How To Get People of All Ages Talking About Faith Practices

By now, you've probably heard about Faith Practices for building spiritual growth and ministry. If not, you'll want to check out the Faith Practices Project here.

Maybe you've also heard about the Open to Wonder Podcast series, where we wonder about all kinds of questions about faith.

And if the all of the above is true, I've got a wonderful surprise for you: both Seasons 2 and 3 of the Open to Wonder series are designed for pastors and ministry leaders who are asking, "How can I get ordinary people of all ages (in households, in small groups, in my congregation) talking about the faith practices?".

Each episode in Seasons 2 and 3 of the Open to Wonder podcast begins with stories of how weaving one of five faith practices into their daily lives has grown the faith of the person being interviewed and ends with real life ideas for the small steps that anyone can take to weave one of those faith practices into their ordinary lives. And bonus: at just 30 minutes in length, each episode is easy for folks to fit into their day. #walking #driving #cooking 

Depending on your context you might simply share (via social media, your church website, the bulletin) the podcast episodes with your people and leave it at that. Or, if you’d like to create space for further conversations (with family, friends, small groups and/or the entire congregation), try this: 

1. Copy, paste and share the episode list along with the listening prompts and conversation starters (below) with your people. 

2. Invite those who wish to do so to set a date to gather online or in-person and talk about what they heard. 

OPEN TO WONDER, SEASON 2 (Available below and wherever you get your podcasts)

• Introducing Season 2, Faith Practices

• Celebration: ‘Appreciation is a Muscle You Can Strengthen’ with April Fiet

• Prayer: ‘The Only Wrong Way to Pray is Not to Pray’ with Jill Weber

• Wonder: ‘What Three Year Olds Already Know and We Can Learn’ with Lib Caldwell

• Service (through a lens of servant leadership): ‘When the Corporate Ladder is On the Wrong Wall’ with Colin Watson

• Listening: ‘Is It My Lunch Speaking or Is It The Lord?; with Summer Mohrlang

OPEN TO WONDER, SEASON 3 (Available below and wherever you get your podcasts)

• Introducing Season 3, Even More Faith Practices
• Remembering: 'Marking Milestones of God's Goodness' with Heidi DeJonge
• Hospitality: 'Making Room for Connection...Kitty Litter and All' with Amy Peterson

Listening prompts and conversation starters: 

• Listen for the example(s) each guest gave of being interrupted or being attentive and intentional. What struck you as you heard their stories? Recall a time when being open to an interruption or sensing God catching your attention has formed your faith. 

• Listen for how the guest’s relationship with God has grown through the practice. What caught your attention? Why?

• Listen for how the guests relationship with others changed because of the practice. Are there relationships in your life where this practice might help you grow in loving your neighbor?

• Was there a simple step the guest shared that sounded interesting to you? How, when, or with whom you might try it out?

PS: When we say all ages, we mean all ages. Although the podcast content won’t connect with kids, the ideas found in the Dwell at Home Faith Practices resources for families with children will. The resources are all free and ready for you to click and send or print and share. 

Let us know how it goes! We’d love to learn from your experience. Reach out to us at [email protected] or engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.