Ice Breaker Questions

You know that moment when you are leading a small group and you desperately need an ice breaker question but, for the life of you, you can't think of one?  Well, this post is here to help you to get through that moment!  Here is a list of creative questions that you can use to help people to share a little, tiny bit about themselves while introducing themselves to a group.

A.     Quick and light questions:

1.   If you could add one month to the calendar year, inserting it between two existing months, where would you put the extra 30 days?  (You can assume that the weather for this new month will be a mix of the weather typical of the month preceding it and following it).

2.    Suppose for a moment that you are truly color-blind:  all you can see is black and white.  Then one day you wake up to find you can now see one color.  Which color would you want it to be and why?

3.    If you could be anywhere in the world on New Year's Eve this year, where would you most want to be?

4.    What is the longest line that you have ever stood in?

5.     If you had to describe your personality in terms of a farm animal, which animal would you choose?

6.    If you were a professional artist, what would be the theme of your drawings/ paintings/ art work?

7.     If you had the ability to compete in any Olympic event, which one would you choose to enter?

8.    If you were to write a book what would you choose as the topic?

9.     What is something you really enjoy doing that is a chore or a bore for many people?

10.     If you could be the spokesperson for any product on the market, what product would you choose to enthusiastically represent?

11.    If all drinking fountains could dispense another liquid in addition to water, what would you want it to be?

12.    Which punctuation mark would best describe your personality?


B.     Slightly deeper, more personal questions:

1.     What would your dream house look like?  Be specific about one or two areas.

2.     What is the one event in the future whose outcome you would really like to know now?

3.     What is one item you own that has virtually no monetary value but has such sentimental value that you would not sell it for $1000?

4.    What is the most exciting event you have ever witnessed?

5.    Of all of the movie characters you have seen, which one do you believe is the most like you?

6.    If you could create a memorial to yourself in a city park, what would the memorial be?

7.     Whenever you are having a bad day, what is the best thing you can do to help cheer yourself up?

8.    What event or activity in the next few months are you looking forward to more than anything else?

9.     In your own not-so-humble opinion, what is your most likeable quality?


C.     Much more intimate questions:

1.     If you were writing an autobiography, what would be the book's title (besides your name)?

2.    When you look back on the life you have lived to this point, what in particular amazes you the most?

3.     If you could know without a shadow of a doubt the answer to one questions that you has always troubled you, what question would you want to have answered once and for all?

4.     Which age, when you turned it, was the most difficult for you to accept?

5.     If you were to die in the next year, what would you want your legacy to be?

6.     If you could go back and change one decision that you made in your life, what would it be?

Some Good Questions to Get To Know One Another in a Small Group

Recently, one of our small groups decided to take a break from doing Bible Study at their group meetings and take a few weeks to get to know one another better.  They decided to focus on the following topics:

-Family Background
-Race and Ethnicity
-Community and Relationships
-Work and Education

Family Background:

Questions to help start your conversations:

1. Where did you grow up? 
2. What did your parents do for a living?
3. Do you have siblings? How many? How are you alike/different, both in childhood and recently?
4. Describe your relationship with each member of your family?
5. When you think of your home life growing up, how would you describe it? 
6. What is a fun activity that you used to do together as a family?
7. Can you share a fond memory of time spent with family, either during childhood or recently?

These questions go a little deeper.  Feel free to share about as many or as few as you would like:

1. What do you perceive as your family's biggest weakness or root sin?  
2. Are there difficult memories you have of your family that God is prompting you to share about?
3. In what ways have you seen your family speak truth into your life and be an instigator to you encouraging others for the Kingdom?
4. How do you think you see a picture of the Kingdom in your family? 
5. In what ways might your familial relationships spark a chord of bitterness? 
6. How can we be grateful for the families of origin God has given us?

Race and Ethnicity:

Questions to help start your conversations:

1.  When did you first become aware of race/ethnicity

2.  Did you or anyone on your family move to the US from another country? Where and when? What are a few of the stark differences and/or similarities you/they observed/experienced?

3.  What race/ethnicity do you identify with?  And/or is there a race or culture you have an affinity to?  How so? (i.e., I live in a largely Indian community, I feel connection there. OR I speak fluent Spanish and I feel at home when I am surrounded by others who speak Spanish

4.  What are some really exciting and fun things that are part of your ethnic tradition?

5.  How did race/ethnicity get talked about in your family of origin?  Or maybe you feel it didn’t - how does that impact the conversation now?

These questions go a little deeper:

1.  Are there common perceptions about your racial/ethnic identity that trouble you?

2.  What area(s) of your own culture have you come to recognize, possibly through the lens of race or ethnicity? (Or perhaps you were aware of it all growing up…)

3.  What are some of shortfalls of your cultural heritage?

4.  Describe a time when your race or ethnicity giving you an advantage? A
disadvantage?

5.  How do you see the kingdom in your race/ethnicity/cultural heritage?

6.  Is there a specific hurt in your life related to race or ethnicity that we can pray over right now?

Community and Relationships

Questions to help start your conversations:

1. Who might you call to help at 4 in the morning or to give you a ride to the airport?

2. Do you have a best friend? What do you appreciate in him or her?

3. How do you maintain friendships?

4. How were relationships approached in your family/culture growing up? Did you talk about them much? How are they approached in life now?

5. Do you have a spouse/significant other?  How did you meet him or her?

6. Are there people in life/your church community whom you would like to get up know better? Why?

7. What is one thing you really love about your current stage of life? One thing you find really difficult?

Questions to help you to dig deeper

1. Why might it be important for us to talk about where each other is at relationally?

2. How does God intend for us to learn alongside one another, in terms of our relationships?  Have you seen God at work in this lately?

3. How can we as a community foster growth in where you at now, at this moment, in your relationship journeys? (i.e. Pray with you for God to reveal your next step, for God to provide accountability, for God to provide courage to take risks, plan group activities/outings, etc.)

Work and Education

Questions to help start your conversations:

1.  Where did you go to school growing up? College/university/graduate school?

2.  Did any stage of your education involve a cross-country and/or international move? What was that like?

3.  What did you study at University/graduate school? Did anything particular lead you to this field of study?

4.  Are you working in your field of study today?

5.  How have you seen God's sovereign hand over your work/educational experiences?

6.  Do you have hopes of further education? If yes, in what?

7.  What did you want to be when you were a child?  What about in high school or college?

8.  Do you remember someone you looked up to as a child/teenager as a role model for faith, work, or their level of education?  How did they influence you?

9.  What was the best work situation you've ever had?  What about it was positive?

10.  How did you arrive at your current line of work?  

11.  Do you enjoy your work? Why or why not?

Questions to help you to dig deeper 

1.  Do you feel like you have a clear vision for your career- or a vision for ministry- in the long term?  If not, what would you ideally be doing with your work 10-20 years from now? 

2.  How does your career intersect with your faith?  Are there ways you get to live out your faith at work, or ways you wish you could live it our more?

3.  Is there a certain experience you've had- perhaps at a church, a conference, a missions trip or a service project- of being called by God towards a career/ministry?  What was that experience like?  

Have you struggled ever with feeling like work is too stressful and is taking up too much time in your life?  How might God be engaging with you right now to find balance in this area?

Seeking Feedback from Your Small Group

Seeking Feedback from Your Small Group

Any group can easily walk in it's own weaknesses for a long time without actively seeking input and perspective.  Often, small group members have great input but won't think of sharing it without being asked.  Wise leaders will take time now and then to solicit feedback from small group attenders about the group and how it can become a better, more effective and enjoyable group.  Often, creating a page that members can take a few minutes within the group time will both facilitate reflection and also make sure that it gets done.  Here is a list of possible, sample questions.  Please feel free to create your own feedback form using any combination of the questions below.

Small Group Feedback Sample Questions

How is this small group for you?   (For example:  Is it encouraging you to take risks? Becoming a group of trusted people? Providing accountability?)

Are there any ways we can help you grow more as a follower of Jesus?

Is there any new way you would like to participate in our small group (ie, leading scripture study?)

Is there anything you would like to do more of in our small group? Less of?

Are there things that our group does that have been uncomfortable for you?

Is there anything that we do as a group that you would like to be interpreted better so we are clearer about why we do things?  

Does the time of the group work for you? Why or why not?

Do you have any feedback about how we use our time as a group?  

Any suggestions for practical next steps so we can be a learning community together?

Anything else you want to add about our small group?

Vegetarian/ Flexitarian Small Group Meal Ideas

Friends, I am finding that it's important to have a few small group meal ideas that work for both vegetarians and meat eaters.  Here are a few tried and true recipes that make your meal together hospitable to both.  Also, some small groups are trying intentionally eat vegetarian once a month or so to be more mindful of the call to simplicity.  

Cilantro Corn Chowder ~ SERVES 8  (Feel free to double or triple)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups red onion, chopped
1 cup diced carrot
1 1/2 cups diced yellow bell pepper
1 1/2 cups diced red bell pepper
4 Cups potatoes, peeled and cubed (or
leave peels on, but scrub well!)
2 Tablespoons vegetable soup concentrate 

3 Cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped chives
salt & pepper to taste

Put olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, carrot and bell peppers and sauté until the veggies soften, 4-6 minutes. Add potatoes and mix well into the veggie mixture. Saute’ an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Add 7 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of broth and dissolve soup concentrate into it. Add this to soup and mix well. Cook soup and additional 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove 1/3 of the soup with lots of veggies in it and set aside. Blend remaining 2/3 of the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in reserved soup, corn, cilantro, and chives. (If you want to thicken the soup up a bit more, blend a few more of the whole vegetables from soup with 1 cup of corn). Bring soup to a low boil, stirring frequently, and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, continuing to stir so that soup doesn't stick to bottom. Season and salt to taste.  You may add some crumbled bacon for small group members who must have meat.

Slow Cooker Lentil Chili

Yield: Serves 8-10

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4-6 hours

This Slow Cooker Lentil Chili is vegan and gluten-free, but meat lovers will enjoy it too! Top with your favorite chili toppings!

ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, diced, seeds removed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz) bag brown lentils, rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans small red beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 tablespoons chili powder (we used 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste

directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Stir well to combine.

2. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Serve warm.

Note-we use a 6 quart slow cooker. This chili freezes well. Top with your favorite chili toppings, if desired.

Vegan Pesto 

Recipe posted February 2008 by Karina Allrich.
  

This vegan pesto is big on taste, zero on dairy.  The nuts you choose influence the taste.  Feel free to make shredded parmesan available for cheese lovers.  You could also add a bowl of shredded rotisserie chicken as well.  

Ingredients:

2 cups, washed, loosely packed stemmed fresh herbs- basil, cilantro, parsley, mint  (I also add some spinach)

1/2 cup shelled pecans or walnuts or pine nuts

1-2 cloves fresh garlic

1/4 to 1/2 cup good tasting extra virgin olive oil, as needed

a few squirts of fresh lemon (optional)

Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

Combine the fresh herbs, nuts, and garlic in a food processor and process the mixture until it turns into a coarse meal.

Slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a steady drizzle as you pulse the processor on and off. Process until it becomes a smooth, light paste. Add enough olive oil to keep it moist and spreadable.

Season with sea salt, to taste.

Cover and store chilled for at least an hour to saturate the flavors. I like to pour a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil over the top to help keep it bright green.

Makes roughly a rounded cup.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/02/winter-pesto.html#ixzz3SzgBqMnt