Guide · 10 min read

Writing great check-in questions.

A short framework for writing the kind of question a leader will actually answer — plus a library of 40+ field-tested examples you can adopt or adapt.

Why good questions matter

For teams. Asking the right questions in a team setting builds engagement, draws collaboration out, and surfaces the insights that drive better decisions. A team that hears the same gentle question every month begins to answer it more honestly than the one before — that compounding effect is the whole point.

For leaders. As the person asking, you want to come with healthy curiosity. Don’t take everything at face value. Use questions to see beyond blindspots — your own and your team’s. Curiosity helps you understand the full picture of how someone is doing professionally, personally, and spiritually, and gives you a better grasp on how to care for the people in front of you holistically.

Five rules for writing one

Define the objective

Decide what you actually want before you write the question. Are you generating ideas? Solving a problem? Getting feedback on a recent decision? Spiritually checking in? The objective shapes the question — and writing five questions across five different objectives is almost always worse than writing one question well.

Use open-ended phrasing

Open-ended questions invite real responses. Start with what, how, why, when, or where.
Closed: “Are you satisfied with how this project is going?”
Open: “How do you feel about how this project is going, and what could we improve?”

Make it relevant

Connect the question to what your team is actually carrying — current projects, current goals, the season you're in. A generic engagement survey gets generic answers. A question that names this month gets answers about this month.

Promote specificity

Encourage detail by asking for examples, reasons, or concrete next steps. Prompts like “Can you elaborate on…” or “What specific steps should we take…” turn a one-line answer into a useful one.

Foster a supportive atmosphere

Frame questions so everyone feels safe answering honestly — especially the ones who hesitate. Tell your team explicitly that every perspective matters. The check-in is the floor of a culture, not the ceiling.

A library of example questions

What follows is a working library — field-tested questions across four categories. Use them as-is, adapt the wording for your team, or use them as a jumping-off point for your own.

Relationship with Jesus

Questions that invite the spiritual life back into the room. Most volunteers will give short answers the first time and longer ones the third. Stay patient.

What are you asking God for in this season? Be as specific as you're comfortable with.
What has God been speaking to you about through your reading lately?
What Sunday message has been most impactful for you this year? Why?
What are your favorite worship songs right now? And why?
What's your favorite part of a Sunday service?
Are there any verses that have stuck out to you this week? Share one if so.
What do you need prayer for right now? What are you asking God to do in your life?
What is God saying to you right now?
When have you rested this week? When are you planning to rest next week?
What's your favorite Bible story? What do you love most about it?

Work, team & culture

Useful for staff check-ins and for the leaders of a single ministry team. The framing matters: ask for ideas and improvements, not complaints — but make space for both.

What kinds of things should we do as a team to bond and get closer?
What upcoming church events are you most looking forward to? What are you dreading? Share why.
I'd love feedback on our staff culture. What do you like? What would you change? Bring solutions, not just problems.
What tasks or projects are you excited about right now? What's stressing you out the most?
Do you have any feedback for me as a leader? What could I do better or differently?
What kind of work is most rewarding and energizing for you? What's most draining?
Please give feedback on our last leader gathering — what worked, what didn't?
If you had to eliminate one thing from the church calendar, what would it be? Why?
What big projects are you working on this month?
What kinds of things stress you out the most?
What was your biggest takeaway from our last staff time together?
What's one thing you could implement right now to become more emotionally resilient?

Personal

Lighter questions that help you know your team as people, not just as roles. Run one or two of these a quarter — they're more useful than they look.

What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
What's your all-time favorite song? It doesn't have to be worship.
If you could meet any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why? (Jesus doesn't count.)
What does your ideal vacation look like?
What are your favorite movies and TV shows right now?
What's your favorite part about where you live?
What's your go-to coffee or tea order?
Who is your favorite leader and why? Could be past or present, alive or not.
What's your favorite food?
What are your hobbies? What activities give you energy?
What's your favorite snack?

Accountability

Best used sparingly — once or twice a quarter, not every month. These work when they sit on top of a foundation of relational check-ins, not when they replace them.

Share one name and story from someone you met at church this week.
What's something you're working on growing in this season? What steps are you taking?
Can you share an example from the last month where your work directly supported our church's vision?
What areas of growth would help you in your role? How can the team support you?
Looking at the next quarter, what specific goals do you want to hit? How do they connect to your personal growth and our shared mission?
In our last conversation you committed to several goals. How's your progress? What got in the way?