The 9 Arts Of Spiritual Conversations

Love God, love people. Could evangelism really be that simple? Often, it doesn't seem so. It can feel scary, awkward, and uncomfortable as we try to navigate loaded questions and different perspectives. Even the most faithful of believers sometimes get stumped. But can you imagine if we, as Christians, simply spent time with people who are far from God and provided a safe place to talk about spiritual matters? If we listened to them and discovered what was really important to them? After all . . . it's what Jesus did. And it's what you can do too. Drawing straight from the life and ministry of Jesus, The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations offers simple practices to help you build relationships with people who believe differently. Anyone who has read and appreciated Becoming a Contagious Christian or Just Walk across the Room won't want to miss this book on creating a safe space to have natural, loving, and spiritual conversations with others.

Love God, love people. Could evangelism really be that simple? Often, it doesn’t seem so. It can feel scary, awkward, and uncomfortable as we try to navigate loaded questions and different perspectives. Even the most faithful of believers sometimes get stumped. But can you imagine if we, as Christians, simply spent time with people who are far from God and provided a safe place to talk about spiritual matters? If we listened to them and discovered what was really important to them? After all . . . it’s what Jesus did. And it’s what you can do too. Drawing straight from the life and ministry of Jesus, The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations offers simple practices to help you build relationships with people who believe differently. Anyone who has read and appreciated Becoming a Contagious Christian or Just Walk across the Room won’t want to miss this book on creating a safe space to have natural, loving, and spiritual conversations with others.

In January 2019, a U.S. Census Bureau survey reported that 11 percent of respondents indicated symptoms of anxiety or depression. Just twenty-two months later in December 2020, the percentage nearly quadrupled to more than 42 percent. As believers, we are the ones called to truly “see” the lonely and hurting among us. What if instead of getting caught up in our own busy calendars and daily stressors, we dialed into the needs of those around us, listening with bold intentionality and responding to them with extravagant thoughtfulness and outrageous kindness? Jesus offered us the ultimate example of how to serve and minister to others by meeting people right where they were. Through us, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and family members should experience that same grace, kindness, and loving attention. Author Dustin Schadt offers a biblical and theological basis for seeing people, outlines practical ways that individuals, families, schools, nonprofits, small groups, churches, and other organizations can collectively value, focus on, and respond to the world around us. Our care builds a bridge of trust strong enough to bear the weight of our gospel conversations. Kindness has become a precious commodity. We are fast-paced, busy, and often distracted. In a world marked by skepticism, loneliness, and anxiety, Christ-followers must be the ones who live beyond differences and distractions to see the people God places in our lives. Jesus saw us, drew closer, and gave Himself up to make a way for us to come to Him. He is calling us to do the same—to love people the way Jesus loved people, ears open and eyes widen to the beauty of the love of Christ shown in His gospel.

Cultivate the potential for deeper connection in every conversation. "To think of conversation as a sacred art challenges us to imagine all the conversations in which we participate, from the acquaintance we run into at Target to the dialogue for which we've spent weeks in preparation, as a potentially sacred conversation." --from the Introduction We often find ourselves distracted and overwhelmed by a constant stream of information and demand for connectivity. Now more than ever, we need to develop our capacity for greater presence in our daily lives and relationships. One of the best ways to do this is by improving the quality of our conversations. Dr. Diane M. Millis offers us inspirational stories, insights and spiritual practices from many faith traditions to increase our awareness of the deep, natural holiness waiting to be unlocked in our everyday encounters. This resource is a catalyst for anyone who would like to enrich seemingly ordinary conversations as well as for leaders in educational, ministry and corporate settings who want to: Increase their capacity to listen deeply Become more self-aware and attentive to others Learn how to move beyond conventional topics to exploring purpose, meaning and values in conversation.

How do we become better people? Initiatives such as New Year's resolutions, vision boards, thirty-day plans, and self-help books often fail to compel us to live differently. We settle for small goals--frugal spending, less yelling at the kids, more time at the gym--but we are called to something far greater. We are created to be holy. Award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson explains that learning to hear the call of holiness requires cultivating a new imagination--one rooted in the act of reading. Learning to read with eyes attuned to the saints who populate great works of literature moves us toward holiness, where God opens up a way of living that extends far beyond what we can conjure for ourselves. Literature has the power to show us what a holy life looks like, and these depictions often scandalize even as they shape our imagination. As such, careful reading becomes a sort of countercultural spiritual discipline. The book includes devotionals, prayers, wisdom from the saints, and more to help individuals and groups cultivate a saintly imagination. Foreword by Lauren F. Winner.

The Practical Art of Spiritual Conversation is about the art of when, if, and how to engage in a spiritual conversation. The whens and the ifs inform the how. Christians can be so concerned with how to share the gospel that they often fail to consider where the person is spiritually and when, or even if, they should share the gospel. To be sure, the Scriptures are clear that followers of Christ must spread the good news. Yet there are times when sharing the gospel would be undeniably inappropriate. How, then, do gospel-centered, evangelistic Christians discern when to share Christ or when to stay silent? What determines when and if someone is even ready to hear the gospel? How does one meaningfully engage a person who has already accepted the gospel? Refined through tens of thousands of spiritual encounters, this book provides a helpful framework for discerning where a person is spiritually and how to encourage each person to take a step toward Christ regardless of where they may presently be in their faith journey. You will be equipped in the practical art of spiritual conversation so that you can meaningfully encourage every person to take a step toward Christ.

Cultivate the potential for deeper connection in every conversation. "To think of conversation as a sacred art challenges us to imagine all the conversations in which we participate, from the acquaintance we run into at Target to the dialogue for which we've spent weeks in preparation, as a potentially sacred conversation." —from the Introduction We often find ourselves distracted and overwhelmed by a constant stream of information and demand for connectivity. Now more than ever, we need to develop our capacity for greater presence in our daily lives and relationships. One of the best ways to do this is by improving the quality of our conversations. Dr. Diane Millis offers us inspirational stories, insights and spiritual practices from many faith traditions to increase our awareness of the deep, natural holiness waiting to be unlocked in our everyday encounters. This resource is a catalyst for anyone who would like to enrich seemingly ordinary conversations as well as for leaders in educational, ministry and corporate settings who want to: Increase their capacity to listen deeply Become more self-aware and attentive to others Learn how to move beyond conventional topics to exploring purpose, meaning and values in conversation.