You may want to begin your earthkeeping efforts by using a short survey. The survey would gather information such as what environmental issues are important to members, how they already practice earthkeeping in their own lives, what they want to learn more about, what kinds of activities they would participate in, whether they wish to volunteer for a committee, and what talents or knowledge they have to offer to earthkeeping efforts in the congregation. From such a survey you can gain a great deal of information about how sophisticated your congregation is in its knowledge of environmental issues, what they are interested in, what they think the church should be interested in, how much enthusiasm there is for the idea of earthkeeping, and how people can help. You can use this information to gauge the kinds of activities that would be best suited to where your congregation is in its thinking about earthkeeping.

A sample written survey is included with this handbook. Written surveys may be distributed in the bulletin for several Sundays or sent out as part of a newsletter in order to avoid the extra cost and paper usage. You can use the sample survey included with this handbook, or personalize it to fit your congregation. You may want to preprint an address on the back so that people can fold the survey in half and mail it in, and/or suggest that they put it in the offering plate. (Be sure to add these instructions to the survey.) Surveys that are easy to read, complete, and return will be more successful than those that are complicated or require more than minimal effort to return.

A written survey may not be the best method for gathering information about your congregation, especially if members of your congregation are not comfortable with written material because of problems with poor eyesight, motor skills, literacy, or language barriers. In such cases, you may want to consider conducting a verbal survey, in which committee members interview congregation members; putting the matter on the agenda of a previously-scheduled congregational meeting; or holding a brief special meeting on the topic before or after a church service. If you do not conduct a written survey, you may still find it useful to have someone compile and record the results of your verbal survey or meeting discussion for future reference.