The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations

The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations: Walking Along Side People Who Believe Differently
by Mary Schaller and John Crilly  *****

Jesus truly loved all people, and we can learn from how he interacted with them. This book looks at nine ways that Jesus interacted with people and encourages us to follow His model. The first part of the book is about "Getting Ready" to interact with people and talks about truly noticing people, praying, and listening. The second section is titled, "Getting Started," and speaks about asking good questions, loving well, and welcoming people into your home and life. The third part, "Keeping it Going," talks about how to facilitate group discussions with people who think differently than you, lead a group of people in service projects, and share within a group. The book ends with details about how you can start your own "Q Place" or basically a group of people who discuss spiritual topics.

The end of each chapter has questions to discuss or think about and a few "action" steps.

I found this book so encouraging because it reminded me that the Great Commission is all about loving other people well. I realized that asking good questions is something I can work on as I'm getting to know new people. However, I don't have to stress about sharing Jesus. God will make Himself known; I just get to be a part of it and watch God move.

This is a long book with a lot to think about. I would recommend this to adults but would caution that it is a slow read to absorb all the information.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.