Intentional Faith Conversations, Easier Than You Think
Intentional Faith Conversations, Easier than You Think
Recently I did something I don’t often do: I went clothes shopping and got some new clothes. I’m not going to lie; my wardrobe needed an update, and I should have done this a long time ago. The next day I dressed for work and left the house feeling good about my choices. As I was leaving work later that day a random person stopped me in the parking lot to comment on my new shoes! (They are indeed snappy, but that’s beside the point.)
Without the slightest hesitation, I happily told her what kind they were, where I got them, and that they were not only classy, but they were comfortable too! Now, feeling even more confident about my style choices, we parted ways and headed to our cars.
Be a Good Listener and Ask Good Questions
I made it about five steps before I realized something: I’m not much of an extrovert, but I had zero problems sharing something with a total stranger about something she was curious about. Shoes don’t have much eternal significance, but the Gospel does, and if it’s true (and I believe it is), then it’s important for people to hear about it. This realization made me aware of two important things: I could either guilt myself into manipulating conversations to point toward the Gospel, or I could let conversations naturally take place and be aware of opportunities to be a good listener and ask good questions, with less awkwardness. Intentional faith conversations are definitely better than feeling guilted into an awkward conversation!
A Virtual Small Group Study That Teaches You How to Have Faith Conversations
Engage 360 Ministries is starting two groups that will cover a special curriculum designed just for small group settings, be it churches, other groups, or anyone interested in learning how to share their faith in an everyday setting. The study will last six weeks and cover the basics of how to get comfortable with 1) asking questions to find out what a person believes 2) learning about the core basics of the Gospel message 3) avoiding common pitfalls that usually plague Gospel-oriented conversations and 4) practicing these things in an environment that is designed to give positive feedback and encouragement. The first virtual group will meet on Wednesdays at 10:30 am EDT, starting April 7th. The second virtual group will meet on Thursdays at 8:00 pm EDT, starting April 8th. Openings are going quickly! The only cost is the purchase of the Participant Guide. You can sign-up here.
With most things in life, from parenting to study habits, and from hobbies to work, we tend to fall back on our training or sometimes worse, fall back on no training at all. Engage 360 virtual small groups are a great opportunity for high-quality training at something almost all Christians find difficult. You will learn how to have intentional faith conversations in your everyday life!