Whether it’s leading a group, heading up a discussion, chairing a meeting, or teaching a class, great questions can make all the difference. Your audience could leave feeling like they were part of building community, or they could be left wondering what the point was.

It’s not always the content of the questions. Often, it’s the competency of the person asking them that can make good questions great. Here are six principles to keep in mind when you’re asking questions:

1. Make Them Open-Ended

Questions people can answer with a simple “yes” or “no” usually lead nowhere. An open-ended question requires full sentences and well-thought-out responses. The point is not to just get an answer; it’s to get a conversation going.

Ask deeper questions, ones that probe for more. Put your people in the driver seat, and let them lead the discussion. Open-ended questions can also be challenging, drawing out more information than even you were hoping for.

2. Use Good Body Language and Eye Contact

You may need to practice this if you’ve never paid attention to it before. What you say with your body language and eye contact can be deafening to those around you.

Slumped shoulders and eyes on the floor let your group know you’re not really engaged. Sitting up straight and confidently, looking at each individual, lets people know you’re invested in the discussion.

The best questions often arise from the flow of answers your group gives.

3. Use Pauses the Right Way

As group leaders, long pauses can be challenging. The temptation is to fill any gap in a conversation with more words. This tactic results in the leader taking up all the time. Instead, use pauses to your advantage.

A pause can mean no one has anything to say. But more than likely, it means that people are thinking. If you expect well-thought-out responses, you’ll need to leave time for thinking. That’s what pauses are for.

4. Do Your Homework

Do some work beforehand. Make notes about possible answers, especially those that relate to biblical topics or theology. If you think a certain topic will come up, make sure you have a reasonable response ready.

5. Keep Them Relevant

Before you meet, make sure you understand your audience. Who will be there? What are their ages? What stage of life are most of them in? Questions you would ask young singles are likely different than the ones you would ask senior adults or married couples with little children.

Make sure your questions are relevant to the group. Perhaps you need to find out a bit more about their specific situations. For instance, what major issues are they facing, or what challenges to their faith are they working through? This information can help you ask questions that matter.

6. Really Listen to the Reponses

The late author Stephen Covey wrote, “Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply.”

Make sure to use active listening while leading a group. The best questions are often not on your pre-written list. They arise from the flow of answers your group gives. Listening allows you to shift gears, move in a better direction, and engage more of your audience.

So, what’s your best practice for asking questions? Maybe it’s one of these or something that’s worked well for you in the past. Whatever it is, keeping asking great questions.

And above all, ask the Holy Spirit to guide every conversation and teaching opportunity.