My wife and I live in Sydney, Australia, a city famous for its breathtaking New Year’s Eve fireworks. Each year, over a million people gather along the waterfront near the Harbour Bridge, often waiting for hours to secure the best views. Many arrive as early as 10 am, bringing plenty of food, drinks, and games to pass the time.

Waiting that many hours for fireworks might feel like an eternity—but it’s also an incredible opportunity to connect with friends, their families, and even those around you. With the right questions, you can make the hours fly by while building relationships and, perhaps, having some meaningful spiritual conversations.

Personally, I like to begin with casual questions and then transition to meaningful, spiritual, and eventually Christian topics. Sometimes, people may not want to go beyond the casual level, and that’s okay. Our role is simply to take the initiative; it’s God’s role to open hearts to the Gospel.

Here are some questions that ChatGPT and I came up with to help guide those conversations:

1. Casual Questions

These are light, fun, and help set everyone at ease.

• For adults:
  • “What’s the best New Year’s Eve you’ve ever had?”
  • “If you could travel anywhere in the world next year, where would you go?”
• For children:
  • “What’s your favorite firework color? Why?”
  • “If you could make your own firework design, what shape would it be?”

2. Meaningful Questions

Move beyond small talk to learn more about your friends’ lives and thoughts.

• For adults:
  • “What’s one thing you’re really proud of from this year?”
  • “If you could learn a new skill in 2025, what would it be?”
• For children:
  • “What’s something fun you learned how to do this year?”
  • “What’s the best thing that happened to you in 2024?”

3. Spiritual Questions

Open up space for conversations about deeper topics like God or philosophy.

• For adults:
  • “Do you ever think about why we celebrate with fireworks? It’s kind of like we’re marking something special, isn’t it?”
  • “When you see how huge and beautiful the night sky is, what comes to your mind?”
• For children:
  • “Do you think God likes fireworks? Why or why not?”
  • “If you could ask God one question about the stars, what would it be?”

4. Christian Questions

Gently guide the conversation toward Jesus and the Gospel, as appropriate.

• For adults:
  • “When I think about New Year’s, it reminds me of how Jesus offers us a fresh start. Have you ever heard that before?”
  • “It’s amazing how much hope people feel at the start of a new year. Have you ever thought about where lasting hope comes from?”
• For children:
  • “Did you know Jesus talked about being the light of the world? What do you think that means?”
  • “If Jesus were here watching the fireworks with us, what do you think He’d say about them?”

You don’t need to force the conversation; just be curious and let it flow naturally. Who knows? A simple question might lead to the kind of meaningful discussion that stays with someone long after the fireworks have faded.

Enjoy the celebration, and have fun making connections that count!

Let's Pray:

Lord Jesus, thank you for New Year's Eve and the opportunities it gives us to spend extended time with people.  Let me both senstive and bold.  Let me demonstrate to others that I genuinely care for them and that I want to share with them something which I find wonderful -- the news that You came to free us both from sin and from our sinful habits.  Thank you that we can look with hope into the year to come. Amen.

P.S. If you try any of these questions, let me know how it goes—I’d love to hear your stories!