by Major Marc Johnson
It’s easy to discuss our passions.
For instance, our favorite sports team or hobby. So, why does it seem so hard to talk about our relationship with God? During 2023, God burdened my heart to seek a way to get soldiers talking about God—witnessing—in their everyday conversations. As a result, we launched our “God Conversations” initiative in the Indiana Division last August, with a goal of 10,000 conversations in one year.
What is a God Conversation? It’s intentionally looking for opportunities to talk about God with the people in your everyday life. It might be while shopping at the hardware store, waiting in line to buy groceries, picking up your prescription—basically anywhere you are with other people.
There are a few, simple steps to a God Conversation.*
Be Kind. Go out of your way to be nice to the people who are around you. That often starts a dialogue.
Be Curious. Ask good questions. Many people are happy to share their lives.
Be Present. Give them your full attention. Listen not only to what they say but to the meaning and emotion behind their words.
Be Brave. When the conversation gives an opportunity to talk about God, naturally introduce your thought and then follow where it leads, if anywhere. If not, thank God for the opportunity to plant a seed for the person to think about God.
Talking about God with others doesn’t require a degree in theology. It’s simply sharing about the most important relationship in your life.
God Conversations tie in seamlessly with our divisional vision of helping everyone we encounter take the next step on their spiritual journey. Every Sunday soldiers and attendees are encouraged to fill out short report slips about the conversations they’ve had. Some put a Goldfish cracker in a large, clear container to represent each conversation.
As of February 15, 2024, only five months after launching the initiative, we have had 6,961 reported God Conversations!
We look forward to celebrating how God has used these at our Pilgrimage in July. I pray there will be people at it who have accepted Jesus as their Savior because of our God Conversations.
*Some steps adapted from the book 42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions by Carl Medeari
