Jump directly to the Content

Tom Nelson and David Greusel: Q & A - Being Conversant vs. Being Fluent

Being a good question-asker is key to understanding people's hearts.

This video is only available for subscribers.
Please log in or subscribe to view the video.

Tom Nelson, senior pastor of Christ Community in Kansas City, discusses the challenge in shepherding people about various vocational fields. He points to the difference in being conversant rather than fluent; pastors might not be experts in a variety of fields - e.g. medicine, law, architecture - but they can engage the people in their church by asking questions related to the work environment: What are some dilemmas you're currently facing? Would you walk me through what a typical day looks like for you? How have you dealt with disappointment in your work life? On what projects are you currently working? These kinds of shepherding questions, along with a good dose of humility and curiosity, help church leaders connect with laypeople in a meaningful way.

April
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
The Research Assistant
The Research Assistant
Your Sermon Preparation can Impact More Than Just Sunday Mornings
From the Magazine
Fractured Are the Peacemakers
Fractured Are the Peacemakers
A Christian reconciliation group in Israel and Palestine warned that war would come. Now the war threatens their relevance.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close