Our interactions with strangers, no matter how brief, can have a lasting impact when we are genuinely curious listeners.
If you want to initiate more meaningful conversations about faith, here are a few icebreaker questions you could try.
1. What helps you feel comforted or grounded?
Show curiosity about where a person finds strength. We all seek comfort, peace, and security in life, and for many of us, those things are the heart of belief itself. This question can inspire relatable anecdotes, much-needed encouragement, or useful advice.
2. What were you raised to believe?
Childhood is unique to each individual, but it is also a shared, universal experience—easy ground for connection. Ask a person which beliefs or teachings have stuck with them since they were little, what they wish they’d been taught, or what they hope to teach their own children.
3. Do you have any favorite family traditions?
Invite others to tell you about their background, culture, family history, and favorite traditions. When we care about where people came from, we show that they matter to us. Questions about a person’s background can easily lead to conversations about some of our most cherished beliefs.
4. How have you found a community that you connect with?
Whether or not it’s a religious community, you can likely find in a person’s response an innate desire for belonging that resonates with all of God’s children. Learn about how another person has found their circle of support—or, if they feel that they still haven’t found one, invite them into yours!
5. When do you feel like your best self?
Our identities deeply matter to us. This question reframes common conversation (“Who are you?”) into something more thought-provoking (“Who do you want to be?”). It invites the other person, religious or not, to share what connects them to their inherent divine worth.
Forming Faith-filled Connections
As disciples of Christ, we can and should seek to elevate our daily conversations, searching for and creating opportunities to testify of Him. “Our words matter.” Perhaps not every interaction will be life-changing, but intentional, sincere conversations do leave a lasting impression.
Genuine questions are a great place to start, but to really create a connection:
- Be a listener. Keep it simple, be genuine, and most of all, listen. Share your own experiences whenever it feels natural, but keep your ears and heart open. Curiosity can spark some of your most meaningful conversations.
- Walk the talk. When we are actively studying and practicing the gospel of Jesus Christ, we’re ready to share with others. The right insights will come at the right moments, and people will sense the light of Christ in us.
The Lord’s entreaty and promise to one disciple apply to any of us who are seeking faith-filled connections with our brothers and sisters throughout life:
“… [Share] my gospel wheresoever I shall send you … strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings. And behold, and lo, I am with you to bless you and deliver you forever. Amen.”
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