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Bootstrap wrote:
That's a very welcoming question for any Christian.

It should be. Unless the person asking wants to cast judgement on you. I've been there.

lesterb wrote:I usually ask people how they came to know the Lord. Maybe that's an awkward question? I've had some really good discussions which gave good insight into people's journey. I've found most people seemed glad to answer that.

I usually discuss the same thing, and often they want to ask the same thing of me.

Sometimes someone loses interest quickly. That’s generally a sign to me we aren’t going to become good friends.

and also list questions or comments that would like plain people to make.

By the time an outsider reaches the doorstep of a CA church, they already have a story. What Lester and Bootstrap and Josh have said about sharing one's story/testimony is good. I've had multiple very good one-on-one conversations with my minister and with my bishop that way.

Judas Maccabeus wrote:I have found it is useful to acquire some basic knowledge of agriculture and tractor mechanics. It helps in some circles.

J.M.

This 100%! Hunting should be added to the list as well.

I have specifically had to devote time to studying "their" hobbies. Whether it is hanging around them when they modify their truck, or spending a day helping on a dairy farm. If you show genuine interest, most people love to talk about their passions.

Conservative Mennonite is just as much a lifestyle as it is a faith. Whether or not it should be is a topic for another thread.

YorkandAdams wrote:

Judas Maccabeus wrote:I have found it is useful to acquire some basic knowledge of agriculture and tractor mechanics. It helps in some circles.

J.M.

This 100%! Hunting should be added to the list as well.

I have specifically had to devote time to studying "their" hobbies. Whether it is hanging around them when they modify their truck, or spending a day helping on a dairy farm. If you show genuine interest, most people love to talk about their passions.

Conservative Mennonite is just as much a lifestyle as it is a faith. Whether or not it should be is a topic for another thread.

There are no farmers in my urban church, but when I get into a more rural church, it is almost a necessity to participate in a group conversation. Also helps to know agricultural trends in general, as it impacts much of what our brothers are dealing with.

<<Conservative Mennonite is just as much a lifestyle as it is a faith. Whether or not it should be is a topic for another thread.>>

It IS very much a lifestyle and a community, as opposed to most "protestant" churches where it seldom extends beyond what you believe. That is what attracted us to it in the first place. I found the ability of some of my fellow congregants in my former church had the ability to disconnect faith from the rest of life in a way that was deeply unsettling.

J.M.

lesterb wrote:

Bootstrap wrote:

lesterb wrote:I usually ask people how they came to know the Lord. Maybe that's an awkward question? I've had some really good discussions which gave good insight into people's journey. I've found most people seemed glad to answer that.

That's a very welcoming question for any Christian. It says we have common ground, even if we don't dress the same or have the same cultural background. This thread asked for examples of awkward conversations, but I have had many more gracious conversations with conservative Anabaptists than awkward ones. And these conversations were often very spiritual. They acknowledge us as brethren.

Conversations about relationships and everyday life are also a good way to establish common ground. They acknowledge us as human.

To me, the questions that are awkward are the ones that make us think we don't really belong, that you might not think of us as really Christian, that you might be judging us, that you wonder why we are here.

I've often used it as an icebreaker of sorts. But I like to get people like that into our home, or visit them. Other than making people feel welcome, I prefer a more private conversation. People like that often get a big crowd around them, which I would find intimidating if I were in their shoes. But in a home everyone can relax. Asking for a person's testimony can get an afternoon off to a great time of comparing notes about the Lord.

I don't know if Wade ever looks in on us anymore, but our afternoon with them is one of my highlights in the past several years.

Us too!

Good to hear from you, Wade! I sat at a meeting where employment was discussed. They have been looking for an industrial engineer for over a year.

Wade! A big hello to you and your family!

KingdomBuilder wrote:I've told Ernie before, but I find the CA youth incredibly hard to talk to. Many seem downright unwilling to conversate. Needless to say, I end up talking to the older members much more.

I've definitely found that to be true, even though I'm much closer in age to the younger folks than the older ones.

Ernie wrote:People who didn't grow up in a plain conservative Anabaptist setting can find conversing with plain people a bit challenging at times. The comments or questions they are asked can seem really awkward or even offensive. Then there are questions they wish people would ask but no one asks those.

So, if you have visited a plain CA church or conversed in person with a CA and know what I am talking about, please list some of the the comments or questions that seemed awkward or unhelpful and also list questions or comments that you would like plain people to make. (this invitation does not apply to online conversation)

Everyone else needs to be quiet and listen until I open it up for further demographics to participate in the discussion.

Others may now participate in the discussion.