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Icebreakers do more for your group than fun and games. They set an atmosphere for all attendees to participate while building a sense of community in your group.
You are missing out if you think icebreaker activities are simply trivial moments of fun. On the contrary, icebreakers pave the way to easing anxiety, forming friendships, and building trust.
People in successful ministries feel appreciated, included, and respected. This team feeling doesn’t just happen overnight. Strengthening unity within a ministry group takes time –– time to get to know each other and develop new relationships with those around them. Icebreakers help those in your group find those connections in a fun, low-stress, and easy way.
Why Icebreakers Are Important
- Assist people in feeling at ease.
- Help people feel comfortable interacting with each other.
- Give everyone a way to be involved in your meeting.
- Build connections with those in your group.
- Start conversations.
What Is An Icebreaker?
Icebreakers can be questions, activities, or games used to “break the ice.” They help people who may not know each other feel more comfortable interacting with those in your group. Also, they are simple and effortless ways to start conversations, help people feel at ease, and build connections with other members of your group. They help lessen anxiety for visitors and late-comers and help people feel comfortable with the group. Icebreakers provide a great way to connect with others.
Questions are designed to get a person to share just a tiny bit of detail about themselves with the rest of the group: past, present, future, hopes, dreams, goals, desires, thoughts, etc. These set of questions are not yes-no but ask for a word, thought, or very short answer. Sharing these little details helps others get to know you and also helps you find some common ground with others.
Structure specific icebreaker games to be played for a short amount of time, usually between 30 seconds to 10 minutes. They are played with at least two people and may involve the entire group at one time. These games work to build connections and discover things a person may have in common with another.
Importance of Icebreakers For Small Church Ministry
- Encourage a friendly and informal setting or atmosphere
- Help people feel more comfortable with your group
- Provide an easy way for attendees to interact with each other
- Increase connections within your group and visitors
- Minimize cliques
- Foster open communication
- Invite new visitors easily into conversation
- Warm up those at your Bible study for discussion
- Build a sense of community
Small Church Icebreakers Help You Learn Something New
Whether everyone in your group has known each other for years, nobody knows each other, or your group is somewhere in between, it’s always beneficial to have a social check-in before you begin your event.
Have you ever attended a church, group, or Bible study for the first time? Many newcomers can feel anxious not knowing anyone or what they are “getting themselves into.” Icebreakers offer a chance to minimize that anxiety and help visitors find something in common with your members.
If your group is already established, icebreakers can allow time for sharing and help attendees learn something new about someone they may have known for a long time. Using icebreakers and conversation starters in an established group can increase group unity and help build stronger relationships.
Group Members Who Feel Connected With Others
- Attend more events and activities
- Promote and share about your group’s events with their friends
- Increase their volunteer availability
- Share more often in group discussions
An icebreaker activity works toward building unity, developing connections, and creating a sense of belonging. They help new team members feel at ease and offer an easy way for introverts to participate even if they have a hard time stepping out of their comfort zone.
Icebreakers have one common or desired result: to help people interact with each other. Interaction is the first step in building friendships. As your ministry members get to know each other more and more, your ministry will develop greater strength and a sense of unity. They’re even great to use during team-building events!
Try An Icebreaker This Month
4 Icebreaker Games
1. Commonalities
Gather in smaller groups. When the leader says “go,” groups have two minutes to discover things they all have in common with the rest of the group. When time is up, ask someone from each group to share the commonalities they discovered.
2. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament
Start the tournament by dividing into groups of two people. Each pair plays Rock, Paper, Scissors three times. Whoever wins at least two matches is the winner and goes on to the next round. Allow the entire first round to finish before starting the next. Round 1 winners pair up to compete in round 2. Continue playing rounds until there is one winner.
3. Marshmallow Towers
Divide into small groups of less than 5. Each group works together to build the tallest free-standing structure using a box of dry spaghetti and a bag of marshmallows. After 10 minutes, the team with the tallest free-standing structure wins!
4. Interview & Introduce
Divide up in pairs with the person sitting next to you. (If there is someone you don’t know well on one side, pair up with that person.) If you have siblings in your group, try your best to make sure they’re paired with someone else. Each person has 2 minutes to interview the other. At the end of four minutes, gather into small groups. Each person introduces their interviewee to the group. Try to ask questions about the person’s name, where they live, hobbies, something exciting they’ve done, favorite childhood memories, family, or what they like to do in their free time.
Icebreaker Games open the doors to great interactions. They break the awkward silence between those who are a part of a new group of people. These 10 Must-Have Women’s Ministry Mixers For Small Churches give great ideas for women’s meetings.
Top 20 Icebreaker Questions For Small Groups
The most effective way to use icebreakers is always to give two or three icebreakers and ask participants to choose one to answer. You could even print out a sheet of paper and pass it around for each person to vote on. This increases engagement and offers a more positive experience. Attendees have less stress and anxiety when they can choose a question suited to their life and the level of how much they want to share. Leaders should never force a person to share anything about themselves, so choose or create questions that are easy and aren’t too personal, and remember to maintain a positive environment for everybody.
- What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?
- What is your go-to karaoke song?
- What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
- Name someone who has influenced your life’s journey and tell about their influence.
- What is your favorite cartoon character, and why?
- What is a hidden talent you have?
- Describe your perfect dream job.
- What is the best or favorite app you have on your phone?
- When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- Share a piece of good advice someone gave you.
- What are three words you could use to describe yourself?
- What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
- What are your favorite social media accounts?
- What are your hobbies?
- How would you spend a day at the lake? What would you do?
- What is a personal goal you are working on?
- If you could have a superpower for the rest of your life, what one superpower would you like to have?
- If you could visit any place, where would you go? Why?
- What tool could you not live without?
- Share about a favorite book you’ve read or movie you’ve seen.
Icebreakers Increase Community In Your Ministry
As stated at the beginning of this blog post, icebreakers pave the way to easing anxiety, forming friendships, and building trust. They help those in your group find connections with each other. Forming friendships, building trust, and discovering personal connections all support building a sense of community. They support building a sense of brotherhood in your men’s ministry. They support building a sense of sisterhood in your women’s ministry. They are never a waste of time.
Offering an icebreaker at the start of a meeting is a foundational piece to building a sense of community among your group.
Try an icebreaker at your next meeting! While your group enjoys the fun, you’ll know the results you’re building are so much more than fun games.
Read More
10 Perfect Icebreakers For Your Women’s Ministry Events
How To Host Meetings People Actually Want To Come To
5 Steps To Start An Advisory Board For Your Small Church Ministry