Why 'Insight?' I've been serving as a Christian youth worker and trainer for 27 years and hopefully age and experience sometimes brings a little wisdom. Thanks for visiting.
From the sidebar you can download free youth ministry eBooks or click on the category links to view all the icebreakers and games, discussion starters and other resources.
40 Icebreakers for Small Groups is a FREE ebook compiled from several previous articles posted on Insight.
These posts continue to be popular, so I thought it might be helpful to put them together in an eBook (708kb) for you to download.
In addition, I've added several new 'bonus' icebreakers which don't appear in the articles!
Divided into two sections, 'Getting To Know You' and 'Group Builders', these icebreakers encourage sharing, openness, listening, co-operation and discussion, providing a creative foundation for your small group study or teaching time.
Just click on the link in this post or in the sidebar to view and download the eBook. Also check out my other popular FREE ebook Creative Bible Study Methods for Youth Leaders. (611kb)
If you find these resources helpful, may I invite you to subscribe to Insight. You'll be sent every article and resource direct to your RSS feed or email inbox. Your subscription is completely FREE and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Exploring the values we place on people, contrasting with two incidents from the life of Jesus and discovering the value Jesus places on us.
Divide your young people into groups of 8. Ask them to imagine that they have been shipwrecked, but everyone has climbed into the safety of a lifeboat floating nearby. Unfortunately there is very little food in the rations. You estimate that it is many days journey to the nearest land and there is not enough food to keep everyone alive. For the majority to survive, two people must be cast adrift on a nearby timber beam. They have no food, the waters are shark infested and it will mean certain death! However, each passenger has the chance to plead his or her case to stay in the boat and survive.
Each of the young people plays the role of one of the passengers. After drawing an occupation from a hat to role play, every person has one minute to say why they should stay in the lifeboat.
Continue reading "Shipwrecked - a youth group discussion starter" »
'The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.' Martin Luther King, Jr.
'Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. If you must be without one, be without the strategy.' Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf
'Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching’ George Van Valkenburg
'Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.' Albert Einstein
'Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose.' Evan Esar
'A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.' Charles Spurgeon
Exploring the impact of the Holy Spirit on the lives of the first Christians at Pentecost, and discovering more about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives today.
I WAS THERE
Divide the young people into small groups. Explain that each group is going to script and perform a short interview, featuring one of the characters involved in the events on the first Pentecost. Give each group one of these characters;
Ask each group to read Acts 2: 1-47 together, using a modern translation of the Bible. Then decide who will be the interviewer and who will be the interviewee. The rest of the group helps with the preparation and scripting of the interview.
Continue reading "Pentecost - a youth group discussion starter" »
Another 7 simple-to-use icebreakers for your small group. Use these mixer games to build friendships and encourage co-operation. Create a positive rapport with leaders and promote participation for your discussion, bible study and teaching time.
NAME THAT PERSON
Divide into two teams. Give each person a blank piece of card. Ask them to write five little known facts about themselves on their card. Include all leaders in this game too. For example, I have a pet iguana, I was born in Iceland, my favourite food is spinach, my grandmother is called Doris and my favourite colour is vermillion.
Collect the cards into two team piles. Draw one card from the opposing team pile. Each team tries to name the person in as few clues as possible. Five points if they get it on the first clue, then 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. The team with the most points wins. (Note: if you select the most obscure facts first, it will increase the level of competition and general head scratching!)
ADD WORDS
Simple, completely ridiculous and a lot of fun. The first person says a word, for example 'The'. The second person says the first word and ADDS a second word of their choice, and so on. At the end you might have a complete sentence! For example, 'The aardvark spiralled into the puddle of custard clutching his skateboard while whistling his favourite Bjork melody.' The fun thing is putting twists in the sentence so that the others have a hard time coming up with a word that fits. ADD WORDS can be played a few times without being boring.
Searching for icebreakers, ideas and discussion starters? In this article I've highlighted 7 simple icebreakers which you can use with your small group.
Although icebreakers seem trivial to some, they are an important tool in helping young people integrate and connect with one another in a group environment. Used wisely they can also create a good atmosphere for participation and learning. In two previous articles I've already included 20 of my favourite icebreakers for small groups.
Breaking the ice-using icebreakers in small groups
Breaking more ice-10 more icebreakers for small groups
It's probably impossible to say who first thought up these games as they are constantly adapted by every generation of youth leaders. Most came to me by word of mouth from friends and colleagues, or seeing them in action.
NAME GRID
Divide the young people into groups of four. Each group needs paper and pens. Ask them to draw a grid on which they write their forenames. For example,
Give each team three minutes to write down as many words (three letters or more) that they can make only using the letters in their names. Letters must adjoin each other in the grid, but do not have to be in a straight line. When the time is up each team adds up their score.
3 or 4 letter words = 1 point
5 letter word = 2 points
6 letter word = 3 points
The landing gear wouldn't lock down and the plane had to make an emergency landing. Over the intercom the pilot addressed the passengers, 'We are beginning our final descent. At this moment in accordance with International Aviation Codes established in Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God you should commence prayer.'
What do your young people think about prayer? What does the Bible tell us about prayer? What did Jesus say? View and download the 4 page pdf (473kb) containing three discussion starters on prayer. If you find something helpful, please leave a comment.
Prayer Discussion Starters.pdf
MORE DISCUSSION STARTERS
For more, click on discussion starters in the category list on the sidebar.
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You ask a question. They stare back quizzically at you. You ask another question. Silence. You awkwardly try again. Embarrassed shuffles and whispering.
How do you get young people engaged in meaningful conversation and discussion? It's not always easy. Building relationships is important. Group size and venue is important. Asking the right questions is important. Sometimes a simple creative activity or discussion starter can help break the ice and encourage group communication.
'Consequences!', 'Getting to know you?' and 'What's puzzling you?' are three discussion starters which give an opportunity for your group to share their own thoughts, opinions and ask their own questions.
The discussion starters are flexible in their application. Discover more about what your young people really think! What's important to them? Where do they struggle with the Christian faith? Use these starters to get to know your group better and provide a launch pad for further discussion and bible teaching. View and download the 10 page pdf (417kb). If you find something helpful, please leave a comment.
MORE DISCUSSION STARTERS
For more, click on discussion starters in the category list.
SUBSCRIBE
Every week I add more youth ministry resources and personal reflections on youth ministry and leadership. May I encourage you to subscribe to INSIGHT and you won't miss a thing.
An Easter youth group activity investigating the individual incidents which make up the resurrection account.
Take a look at the sentence in the graphic and count the number of times the letter 'F' appears in the sentence. How many did you get?
This opening activity is based on a well known idea from a business / marketing course. Most people get three, and don't even see the word 'OF' because in your mind you pronounce it as 'OV'. It's a clever piece of psychology designed to make you miss three of the six letters 'F' in the sentence.
This simple challenge reminds us that even looking at something carefully and closely we can miss important things. In stories we think we know well, or have heard many times, its easy to overlook important information, facts or evidence.
Is the resurrection account well known to your young people? How much do you think they know? Do they need to take a fresh look? Or, have they just seen it portrayed in a movie? Do they need to take a closer look?
Continue reading "Jesus Christ RIP - resurrection in progress!" »
An egg themed evening for Easter. The first five eggy icebreakers of Egg strength, Egg and spoon, Egg drop, Egg blast and Egg throw can make for a messy evening. Select your venue carefully. Alternatively, focus on one or both of the evening projects. The team challenge of ‘The Great Egg Drop’ or the creative design of ‘The Egg Fashion Parade.’
The Easter Run-Around quiz will discover how much your young people know about the Easter story and lead towards an opportunity to close the evening with an Easter message or reflection. Use and adapt the ideas and options given, or prepare your own teaching material. As the resources fill TEN pages, you can download everything as a pdf (529kb).
RELATED ARTICLES
For more themed youth evenings click on icebreakers and games in the category list.
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Would you like more ideas? Discussion starters, themed youth evenings or thought provoking articles on youth ministry? May I encourage you to subscribe to INSIGHT and you won't miss a thing.
