One of the goals of “Know Their Story” is to help us, as a church, grow more comfortable initiating meaningful conversations with both acquaintances and strangers. Every day, we cross paths with people who need to experience God’s love and hear the good news about Jesus. But in our eagerness to reach out, we sometimes overlook those closest to us.

In fact, one of the best ways to grow in starting conversations with strangers — like the person next to you at the gas pump — is to first practice having deeper conversations with family and friends. We often assume we already know everything about those closest to us, but that’s rarely true. Even after ten years of marriage, I still hear new stories from my wife!

From there, begin engaging with people you see regularly but may not know well. Maybe it’s:

• The waitress who often serves you at your favorite restaurant
• A neighbor who walks by your house every day
• A co-worker whose desk is on your route to the water cooler

Start your “Know Their Story” journey by building connections with these familiar faces.

Questions to Go Deeper

Here are a few conversation starters to help you move beyond small talk:

1️⃣ “What’s the best thing about you?”

This question gives insight into a person’s values and identity.

2️⃣ “If you could go back in time and give your younger self advice, what would you say? Why?”

A great way to understand how they see their personal growth and journey.

3️⃣ “Have you ever had a turning point in life where everything changed?”

Everyone has had defining moments. If the Spirit leads, this can be a natural way to share your own testimony about Jesus.

These deeper questions might arise naturally in conversation, but if you’re looking for an easy way to introduce them, you can mention the Know Their Story challenge:

“My church is encouraging us to care for people by really listening to their stories. Would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions to learn something new about your story?”

However you approach it, may the Lord bless you this week as you seek to love those around you and Know Their Story!