“Mike! Look at that!”

I pulled my husband over to look through the wall of windows behind the desk. We were standing at a reception area and could see a raised platform skirted with a black drape in the gymnasium beyond the glass. A sign on the counter top read: “Fitness Center closed all day tomorrow for evening’s boxing match.”

I turned to the gal at the front desk, “Are you working tomorrow?” I asked.

“Yes, unfortunately,” she sighed.

“Not your favorite sport, huh?” I commented.

After our workout, I chatted with Stephanie some more and handed her a tract and asked, “Have you ever heard about knowing God personally?”

“No, what do you mean, personally?”

“Well, God speaks to me every day and gives me guidance,” I replied. “If you read this, we can talk further when I see you next week.”

Stephanie agreed to do that and we chatted a number of times after that. It turned out she may be a Christian and was looking for a singles group. We had a good one at our church that I recommended.

When I first started talking with people I cross paths with (in order to try to share my faith with them), I worried that I wouldn’t know what to say to get a conversation started. I didn’t think I was good at “small talk.”

If you feel the same way, I guess I would suggest just use what is happening around you or use something that might relate to that person (their name, if they are starting their work day, or if they will be working on a holiday). You’ll also start conversations more naturally the more you do it.