Tactful spiritual conversation starter questions can open the doors to significant life changing evangelistic conversations.
Tactful means that you are
- sensitive to the timing, the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and the level of your friend’s spiritual thirst.
- paying attention to your own motives as you ask the questions: are you forcing a conversation or manipulating the situation?
With these evangelistic questions, use them appropriately.
It’ll take prayer and discernment to recognize those moments when these are great questions to use in personal evangelism.
44 Spiritual Conversation Starter Questions
- Where are you in your spiritual pilgrimage?
- In your opinion, how does one become a Christian?
- What single thing would you like to make absolutely certain you do (if at all possible) during your lifetime?
- How do you think a person can keep from becoming a workaholic?
- What character can you imagine yourself to be? (any period of history)
- What are you reading that is not an assignment or required by your work?
- How do you know you’ll go to heaven when you die?
- How are you growing personally?
- In a conversation with someone who has never heard about God, what would you say about God from your experience?
- In your opinion, how does one become a Christian?
- How would you describe your father and his impact on your life?
- Tell me about your mentor and his/her impact on your life.
- What do you think would probably surprise most people about you? Why?
- What is your greatest strength, and what are you doing to develop it?
- Why do people do what they do? What are the assumptions you make about people?
- How do you handle pressure? When the pressure is really on, what do you need from your friends?
- Has anything ever happened to you that was dramatic, personal or spectacular enough to cause you to be certain there is a God who is both infinite and personally caring?
- What do you consider to be two major turning points in your life?
- What is something you consider to be a great personal success? Why was it so significant?
- What is the key to maintaining balance in your life?
- What are 2 or 3 major truths upon which you have based your decision-making?
- Tell me about two of your life-long friends and why they have such an impact on your life. What made you choose them?
- Have you dealt with the question – “How much money is enough, and what do I do with the rest?”
- How would you describe your mother and the impact she has had on your life?
- In your opinion, who was/is Jesus Christ?
- If you could know God personally, would you be interested?
- How would you define materialism, and how do you deal with it in your life?
- What have you found to be the best way of absorbing disappointment, rejection, distress and discouragement?
- When you get to heaven, what will be the first three questions you will ask God?
- If you were to inherit a million dollars today, and couldn’t spend it on your own business or keep it for yourself, what would you do with it and why?
- What do you find most attractive about Christianity/the person of Christ? What do you find least attractive about Christianity/the person of Christ?
- Do you consider yourself a seeker of the truth?
- What is your spiritual background?
- Have you ever read the Bible?
- Have your views on religion changed since you started college? How?
- Have you ever discussed what Biblical Christianity is?
- Why do you think you feel the way you do toward Jesus Christ and his message of love and forgiveness?
- What is your philosophy of life based on?
- Do you believe what you’ve been brought up with?
- Why do you think Christianity isn’t relevant to your life?
- If Christ was who He claimed to be, how would that affect your life?
- What are you living for? What do you value most?
- If your questions could be answered in a way that would satisfy you, would you then believe in Christ?
- The Kennedy questions: First ask–”If you died today, do you know for sure you’d go to heaven?” Then ask–”If you died and stood before God and He asked you ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?”
The key here is to begin conversations and then to listen to the heart of the one we are talking with.
Sometimes it is hardest bringing up the gospel with our friends.
We just need to keep asking questions that will reveal who they are.
Read more evangelism tips: What is the question behind the question?
Grow in your personal evangelism
I have learned to have more effective spiritual conversations with serious people searching for “something.”
If you want to grow in tactfulness to
- the conversational timing,
- the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and
- discerning the level of of your friend’s spiritual thirst
then purchase Effective Evangelism Conversations (under 3 hours of video or audio material)
The teaching is based on the encounter between Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. I share four principles of great effectiveness in evangelistic conversation.
Source: Gilbert’s Coaching Tips Questions Leading into Spiritual Conversations.
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Hi, On my Facebook Blog page I share a conversation starter every day. I thought I’d like to have some that would lead to more witnessing opportunities and found these. Would it be all right if I take these questions and put up one a day? They would be pretty much verbatim, I think. (Great questions!) Do you want credit/a link? If you do could I just put it up ever week or 10 days (I don’t do questions on weekends) or would you want want one every day? Thanks!
Question 40 is an accusatory statement. As with many of the question they seem to be designed to back one into a corner so the asker can judge them on their response. While at the same time lording over them their piety. I look into the bible and do not find grounds for question someone to convert someones beliefs. I may be wrong but I find the bible telling me to live my faith and others might want what I have. I can only assume many have taken the idea that we should make disciples of all men to mean convince, by any means necessary. If that don’t work judge them as wrong and worthless.
Good point.
I think Question 40, when asked with a tone of curiosity, is not accusatory at all, but seeks a genuine understanding. I’ve often been puzzled and seek to understand.
Tone of voice can make it accusatory like you suggest, or make it curious. Context of the friendship also helps the question serve a purpose.