Tim Schmoyer at Life in Student Ministry wrote a blog entry called 100 blog topics I hope YOU write. It is an interesting list and several people have started taking him up on it. I am procrastinating right now so I thought I would give my take on this one.

The question I always like to ask is "What is your art?"

Yes, I get the same blank stares that you are giving me right now, so I quickly follow it up with "what do you like to do to be creative, do you paint, draw, dance, fix cars, build web sites, scrapbook?" I have never met a student yet who didn't give me an answer after a little prodding. I think this is because we are all made in the image of a creative God and part of being made in his image is this need to create.

The reason I like this question is threefold. 1) It gives me a deeper insight into the student and lets me see something in them I may not have imagined. 2) Normally it gives me a subject that I can pursue in conversation with them. It gives me a chance to ask follow up questions about something that the student actually enjoys. and 3) It gives me an idea of where this student is talented so I can know how to get them involved in ministry.

"What is your art" is a question that you don't hear everyday, but it is a question that has opened the door for me with students more than once.