5 Tips For Great Icebreakers In Small Groups
The first five minutes of a small group meeting or bible study group set the pace for the whole night. As leaders, if we can get the discussion started it is likely participation will continue as the study progresses. Much of the small group curriculum out there includes ice breaker questions but many of those questions don’t always work. Here are five quick tips you need to know to kick start your discussions.
1. Don’t be afraid of silence.
A little bit of silence is not a bad thing. Sometimes the opening questions we ask are good questions and require a few seconds of thought. There have been many occasions that an icebreaker question took a minute to process and turned into a great discussion. Here is an example. During one group meeting I asked:
How many times have you moved, which location did you like best, and why?
That question is really three questions and they require significant thought.
- How many times have you moved? That takes time to figure out!
- Which location did you like best? That takes time to figure out!
- Why? That takes time to figure out!
So I obviously needed to wait in silence as people were thinking of their answers but the wait was worth it. The responses were so interesting and it was a great opportunity to learn more about the past of those in my group.
2. Ask questions that are open ended.
All too often I will see group leaders that ask a question that has a one word answer like,
Are you a late sleeper or early riser?
Bad question with a simple answer that leads to a dead end. Many times you can just modify the question to be open ended to accomplish what you are trying to do. “Why do you prefer being a late sleeper or early riser?” Simply changing the nature of the question can change the discussion that follows.
3. The leader sets the pace.
As the leader you set the tone for the group. Your level of authenticity and enthusiasm in the first five minutes will affect the group for the whole meeting. Be prepared with your questions and answers. Stay energized and you, along with your group, will have a great experience.
4. Start off with non-threatening questions.
These questions are the type everyone can answer and have a little fun with. Don’t start your meeting off by asking people to spill their guts and bear their wounded souls to the group. A non-threatening question is also a question that has no wrong or right answer. You don’t want people worried about answering correctly in the first few minutes of your small group meeting.
5. Have everyone participate.
Ask everyone in the group to answer the ice breaker question. It is the one time in every meeting where each person has to share and it is an opportunity to get to know people in a way you haven’t before.
What are some great icebreaker questions you have used in your small group?
