Practice conversations about Jesus on a mission trip this year!
Have you been looking for a place to have more conversations, but not sure where to start?
by Katy Nieman, Missions Minister
January 30, 2023
I met Pastor Paul in East London last year, and heard how in the midst of their apathetic culture, there is a recent influx in the community for spiritual discussions. Alex told us 90% of the individuals they engage with express interest in prayer or spiritual conversations. But the community is every changing and growing, and there is still so much more need for those to go.
Katy Nieman, Missions Minister
Serving On-Ramps to Conversations
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by Jeff Cross, Refugee Ministry Director
December 12, 2022
Serving is a great catalyst for conversations about Jesus.
Find out how you can serve others, both inside and outside the church, to spark conversations!
In Galatians 5 we learn that the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” What better time to love your neighbor than the holiday season.
I believe that serving others enables us to focus beyond ourselves. The act of serving may be a catalyst for the recipients of our kindness and care to inquire about our motivation. In this way, serving others may present opportunities to share about our Hope through conversations about Jesus.
The great news is that at Northwest Bible Church, there are many opportunities for you to serve others which can lead to these conversations!
Serve in the church: Our own church campus presents opportunities to have conversations about Jesus! You can serve as a ministry partner for elementary school students or as a middle school or high school leader. There are countless stories of students understanding who Jesus is in their lives through the teaching, mentorship, and friendship of ministry volunteers. Serving on our Care Team and ministering to seniors as a 3 Score Luncheon host or through hospital and home visits provides opportunities to establish and grow friendships that often lead to spiritual conversations. Find all of our serve opportunities online!
Serve outside the church: Northwest has outreach partners that provide ministry opportunities to serve others across the City of Dallas. Volunteer shifts are available at OurCalling (ministry to the homeless), Mercy Street (mentoring elementary school students and youth), Hidalgo (Kid’s Club and teen groups) and Casa del Lago (elementary school literacy and adult education).
Serve with the Northwest Community Center: Of course, personally I hope you join us at our Northwest Community Center in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood of Dallas. The NCC exists as a churchwide platform to aid and empower refugees and invite them into new life through Jesus. Service opportunities at the Community Center include after-school homework help, youth tutoring, conversation club partners to either women or men, youth small group leader, or meeting newly-arrived refugee families and registering them for a monthly diaper distribution. Learn more about all of these on our website!
Many of you served with us at the Vickery Christmas Market and saw the great opportunity for conversations about Jesus at the Northwest Community Center. We hope you’ll come back to serve with us at one of our many year-round service opportunities!
I challenge you to love your neighbor, whether in the church or in the community. Let the Holy Spirit bring you into conversations about Jesus with your neighbors throughout the upcoming new year.
Jeff Cross, Refugee Ministry Director
Spotify Playlist for Conversations
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by April Payne, Worship Director
November 8, 2022
Prepare your heart and mind with prayer and music that will set your eyes on Jesus.
Listen to our Conversations Playlist on Spotify!
Welcome to the Conversations Hub Playlist! I created this playlist to help all of us prepare for conversations about Jesus.
For many of us, the idea of striking up a casual conversation about our faith sounds pretty intimidating! It’s my hope that the music on this list is just one of the many tools you can use to make that idea feel a little less challenging. As believers in Christ, worship is our way of life. One of the many ways we express our worship is through music.
Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” When we sing to God, we both honor Him and remind ourselves of His goodness to us!
Maybe you have a lunch or family gathering on the calendar with someone who is not a believer, and you’re not sure how to start a spiritual conversation with them. Maybe you commute to a job every day where you are surrounded by people who haven’t heard the Gospel. Next time you’re heading into an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation, use the music on this playlist to remind yourself of God’s steadfast love. Intentionally prepare your heart and mind with prayer and music that will set your eyes on Him, even if you don’t know what to say or do.
I hope that this playlist encourages you as you step out in boldness to have conversations. All of us at Northwest will be praying with you that the Holy Spirit works through you because we are convinced that where God has you is where Jesus is!
April Payne, Worship Director
"The Listening Road" Docuseries
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by Neil Tomba, Senior Pastor
October 11, 2022
Watch unscripted conversations about Jesus in action.
Neil’s docuseries is available now on Redeem TV!.
When pastor Neil set out to ride his bike across the United States in the summer of 2019 (a project he lovingly called “Conversations Coast to Coast”), having conversations about Jesus with people along the way was his number one priority.
One of his other goals was to write a book documenting the trip. He took along a professional video crew to shoot footage with the hopes of also releasing a docuseries. The book and docuseries are both called “The Listening Road” and are now realities. You can watch The Listening Road for free through Redeem TV! Find the link here. The book is also available here. Read below for a note to you from Neil.
Prayer Prompt Phone Screensavers
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by Angela Cirocco, Group Life Minister
September 13, 2022
Prayer is the power behind our conversations!
Use these prayer prompts to remind you to pray throughout the day.
Prayer is the power behind our conversations about Jesus! But I admit, sometimes I forget to pray. I get busy practicing strategies I learned through the Discovery Experience, thinking my way through in my own strength. Let’s infuse our vision with prayer, asking God to open up conversations throughout our days.
Below are some examples of what that may look like! For each prayer prompt, we’ve also created a downloadable background image for your phone’s home screen. We hope this is an easy way to keep that prayer top of mind for you!
In the morning, pull out your calendar and pray over each activity:
Father, in the morning, you hear my voice. So I bring my day to you, and I lay down my requests to you, waiting expectantly for you (Ps 5:3) to meet me in each activity today, for where you have me is where Jesus is. Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- Before an appointment, pause and pray:
Father, you direct my steps and delight in the details of my day (Ps 37:23). Where you have me is where Jesus is, so as I go to this appointment, Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- At school drop off or pick up, pray,
Father as I wait in this line, I want to remember that what I’m REALLY waiting for is your blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of my great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us (Titus 2:13). God, I want to share this hope both with fellow parents and with my kids once they arrive. Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- When meeting up with a non-believing friend, pray,
Father, I pray the eyes of (person’s name) may be enlightened, so (he/she) may know the hope found only in you (Eph 1:18). Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- While waiting for your Uber/Lyft driver, pray,
Father as I wait for (driver’s name), I wait for You, my whole being waits, and in your Word I put my hope (Ps 130:5). I pray (driver’s name) will see your love and light in me. Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- Before a class, pray,
Father, I want to do all things without grumbling or complaining, that I may be blameless and innocent, recognizable as Your child, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, that I may shine as a light in this world (Phil 2:14-15). Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- While driving to the gym, pray,
Father, I want to love you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. During my workout, help me to honor you in physical body, but also give me eyes to love the people there, my neighbors, as myself (Mark 12:30-31).Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- At sports games or practices (parent or child), pray:
Father, help me conduct myself in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ (Phil 1:27), that others may notice the difference Jesus makes in me. Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- While running errands, pray:
Father, in my heart I revere Christ as Lord. Help me be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that I have in you. Help me to do this with gentleness and respect (1 Pe 3:15). Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- Whenever anyone comes to your home, pray:
Father, we practice hospitality because you said to! (Rom 12:13). As (guest’s name) enter our home, may they feel your love and faithfulness, not for our glory but for your name to be known (Ps 115:1). Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
- Throughout the day, pray:
Father, give me eyes to see opportunities you bring me to have conversations about Jesus. Help me to recognize them, help me think of good questions to ask, give me a listening ear, the ability to love the person in front of me as you do, and the courage to speak the truth of Jesus. Holy Spirit, bring me into conversations about Jesus, Amen.
Angela Cirocco, Group Life Minister
Visual Tools for Sharing the Gospel
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by Justin Gaspar, Outreach Minister
August 15, 2022
Welcome to our Conversations Hub Resources!
Tools created to equip you for conversations about Jesus.
Click the image to watch a video from Justin!
This Resources section will be updated periodically with tools to help you have conversations about Jesus all over our city.
In the video above I reference two apps that can be used as simple visual tools to share the gospel with someone who wants to learn more!
- Life on Mission Guide – The North American Mission Board has the Life on Mission Guide as a visual tool. This tool utilizes 3 circles to identify the power of God’s design, our brokenness and how the gospel is good news to all of us. The hope is that you can use this wherever you are by simply drawing the 3 circles and pointing others to the good news of God.
- Share your Faith Ministries – This simple tool created by Share your Faith ministries, helps you demonstrate how we are separated by God from our sin, and how Jesus has bridged that gap.
Both tools are meant to help you bring the gospel into your conversations. They are great for those moments when an individual shows interest in hearing more about how Jesus can change our lives.
We also have another wonderful tool we want to share with you, created right here at Northwest Bible Church. We created the Discovery Experience to help you learn more about how God has equipped you to have Conversations about Jesus. 
This is an eight-week program that teaches you how to use your own story to have easy to start conversations with those around you. Trust me, this program will be time well spent. Please reach out to me for more information and to find out about Discovery Experience opportunities coming up soon.
I pray God opens doors for you to share His Good News, and that you will have the courage to walk through them.
Justin Gaspar, Outreach Minister
Discovery Experience
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Discovery Experience is an 8-week small group journey designed to help people answer the question “How is God uniquely calling me to invite people into conversations about Jesus?”
It was created by Northwest Bible spiritual formation staff to equip tour church body to more effectively have conversations about Jesus with those who don’t yet know Him, and it’s our most important next step to develop proficiency!
“What will I get out of Discovery Experience?”
- Discover what it looks like to take this lofty vision and personalize it in a way that’s doable and even life-giving.
- Answer the question, “How is God uniquely calling me to invite people into conversations about Jesus?”
- Reconcile your story, gifting, schedule, and unique personality with sharing God’s story with nonbelievers.
- Practice conversation and relationship-building techniques with a small group and receive feedback, encouragement, and prayer.
If you have questions, would like more information, or to join a group, email Justin Gaspar at [email protected] to let us know!
Books to Read
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- Tactics by Gregory Koukl
- The Listening Road by Neil Tomba
- Gospel Fluency by Jeff Vanderstelt
Conversation Starters
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Moving the conversation from Simple to Significant
- What’s one thing you’re passionate about?
- What gets you out of bed in the morning? Do you enjoy your job? Why/Why not?
- What helps you unwind from stress?
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
- What do you value in your friends?
- Tell me about your family
- What dreams do you have for your life?
- If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
- What do you value most in life?
- How do you deal with the hard stuff of life?
- If you could be known for one thing in life, what would that be?
- What are you most thankful for right now?
- If you could have one “do-over” in life, what would it be?
Moving the conversation from Significant to Spiritual
- Is there anything I can pray for you about?
- What do you think makes life meaningful?
- What do you think is the fundamental problem with the world?
- Do you have a faith?
- Would you consider yourself to be spiritual? Why/Why not?
- Can I share how my faith has helped me deal with [fill in blank]?
Keeping a Spiritual conversation going
- How do you deal with the hard things in your life?
- I’m just curious, have you ever considered [insert a belief about Jesus]?
- Would you be open to hearing an alternate view?
*This is a partial list of questions taken from our Discovery Experience 8-week small group curriculum designed to equip you for having conversations about Jesus! www.northwestbible.org/
Vision Facebook Group
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Looking for support?
Want to connect with others around our vision? We have a Facebook group for Conversations About Jesus! Check in between Sundays and small group whenever you have questions around the vision or need prayer for a relationship you’re building or a conversation you’re having. It’s a place to celebrate progress or connect with others with similar divine platforms. Join today and start connecting!