Confirming residence within ward boundaries are/aren't members

Our Utah ward boundaries consist mostly of members. We do have 13 residence that may or may not be members and most remain to themselves. If I have their names and addresses, is there any reason I wouldn't want to 'assume' they may be members and request their records?

If nothing comes back, it would confirm they are not members and the ward could then consider this a missionary opportunity. If they are members, we would continue fellowshipping.

Typically you'd need their birthdate as well. Ordering simply by name could pull a record of someone with a similar name from their ward and cause all kinds of problems.

Sounds like a job for the ward missionaries. They can visit and find out if they are members or not. If they are have them get the birthdate so you can request the records.

Or discuss them in ward council and decide who would be best to approach each family.

Scottc32 wrote:...and the ward could then consider this a missionary opportunity. If they are members, we would continue fellowshipping.

Can I offer a suggestion? Instead of either/or, how about considering this as an opportunity to simply get to know your neighbors? Undoubtedly in such a neighborhood, at least some of these people feel "left out" since they're not part of the "automatic" social group of a ward. Make sure they feel included and simply be a good neighbor. Who knows, whether they are currently a member or not, they may decide to join you (or not - and that's OK too).

Scottc32 wrote:If I have their names and addresses, is there any reason I wouldn't want to 'assume' they may be members and request their records? ...If nothing comes back, it would confirm they are not members

I like all the responses before mine in the thread. I wouldn't request a record without a birth date. And if nothing comes back it certainly would not confirm they are not members. First of all, I'm not sure CHQ would allow it, due to privacy concerns and name confusion, and as RussellHltn suggested, bringing in the wrong one can REALLY mess things up in TWO wards- and a ward clerk somewhere is going to be really upset at you, because he can't just "undo" it!

I would, however, based on your location, "assume" that a bunch of those houses do indeed contain members. Some intentionally don't tell you, others may not know/remember a baptism, and some don't really consider themselves a member anymore since they haven't been active for years, or perhaps never really were. As has been suggested, this is the time for friendshipping by neighbors and ward missionaries; Street party dinners, after school "Popsicle parties" or "water wars," Kids carnivals, neighborhood service projects, or neighborhood Christmas traditions...In Utah, sometimes we huddle at the church way too much!

As mfmohlma suggested, Get to know them...out in the neighborhood.