i.e. the research centered on the "institution" of the Church). Below are descriptions for three different contexts: urban, rural and riverside communities. In all three cases, the procedures vary but the principles are all the same, and there is only one goal: to register all the Protestant churches existing in the area.

We will now look at Field Research Methods for three different contexts::

• Urban Context
• Rural Context
• River Village Context

RESEARCH IN AN URBAN CONTEXT

In an Urban Context, the procedure of the initial research is to go through each street of each neighborhood of the city for the purpose of noting the names of churches and their addresses, and indicating the locations on a city map. This project is a good activity, for example, for a church youth group (on Saturdays, weekends, or vacations), or a group of seminarians studying church growth. Besides contributing important data regarding the growth of God's Kingdom, it also sharpens the vision of the people involved. When we take to the streets to distinguish and discern God's Kingdom from the kingdom of darkness, God opens eyes to see things from His perspective.

Preparing the maps

The first step of this phase is to prepare maps of each neighborhood. Enlarged photocopies of a street guide, or some other source of manageable-sized neighborhood maps are a good way to track progress and note which streets have been covered. They are also much easier to handle than a larger fold-out city map. The boundaries of the neighborhoods must be indicated on the map. (The borders between the chosen neighborhoods should be the same as those used by governmental agencies in their population divisions, in order to properly calculate the population/church ratios.) Sometimes it will be necessary to draw in the boundaries on the copies of the maps that will be carried in the streets. This will help researchers avoid wasting time passing into neighboring areas.

Transportation

This research can be done on foot (using the bus to reach the research site), by bike, motorcycle, or car. If there are enough people, you can divide the work among groups of two or three people each. To do this by car, a third person is very useful, because a driver generally has difficulties looking for churches while driving, and, thus, some churches can be overlooked.

It is preferred that the team should include both sexes. This lessens any suspicions when passing through the poorer and more secluded neighborhoods. If the team were only men, it would cause suspicion of gangs or drug trafficking; if there are only women, they may feel insecure and can perhaps become targets of harassment or attacks. In a two-person team with a car, there is an increased possibility of passing some churches unnoticed, because one person is paying attention to the map while the other is driving. In this case, they need to be disciplined to drive more slowly and stop while writing or looking at the map.

Equipment necessary for each team:

• Maps (street guide)
• Clipboard to hold the forms and other papers
• Pens (at least two different colors)
• Highlighter
• Copies of the questionnaire/form to be filled out
• Car, if possible (Preferably, the car should not be very new, nor very old, so as to not draw unnecessary attention)
• Sufficient funds for fuel, food (including lunch breaks and a stop in the morning and afternoon), maps, and photocopies

Marking the churches:

When you find a church, stop (if you are in a car, pull off to the side) and fill out a form with all the available information, including the name of the researcher and date. Using a different color pen than the one used to check off the streets visited, indicate on the map the location of the church with a circled sequential number. The number you will write on the map should be copied onto the form that contains the information about this church. That is, place the same number on the form that you place (circled) on the respective map at the location of the church. For example, if the maps are numbered and the church is located on map 211, find the first church on the map, place the number "1" on the map where the church is located, draw a circle around the number, and then write the number "211-1" (map-church) on the form where you filled in the information for the church. When you have finished going through the entire block, mark the visited block with an "X" on the map.

If it is not clear if a building is a church or not, ask around in the neighborhood. If you are not sure, it is always better to include the church and note your uncertainties on the form. The church can be taken off later. If this place is only a meeting place or preaching point for a church, indicate this on the form as well.

Include churches like the Seventh Day Adventist, Universal Kingdom of God, Christian Congregation, etc. If some group that uses the research in the future should choose not to include them, they can be eliminated. But if the churches are excluded beforehand, you run the risk of having incomplete data. In these studies, we are not looking for Catholic churches, nor spiritist centers, cults, etc.

Don't rush! It is more important for the work to be thorough than to finish quickly and overlook some churches. If a street is one-way or difficult to access, it is best to go around the block and approach it from its entrance than to leave it for "later," because it can be forgotten. Use the highlighter to indicate any streets that were missed at the end of a day so that they can be visited on a subsequent day and therefore not be omitted.

If you think "I already know this street" or "I think that we've already passed through here," you may run into problems. Churches frequently appear where least expected. Many times, we're surprised to find new churches on well-known streets because we never looked for churches there before.

The coordinator (or the delegated person) should take all the maps and forms to the office or home at the end of the day in order to:

• Confirm that everything has been filled out correctly and completely
• Confirm that all the streets were visited
• Organize the work for the next day

Observations:

• In areas with greater automobile traffic, it may be necessary to begin after the morning rush hour and to stop a little before rush hour starts in the afternoon, or to do the research in these places on the weekends. (For example, in São Paulo, we find work to be most productive from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.)
• If you are working in more than one team, divide the areas to be researched and arrange a time and a place to meet up for lunch and at the end of the day to verify the progress and answer any questions.
• It is not enough to take someone's word that a determined street doesn't have churches, nor presume that a dead-end, dark, or dangerous, etc. street does not have them. Each block of each street needs to be visited by researchers for various reasons:
• At times, the residents of urban neighborhoods are not well-informed and are unaware of the churches (especially if the churches are new or small).
• Is not adequate to look from the corner of the street to determine if there is a church present. Most churches place their signs on the front of their building, facing the street, and thus they are not visible from the side. For this reason, if the street is not easily accessible, exit the car and walk through the street.
• When searching for churches, always be alert to the variety of names (ex. Community, House of Prayer, Temple, Place of Prayer and Healing, etc.)
• If possible, write down the worship service times in order to be able to plan a return visit (for example, to check attendance.)

The next step:

After you finish locating all the churches of the researched neighborhood or region, give all the forms to the designated person to tabulate and analyze the data. See Analysis and presentation of the data.

RESEARCH IN THE RURAL CONTEXT

The initial research includes a visit to each city, town and community, recording the names and addresses of the churches and indicating their locations on the map. A study of the demographic context ("contextual research") should occur before beginning to search for the churches. When arriving at the municipality to be researched, it is important to look for the mayor's office and get a map of the municipality and information about the population distribution.

Preparing the map(s):

The first step is to prepare the map(s) of the regions or municipalities to receive church location markings. Enlarged photocopies of the pages from street guides of a city or municipality are good models to follow as you note which streets you have covered and which remain to be visited. But, at times, a large map of the area is the best that you can find. If this the case, when arriving at the municipal headquarters, you may be able to obtain more detailed local maps which show all the communities, villages and some of the larger farm communities. These maps (in the mayor's office of small municipalities) may of the type that are hand-drawn, but may in fact give more details than a commercialized state map. They also frequently show more dirt roads and other roads that aren't delineated on a map covering a greater area. When possible, it is always best to make a photocopy of the specific map(s) to be used in the street research because it will be necessary to mark the locations of the churches, and at times, add villages and small streets which are not on the map. It is advisable to keep the original map clean for future use.

Transportation:

Due to the great distances normally encountered between cities and rural villages, farms, or other smaller communities that surround municipal seats, some manner of transportation (collective or individual) will be necessary to travel these distances. Research within the municipal center or in a small city can be done on foot or with the help of a bike (horse, motorcycle, etc.). It is best if the research team includes at least two people. It is, however, possible for the research to be done by only one person, if necessary.

Equipment necessary for each team:

• Maps (street guide)
• Clipboard to hold the forms and other papers
• Pens (at least two different colors)
• Highlighter
• Copies of the questionnaire/form to be filled out
• Car, if possible (Preferably, the car should not be very new, nor very old, so as to not draw unnecessary attention)
• Sufficient funds for fuel, food (including lunch breaks in the morning and afternoon), maps, and photocopies

Marking the churches:

When you arrive on site, ask at a gasoline station, small bar, town hall, or wherever there is a group of people, if they know of a Protestant church or "church of evangelical believers," and its location. Thank them for their help and try to meet people from these churches, preferably a leader. If they say that there isn't a Protestant church, confirm this information with other people.

When you discover the name of a church, try to talk with a pastor or leader. Ask this person how many people normally attend the principal worship service(s) of the church. Write these answers onto the church form. Explain the purpose of the research and ask for additional information, especially about the existence of other churches in the town. The Christians in rural and agricultural areas usually know their communities well and are aware of the existence and locations of its churches. Note the names and locations of the churches identified by local residents and, if possible, the approximate number of members in each church. After obtaining this information, pass by the front of these churches to confirm the information. In municipalities with 5,000 to 10,000 people, it is good to speak with at least two people from different churches, if possible, to increase your chances of getting more accurate information. In cities with more than 10,000 people, use the urban research procedure.

When looking for churches, always be alert for a variety of names (ex. Community, House of Prayer, Temple, Place of Prayer and Healing, etc.).

When you find a church, stop (if you are in a car, pull off to the side) and fill out the form with all the available information, including the name of the researcher and date. Using a different color pen than the one used to mark the roads, indicate on the map the location of the church with a circled sequential number. The number you will write on the map should be copied onto the form that contains the information about this church. That is, the number on the form will correspond with the number marked on the map, identifying the church and its location. For example, if the maps are numbered and the church is located on map 5, find the first church on the map, place the number "1" on the map where the church is located, and the number "5-1" (map-church) on the form where you filled in the information about the church.

If it is not clear if the building is a church or not, ask around in the neighborhood. If you are not sure, it is always better to include the church and note your uncertainties on the form. The church can be taken off later. If this building is only a meeting place or preaching point for a church, indicate this on the form. Include churches like the Seventh Day Adventist, Universal Kingdom of God, Christian Congregation, etc. If some group that uses the research in the future should choose not to include them, they can be eliminated. But if the churches are excluded beforehand, you run the risk of having incomplete data. In this research, we are not looking for Catholic churches, nor spiritist centers, cults, etc.

Observations:

• It is likely that you will be able to improve the maps during the research process, drawing in other streets and neighborhoods that you encounter during your visits.
  Don't rush! It is more important for the work to be thorough than to finish quickly and overlook some churches. Use the highlighter to indicate the streets that were missed so that they can be visited before you leave the area.
• If you think "I already know this street" or "I think that we've already passed through here," you may end up with incomplete information. If it is not marked on the map, go back to be sure. Churches frequently appear where they are least expected, for example, on small dead-end streets, on farms, etc.
• Likewise, if it is not possible to speak with people that regularly attend the churches of a given area, at least seek out a list of the population centers in the area (e.g. communities or farms near the municipal seat) and, if possible, the existing churches in each of these sites. This information will be indispensable in establishing priorities for future expansion of the church in the region.

The next step:

After visiting the streets in the municipal seat, use a pen to mark on the map where you have passed through, and continue visiting all of the surrounding communities. In these places, ask some people to locate their churches if possible. Otherwise, give this information (i.e. the total absence of churches), together with the data about the existing churches, to the Research Coordinator. The site will be included in a list of unreached places for prayer and for a church or denomination to adopt for evangelism and church planting.

You should verify the maps and forms each night to:

• Confirm that everything has been filled out correctly and completely
• Confirm that all the streets were visited
• Organize the work for the next day

After you finish locating all the churches of the researched neighborhood or region, give all the forms to the Research Coordinator to tabulate and analyze the data. See Analysis and presentation of the data.

ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF THE DATA

The objective of your data analysis is to provide information that will be useful in church planting. For example, if existing churches are already reaching people of a particular geographic location, ethnic and/or social group, then church planters do not need to devote significant resources there. We want to reveal the gaps of churches across the country so that eventually each home will have access to a church. Then the love of Christ will have a chance to shine into their lives.

The data must be typed in computer in the form of a database to facilitate its analysis and distribution. The state, regional and national coordinators are there to help with this part if you do not have access to a computer. Request a data entry template for Microsoft Access (a database program) or a blank spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. This database puts the fields in the same format that was used for the field research. It uses a table called "Churches" to store the data. Enter the population data for each quarter and each ethnic group into the "Given Demographics" table. After putting all of the information into database, send one copy of the archive by disk or via email to your regional coordinator.

Calculations:

• For each city, quarter, sub-district, community or village calculate the population/church ratio. (the basic goal is one church per 1,000 people)
• Repeat this calculation for all of the ethnic groups and social classes when such data is available.
• To do this calculation, it is necessary to use the population data of each geographic division.

Visual presentation of the data:

Maps and graphs help convey your results better than tables and charts. Use neat, clear maps when sharing with churches what you have discovered from your research.

• The copies of maps you used in the street are usually dirty and have stray marks that were useful during your street searches, but that are not pertinent to the analysis of the data.
• Many people will want copies of your maps; therefore, they must be easily reproduced.
• A map that uses different colors to represent the population/church ratio of the various quarters or sub-districts will indicate more effectively the areas with the greatest need of church planting.

This information will be very useful in determining the areas that have priority in receiving church planting efforts.

Sharing your results

The national and regional coordinators should receive copies of all the data. Maps and graphs can be prepared and shared on websites and also published in magazine articles and other places that will stimulate church planting in needy places..

The data should be shared with Christian leaders in the proper city and region in order to motivate the churches there to reach the "churchless" areas. The Pastors Council (if it exists) can provide opportunities to share your results with more churches. A Christian periodical in the city can also publish an article on the subject. The most important thing is that the data is used to motivate and mobilize the Church to reach everyone with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

All of the data should be kept in a form that is easily accessible for churches, denominations and missionaries who want to use it in the planning their evangelism strategies. We intend to do this through this through our website, but it would be good if each city, region, micro-region, and state also was able to keep copies of the data and maps for churches to use. This research must be updated every 2 or 3 years to identify the new churches that had been planted and also to correct the data because of churches that have closed or moved.