*****************
* Icebreakers *
*****************
NOTES
1. An icebreaker must be appropriate for the cell group. If it's too
childish, people will not feel comfortable. If it's too
threatening, people will draw back.
2. Make it clear that everybody is expected to participate.
3. Some icebreakers can be used many times.
4. Be alert for a person in crisis as the icebreaker is shared.
5. Icebreakers become shorter and less important as the group becomes
tightly knit over the course of the cell cycle. You might spend
1/2 the time on an ice breaker the first two meetings, but you
only need to spend 10 or 15 minutes after a few months.
Name : Quaker Questions
Source : Quakers? :)
>From :
Comments : Use in the first session, when people doesn't know each
other at all.
Description :
Between the ages of 7 and 12...
1. Where did you live? How many brothers and sisters did you have?
2. What kind of transportation did your family use?
3. Who was the person you felt closest to?
4. When did God become more than a word to you?
Name : Chit Chat
Sources : The Shepherd's Guidebook by Dr. Ralph Neighbour Jr.
: RBC Ministries' "Our Daily bread" Sept. 2, 1995
: Kang Howson-Jan
: 201 Great Questions by Jerry D. Jones
: Mike Bickel, Metro Vineyard Fellowship, Kansas City
: Various others
>From : Bruce McCallum c/o jturner@ilink.nis.za
: Joe Johns chojohns@aol.com
: Gert Kok s9353771@babel.ee.up.ac.za
: Kang Howson-Jan kang.howson-jan@uh.london.on.ca
: Tim Klassen uc722@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
: Paul Porter pporter@tyrell.net
: Garth Wunsch crunch@feldspar.com
Comments : In a group of 10 people, each question should take
about 5 minutes.
Description :
1. What was the happiest moment of your life?
2. Tell us about your first date?
3. What is the greatest regret of your life?
4. The hardest thing I have ever done...
5. The greatest compliment I ever received.
6. Let me tell you about my best earthly friend...
7. What room in your house do you like best?
8. What is the one thing you want to accomplish next week?
9. Where did you feel warmest and safest as a child?
10. If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point
in the future or in history would you visit?
11. When was the last time you did something for the first time?
12. Which of the following restrictions could you best tolerate:
leaving the country permanently, or never leaving the state in
which you now live?
13. At a meal, your friends start belittling a common friend. What
do you do?
14. If you could take a pill that would enable you to live until you
reach 1000 years, would you do it? Why?
15. When you do something stupid, how much does it bother you to
have other people notice it and laugh?
16. Would you like to know the exact date of your death?
17. If you could change two things about the way you were raised,
what would they be? If you came from a divorced family, how did
it affect you?
18. Who is your favorite relative? Why?
19. What is your favorite memory time spent, as a child, with your
father? Your mother?
20. Who did God use to bring you to the point where you knew you
needed Jesus?
21. If you could change places with a Bible character, who would you
choose? Why?
22. What is your favorite book of the Bible? Why?
23. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
24. What is your favorite movie or TV show?
25. Who has had the greatest influence on your life since we last
gathered?
26. What was the best thing that happened to you this past week?
27. Recall a time when you failed recently
28. Name someone you admire who had to overcome great obstacles to
get where they are now.
29. What do you value most in a human relationship? In your
relationship with Christ? Your parents?
30. How do you react when you aren't thanked for going out of your
way for someone?
31. What is your favorite time of day?
32. Singles: The girl/boy I want to marry.
Couples: What caused me to marry my spouse.
33. My greatest disappointment...
34. The gift I will never forget (apart from my conversion)...
35. What was the most important event in your life this past week?
36. If you could chose to go anywhere in the world for 3 days, where
would you go, and why?
37. If you could choose to meet anyone who ever lived in America, who
would that be, and why would you like to meet him/her?
38. If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would
you live, and why?
39. What gift (spiritual, emotional, mental, etc.) do you believe
you are bringing to this meeting? (In other words, what do you
think you are bringing that will-or may-contribute to the
encouragement of others- or the building-up of the "church"?)
40. Describe a significant experience in your life that changed your
value system completely.
41. What are some of your goals for the year ahead?
42. Who are your parents, what did they do and what would you like
to change about them?
43. If I could choose my career over again I would ...
44. What is your position in your family - first second etc. What
would you have liked to swap about this position?
45. If you became the leader of any country in the world, which
would it be and why?
46. Share the best and worst experience of your week
47. If you could take a free 2 week trip to any place in the world
where would it be and why?
48. If you could talk to any one person now living, who would it be
and why?
49. Give every one a piece of paper and ask them to draw a picture
of their jobs or whatever they do on a daily basis. Explain your
sketches.
50. Ask each person to say why they are glad to be a cell group
tonight.
51. Briefly describe some strong and some weak points in your
relationship with your eldest child or your parents-in-law or
your husband.
52. Inform everyone that they have just been given $1 000 000. Let
each share how they would use their newly gained fortune.
53. Do you have a nickname and if so what is it?
What nicknames do you have for your husband and children?
54. Is there an era in time that you would have liked to have lived
in, if so, why?
55. Has the cell group been a help to you? Spend time talking about
it and thanking each other.
56. Tell the cell group 3 things you appreciate about your family
and 3 ways in which you find them difficult at times.
57. What is the best thing that has ever happened in my family?
...my cell group? ...the world?
58. One thing I would really like see happen at the moment in my
family? ... my church? ... my cell group? ... the world?
59. Who is the best friend you have at this point in your life?
60. Have you had an answered prayer recently - share the story
61. What is your occupation? What do you enjoy about it?
62. Who has been the greatest influence on your Christian life and
why?
63. What book, movie, video have you seen/read and why would you
recommend it?
64. What do you think delights God above everything else in your
life?
65. What is the most encouraging thing said to you this week?
66. What encouraging action have you done to someone this week?
67. What made you decide to attend this church.
68. What made you decide to live in ...<insert your city>?
69. What do you still want to accomplish with your life?
70. What is your most embarrassing experience?
71. For what are you thankful?
72. What is the most memorable event of your life and why?
73. Share the most meaningful scripture to you and why is it so
meaningful?
74. How did you and your partner meet and what made to start going
out together or what kind of person would you like to have as
your partner?
75. How would your life be different if you knew Jesus was
returning on 24/5/97
76. Who is the most interesting person you have met?
77. Talk about your favourite holiday spot and why you enjoy it
there?
78. Share about a spiritual experience you have had...
79. What annoys you about your spouse/friend?
80. Have you ever experienced healing in your body - share
81. How do you relax?
82. What is your favourite type of music / song etc?
83. What has happened to you during this week which you would like
to tell the rest of the group.
84. The last time I got really angry was .............
85. If you could not fail, what would you like to do?
86. If you had to live your life over what would you change?
87. What do you want written on your tombstone?
88. What do you want said at your funeral?
89. What don't you want said at your funeral?
90. If you were to go and live on the moon and could carry only one
thing, what would it be?
91. What would you do if you were to see ...
- a person being robbed
- a person drowning
- a house on fire
92. One thing which has stressed me out this week .....
93. One thing which makes me feel guilty ........
94. One thing which I do not understand about the opposite sex is
.......
95. If you had this week / ... over again what would you do
differently?
96. Describe another small group that you were a member of outside
of your church, and tell us why you thought the group worked
(or didn't work). You're not limited to "religious" groups
(most of us meet in small groups at work).
97. What is the most memorable Bible you have received (ie from
Baptism, wedding, conversion, etc.)? Tell us about why it's
meaningful to you.
98. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about
God?
99. What are the biggest questions that you have about your
relationship with God?
100.Under what circumstances do you feel most lonely? Least lonely?
Why?
101.In what areas of your life is it most difficult to trust God?
Other people? Yourself?
102.Why do you get up in the morning?
The purpose is to find out what the motivating forces are in
this person's life. It is a simple question, but, it takes a
good deal of thought to answer honestly.
103.When was the last time you admitted you were wrong?
Why is it so hard to do?
104.What have you learned recently from another believer?
Name : What is your ideal driveway?
Source : Intervarsity ??
>From : Todd Wells twells@unify.com
Description :
Ask people to describe their perfect driveway. There is no cost or
feasibility limitation - just whatever they can imagine as their
perfect driveway. After everyone has shared, tell them that this
symbolizes the way they relate to other people. For example, if
someone wanted a long, winding driveway going up a steep hill,
this "simbolizes" keeping people at a distance.
Name : Truth and lies
Source : Gary Bisaga
>From : Gary Bisaga gary@maestro.mitre.org
Description :
Everybody write down three true things about themselves and one
lie. Everybody then first decides which slip of paper went with
which person, and which of his statements was the lie.
You may leave out the first part i.e. each person holds up their
piece of paper and people just guess which statement is the lie.
(It's not fair if somebody picks a lie very close to the truth).
Name : Associations 1
Source : Garth Wunsch
>From : Garth Wunsch crunch@feldspar.com
Description :
Select a group of tiny items that cause you to think of things of
the faith... e.g. packet of yeast; some seeds; piece of bread; pkg
of salt, etc. Tie a string to each one, place loosely in a large
paper bag with the strings hanging out. Go around the group and
have each person pick a string. After each one has their "prize",
you start at the first person (they've had longest to think) and
ask them to briefly state a spiritually significant thought that
the item brings to mind. You will be astounded at the wonderful
answers you get from people who never talk... and answers you
never thought of (that's really amazing!!!) I usually leave one
or two strings empty. The person who draws the blank gets to
share anything they want.... perhaps, as one person in our group
did, what the empty string signifies.
Name : Associations 2
Source : Garth Wunsch
>From : Garth Wunsch crunch@feldspar.com
Description :
Cut out a series of pictures from an old catalogue. Perhaps
children, a belt, drapes, etc., place them face down on a plate
or in a box and pass it around. Have each person quote a scripture
or tell the scriptural story that the picture brings to mind...
"drapes - 'and the veil of the temple was rent in two'". This
might be a bit tough for a newbie, so allow them to "pass" if
they need to.
Name : Weather Report
Source : Small Group Leader's Handbook (InterVarsity Press)
>From : David Limiero CrossTrnr@aol.com
Description :
Go around the circle, beginning with the leader, and describe how
you are feeling right now in terms of a weather report -- partly
cloudy, sunny, etc. Participants can explain why they chose that
type of weather. Leader sets the example for depth.
Name : Trust Walk
Source : Small Group Leader's Handbook (InterVarsity Press)
>From : David Limiero CrossTrnr@aol.com
Description :
Form the group into pairs.
Blindfold one person in each pair.
Each unblindfolded person leads a blindfolded person around the
general vicinity of the meeting place.
Try to provide many different experiences -- take them up some
stairs, go outside and inside, help them feel different objects,
walk at different paces, walk on different materials (grass,
floors, dirt) but say nothing after the walk has started. You
must nonverbally communicate all messages.
After about five minutes, change places.
After another five minutes the group regathers.
Share what kinds of feelings you had as you were blindfolded and
as you touched objects, etc. How did you feel about the other
person? What was it like to have no control over what was
happening? What did you learn about yourself? How does this apply
to your relationship with God? with others?
Name : Who Am I?
Source : I can't remember, been doing it for years
>From : Doug Hanley dhanley@accessnv.com
Description :
You get bunch of slips of paper. Some Scotch Tape.
Write the names of famous/bible characters on the slip. Place them
on everyone's back. The person cannot read their own slip. They
are to go around the room asking one question at a time about who
they are until they guess who they are.
This is a fun way to get to know the people in a non-threating
game.
Name : I bet you don't know this
Source : ?
>From : Tim DeGrado trd@petsparc.mc.duke.edu
Description :
Each person in the group writes down on a blank piece of paper
something that he/she thinks that nobody in the group would know
about him/herself. The pieces of paper are folded, mixed well,
and numbered consecutively. Then a designated person starts to
read them, saying the number first.
Each member of the group begins to compile a list of people that
they feel best match the number of each clue. After the last clue
is read, the person with the most correct matches wins.
Name : Capture the Celebrity
Source : A brother who went to New Zealand and learned it there
>From : Ian Thng thng@atri.curtin.edu.au
Duration : 30 minutes for a group of 12 people
Description :
An example :
Assuming there is 6 people - James, Ian, Dennis, Enid, Josephine
and Helen. A slip of paper is passed to everyone and everyone
writes a celebrity on that slip of paper (without disclosing their
name).
Assume that James wrote Mel Gibson's hair
Ian wrote Twila Paris
Dennis wrote Reagan
Josephine wrote Elijah
Enid wrote Myself
Helen wrote Dumbo
The slips of paper are then folded and given to someone who will
mix up the slips of paper randomly, unfold it and announce what
has been written on the 6 slips of paper, i.e. he reads out Mel
Gibson's hair, Twila Paris, Myself, Dumbo, Elijah, Reagan and he
repeats it again but backwards now, i.e. Reagan, Elijah, Dumbo,
Myself, Twila Paris, Mel Gibson's hair
The aim of the game is to start guessing who wrote what. Say
starting with James, he points at Enid and says " Your celebrity
is Dumbo ", in this case he is wrong and the next person gets a
chance to guess. However, if James points to Enid and guessed
right "Your celebrity is Myself", Enid is now captured by James
and she becomes James' help and they can consult together to
capture Helen, Ian, Dennis, Josephine. So Enid has to walk over
to where James is sitting and they can whisper to exchange
ideas. Whoever guesses right can have another go at guessing.
The game becomes very interesting when a large group can be
captured by a small group. For example, if James has already
captured Enid and Helen, but when it is Ian's turn to guess, he
guessed the identity of James correctly i.e. " James, you are
Mel Gibson's hair", James together with all the captives he has
captured (i.e. Helen and Enid) now becomes Ian's captives and they
now move to where Ian is sitting and consults with Ian to capture
Josephine and Dennis. Note that as more and more are being
captured, the number of uncaptured celebrities become smaller.
the game ends when all the celebrities have been guessed out and
the winner is the one which has captured everyone in the group.
A problem can arise if two or more celebrities have been forgotten
by everyone.
Say for example the names of two celebrities have been forgotten,
in this case, the game will eventually lead to two opposing camps
without knowing what celebrity names are still available. In this
case the game ends with two winners. In this game, there are only
winners and no losers.
Group Dynamics:
Promotes cooperation and lots of laughter especially if there are
weird celebrity names.
Name : Newspaper week
Source : Todd Wells
>From : Todd Wells twells@unify.com
Description :
Get a newspaper (one with enough pages for each person) and have
the each person take one page of the newspaper and use it to
describe his/her week without speaking. The limitations are 30
seconds of acting time (leaves a little time for interpretation)
and each person uses only one page.
Name : Penny Game
Source :
>From : Jon Reid j-reid@uiuc.edu
Description :
If you have new people in your meeting sometime, you might
keep the Penny Game in mind for an ice breaker. Give everyone 10
pennies. Each person must name one thing about himself/herself
that is different from everyone else. (For example, an
adventurous group member might say, "I have climbed Pikes Peak.")
The speaker puts a penny in the middle. If another player has
also climbed Pikes Peak, he/she can put in a penny as well. The
first person to get rid of all his/her pennies wins.
Name : Creative Announcements
Source : Full Gospel Assembly Perth, Australia
>From : Ian Thng thng@atri.curtin.edu.au
Comments : The announcements need not neccesarily be
administrative but can also be verses from the Bible.
I found that I remember the announcements much more
clearly as a graphic picture was presented to me.
Description :
We had ten people but only 5 announcements to make. So we first
paired up and we played Scissors, Paper, Stone to determine who
had to do the creative announcements (the leader does not tell us
the reason for playing Scissors Paper Stone). The losers from the
five pairs will then get a slip of paper with an announcement and
that person has to creatively present the annoucement to all of us.
For example, we had one lady who got this announcement " Pray for
your sheep". So she first asked a question, "How does a sheep
sound like" and everyone went "Baaa, Meeaaa". Then the next thing
she did was to ask everyone "Let's do it all together once again"
and everyone went "BAAAAAA, MEEEEAAAA" and then she said "that's
right folks, pray for your sheep".
Name : Cell Church Objectives
Source : ??
>From : Ian Li-Jin Thng
Comments : Can be quite comical and also acts as a good reminder
to the purpose of the cell group.
Description :
We divided the group into 3 groups of 3.
The leader handed each group a piece of paper with a theme written
on it. Eg. cell group themes like Edification, Evangelism and
Multiplication can be used. Each group is then required to perform
a skit to let the other two groups guess the theme.
Name : Match the answer and author
Source : Peter Kempkes and Karen Laforet
>From : Kang Howson-Jan kang.howson-jan@uh.london.on.ca
Comments : This works better early on in the life cycle of the
group when the members still don't know a few things
about the others. We learn more from our mistakes,
right?
Description :
Write down on pieces of paper 4 or 5 inoccuous questions that might
reveal something about a person; eg.
What's your favourite possession?
What do you wish you could do that you can't do now (eg. play an
instrument, swim, ride a bike)?
What's your ideal vacation?
People could answer all of them, or perhaps 3 (at least), but
instruct them not to put their names on the sheet. The leader
then collects the sheets and reads out the answers, and everyone
tries to guess who gave those answers.
Name : Hose fight
Source : Bryan R. Stevenson
>From : Bryan R. Stevenson brs@cs.odu.edu
Comments : This one's great fun, especially for youth or young at
heart. It does teach a lesson in humility.
Although playing with hose and socks may not be your
idea of an icebreaker, I think you'll find it fun in
the "long run". :>
Description :
You'll need 2 thigh length hose, and a dozen or so socks. :> Heh,
heh, heh I'm laughing already ... stuff 6 socks each into the
bottom of the hose. Then break up into 2 teams. One person from
each team steps up (you'll need a lot of room) and pulls the open
end of the hose over their head and face to their neck, like a ski
mask. This should leave the remaining hose hanging with the socks
in the end. The idea is for both people to get the hose and socks
spinning in a circle over their heads (does this make any sense?)
(The only thing I can think of to compare it to is a tether ball
swinging around the pole.) Then try to "hook" your weapon with
your opponent's. As soon as the hose and socks are twisted around
each other in mid-air each person starts pulling back, not using
their hands, and tries to rip the hose off their opponent's head.
Whoever still has the hose on wins.
Name : I have learned that...
Source :
>From : Rogier (and Sophie) Bos rsbos@xs4all.nl
Description :
The leader passes out slips of paper that read
'I have learned that___________________'.
The participants then fill in a lesson they have learned. The
pieces of paper are gathered, and the group tries to match the
'lessons' with the authors.
We actually did it twice in a row; I first instructed the group to
write down a non-spiritual lesson. This caused a lot of hilarity,
since some of the lessons were so funny. I then asked for a
spiritual lesson.
The night we did this we had a couple of guests, and one of them
was quite into new Age thinking. She wrote 'I have learned that
every person creates his/her own reality'. As it turned out, it
created an opportunity for a great discussion!
Name : And the author is...
Source :
>From : Rogier (and Sophie) Bos rsbos@xs4all.nl
Description :
This is very simple. You have everybody go around, say their name,
and the latest good book they have read. As soon as a person has
mentioned a title, others can shout out names of authors, until
someone guesses the correct author.
We did this with a group of 25 people, and it worked really well.
You could give points to people, and see who guesses the most
correct authors.
Name : Paper, Scissors, Rock championship
Source :
>From : Thad and Linda Puckett thad@bapbbs.uuserv.net.tw
lindag@bapbbs.uuserv.net.tw
Description :
First, everyone have to guess who the champion is going to be.
Then everyone is given a peanut, and the group is "sub-divided"
into pairs.
The game "Paper, Scissors, Rock" is played in the small groups
(one round).
The winner gets the peanuts. Then a semi-final is played, with the
winner getting the peanuts. Finally a championship round is
played. The winner and the person who guessed the winner is both
given a whole bag of peanuts.
Name : Trigonometry
Source : Chris Kam
>From : Chris Kam chrkam@pc.jaring.my
Comments : Suitable both in a cell group and larger meeting.
Description :
Draw circle, triangle, square and the symbol "Z" on a piece of
paper large enough for everyone to see.
Then ask the group, which of these symbols do you identify with in
terms of your character, and why do you say so? There's is no
"correct" answer.
*****************************
* Resources for icebreakers *
*****************************
BOOKS
*Good Things Come in Small Groups*
Published by IVP
Under section on "Community" there's many ice-breakers that are
grouped according to the stage that the group is in.
Willow Creek's Small leaders guide
It is supposed to have a good many icebreakers (I have not seen
this, but it has been highly recommended to me).
*Encyclopedia of Icebreakers* by Sue Forbess-Greene
Published by Applied Skills Press, 8517 Production Avenue, San Diego,
CA 92121, in 1983.
Not Christian perspective, and some involve business-related
issues (boss-employee), but it has lots of good ideas in a
notebook format.
The book is available from :
Pfeiffer & Company, Phone: 800-274-4434, FAX: 800-569-0443.
They have another Icebreaker book in their catalog which I have
not seen personally. They also have some "team-building"
exercises that might be helpful for small groups in the building
process. People interested should ask for a catalog.
*The Shepherd's Training Manual* of Faith Community Baptist Church.
Published by TOUCH OUTREACH.
*The Shepherd's Guidebook*
Published by TOUCH OUTREACH.
There is a chapter on "Get Acquainted Activities".
*Icebreakers and Heartwarmers* by Steve Sheely.
Available from Serendipity House 1-800-525-9563.
There is a lot of good material here, although you need to pick
and choose according to your group's nature.
*201 Great Questions* by Jerry D. Jones
Published by NavPress in 1988.
Not as good, but some excellent questions in the lot.
*Small Group LessonMaker*
Published by NavPress.
*Serendipity Bible*
For near-limitless ice breakers and scripture passages to delve
into along with them. The margins have thousands throughout the
Old and New Testaments.
MAGAZINES
CellChurch magazine : icebreakers published every quarter.
WWW SITES
http://groke.beckman.uiuc.edu/Vineyard/Lifeline/lifeline.html
You can find some ice breakers at the above site and some cell
group questions.
Print the following statement on small pieces of paper and hand out
to the group. Ask people to count the number of 'F's they can find.
FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE-
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIF-
IC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE
EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS.
It is quite amusing to see how long it takes for people to catch on....