Here is some information used by the Columbine 7th Ward (Littleton, CO) who went from 0 to 17 baptisms in the first year of its use.

Friendship, Fun, Faith and Follow-Up

Problem

The LDS missionary effort is floundering. To my knowledge this has never happened before. Although the number and quality of missionaries has doubled in 15 years, the number of annual converts has remained nearly constant. The root cause of flat conversion rate is not the missionaries; it is us, the members. Only 5% of the members do any missionary work. We don’t care enough. We’re too comfortable. This is Christ’s gospel. This is His church. We have the complete picture, the truth to lead Father’s children back home. We must “lengthen our stride.”

In 1996 President Gordon B. Hinckley said, "I constantly ask myself, 'What can I do to help 50,000 missionaries who are laboring so diligently in the mission field?' If we could find a way for people to constantly bump into the gospel in the normal course of their lives, rather than waiting for the missionaries to knock on their doors, it would be one of the greatest things we could do."

Method

We suggest simple, sincere friendships, progressing from physically to spiritually fun activities as the friend “bumps into the gospel” and shows interest in learning more. It’s that simple! (The activities listed below are also a great way to get to know the members in your Ward and Stake on a more personal level.)

Start with a simple Hello. Get to know your neighbors and co-workers. Put them in your address book or a list on your bathroom mirror. Then prayerfully focus on a few. Be interested in them. Love them. Help them. Listen. They will soon know that you care and want to hear what you know. That’s it. The gospel conversations will naturally follow!

Model

To create something truly wonderful requires inspiration and perseverance. Thanks to the divine nature of missionary work, the inspiration is guaranteed. But stepping out of your comfort zone and working hard is up to you. Even though He is the God of the known universe, even Heavenly Father worked hard and followed a certain order to create our mortal home. In His six days of labor, we can see five phases applicable to missionary work.

Ideas