25 Winning Questions for Great Conversations Around Your Thanksgiving Table!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Pies are baked!

Turkey is ready to put in the oven!

A beautiful table is set!

Family and Friends are coming!

What’s left to do?  How about some “Great Questions” to insure great conversations around your table?

For a number of years we had a “Top Five Questions to Ask on Thanksgiving” contest with scores of entries!  There was no contest this year – but today on the day before Thanksgiving I am sharing the “Top Five Questions to Ask On Thanksgiving” Winners from 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017:

2012 Winners of “Top Five Questions to Ask on Thanksgiving” Contest:

 

 What quality in ________ (people sitting around your table) are you most thankful for and why?

~ Eric Rose – Montreal, Quebec

 

 

Can you share about a time when someone thanking you made a difference in your life?

~ Rasool Berry – Indianapolis, Indiana

 

 

Is there something or someone that you’ve had to be thankful for by faith this year?

~ Marf Meister – Orlando, Florida

 

 

If you could go back to say, “thank you” to someone who has passed or someone whom you’ve lost contact with, what would you thank them for?

~ Terrence Donahue – St. Louis, Missouri

 

 

Think of the toughest situation you have gone through this year. As you think back on it, what are some things you have learned about yourself, others and God in the process?

~ Benjamin Thomas – Xenia, Ohio

 

 

2014 Winners of “Top Five Questions to Ask on Thanksgiving” Contest:

 

Name one reason you are so thankful for the person sitting to your right?  

~ Alan Miller – Lewisville, Texas

 

 

 

What have you done this year that you are most proud of? 

~ Roy Aiken – Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

 

 

 

Things do not always go as we hope – what went wrong this year that you are now thankful for? 

~ Daniel Musau – Arlington, Texas

 

 

 

Who among all your relationships would benefit the most by getting a text from you right now sharing why you are thankful for them? 

~ Terrence Donahue – St. Louis, Missouri

 

 

What is the most challenging life experience that became your greatest teacher? One you now view with gratitude?  

~ Beth Walz Davis – Sioux Falls, South Dakota

 

2015 Winners of “Top Five Questions to Ask on Thanksgiving” Contest:

 

What brought you the most joy this year? 

~ Terry Walsh Liepmann – La Canada Flintridge, California

 

 

 

Who this year are you most thankful for? Why? Have you told them?  

~ Doran Schoenhals – Austin, Texas

 

 

 

“Thanks” and “Giving” are two words.   What have you given this past year that you are most thankful for? Too often we only focus on giving thanks for what we have received and miss giving thanks for what we have been privileged to give.    

~ John Lox – Union Hall, Virginia

 

 

If you were allowed to possess only the things you gave thanks for this year, what top 3 things would you own right now? 

~ Heidi Jones – Tulsa, Oklahoma

 

 

What is the most difficult thing to thank God for?  

~Viorica Manole – Chisinau, Moldova

 

2016 Winners of “Top Five Questions to Ask on Thanksgiving” Contest:

 

Who is one person from your childhood that you are so thankful for? Please tell us about them? (I am inclined to say “besides your mom and dad”.)

~ Joey Payne – Mount Joy, Pennsylvania

 

 

What have you done this year to make others thankful?

~ Kathy Gallagher – Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

 

 

 

What has been the greatest blessing you received in 2016?

~ Dianne Ogle – Buford, Georgia

 

 

 

If your house was burning down and you could only save one thing…what would you save? Why are you so thankful for that one thing?

~ Bobb Biehl – Scottsdale, Arizona

 

 

The pilgrims demonstrated incredible courage to leave everything behind and come to the New World. What is the most courageous thing you have done in your life?

~ Julie Nimmons – Franklin, Tennessee

 

2017 Winners of “Top Five Questions to Ask on Thanksgiving” Contest:

 

Who can you ‘come along side’ with this holiday season? Who needs you to be extra caring?

~ Jan Golden – Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

 

 

 

What was the greatest blessing you imparted this past year?

~ Paul Lai – Longwood, Florida

 

 

 

What do you hope to be thanking God for a year from now?

~ Carolyn Lugbill – Fairfax, Virginia

 

 

 

Think of the top 2 things you are most thankful for…How would your life be different if you did not have those two things in your life?

~ Joe Sokolowski – Hershey, Pennsylvania

 

 

Did you meet someone for the first time this year that you are thankful for?  Tell me about him/her.

~ Shannon Norris – Los Angeles, California

Ideas:  You might want to select several questions from the list for everyone at your table to answer OR you might want to print this post and then cut up all the questions and let everyone draw 1, 2 or 3 questions to answer.

Bob Tiede

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bob has been on the staff of Cru for 52 years. He currently serves on the U.S. Leadership Development Team and is passionate about seeing leaders grow and multiply their effectiveness. Bob and his wife, Sherry, live in Plano, TX and are blessed with 4 incredible children and 8 remarkable grandchildren.

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