Insight

Guidance - a youth group discussion starter

A youth group discussion starter on guidance, helping young people understand that God cares for them and wants to guide them in their decisions and choices. Great for younger teenagers but can be adapted to a wider age group.

TREASURE HUNT

Begin the youth group night with a treasure hunt. The first option is ideal for small youth groups. You will need some coloured wool, an envelope with instructions inside and some ‘treasure.’
 

Cut the coloured wool into 10 cm lengths. About an hour before the youth night begins, lay out a trail using the wool. Tie pieces of the wool to plants, bushes, trees, fences, gates, signs etc within the vicinity of your meeting place. Each piece of wool should only be a few meters apart. At the end of the trail place an envelope containing further instructions or clues on how to find the hidden treasure, somewhere within your meeting place.

Before you begin, explain to the group that the object of the treasure hunt is to be guided by the trail until they find the clues that will lead them to the treasure. As they find each piece of wool they should collect it and return it to you at the end of the activity. The length of time the treasure hunt takes will depend on the length and difficulty of the trail.

Live to give - a youth group discussion starter

A youth group discussion starter on money, wealth and Christian giving.

From the wisdom of the proverbs, the parables and teaching of Jesus, to Paul’s letters to the first Christians and churches, the Bible has a lot to say about money, our attitudes to wealth and possessions and the challenges and joys of faithful stewardship and Christian giving.

DOODLES

Have sheets of flipchart paper, pencils, pens, markers and modern translations of the Bible available for this activity. Divide the young people into pairs. Explain that the group will be creating a series of cartoons on money, lifestyle and giving. Each pair can either create a strip cartoon or a single image. Encourage them to make their cartoon as large as possible. The cartoon can either be a simple black and white drawing or in full Technicolor!

Write up the Bible references on a flipchart as the basis for each cartoon. Ask each pair to select a verse or passage, and let the doodling begin!

Living in a material world - a youth group discussion starter

A youth group discussion starter on money and wealth.

Young people are bombarded with TV images, advertising and celebrity lifestyles, all presenting similar messages about the acquisition and ‘power’ of money, the trappings of wealth and the next ‘must have’ thing.

Against this culture, does the Bible have anything to say about money, the pursuit of wealth and our attitude to possessions?

SUCCESS IS..?

Begin by writing the words SUCCESS IS… on a flip chart or whiteboard. Ask your group to suggest words that would show that someone had succeeded in life. Write them up. Is there a common theme?

MONEY MURAL

Provide a number of copies of popular ‘teen’ magazines, lifestyle magazines and ‘celebrity’ news magazines. Ask the young people to get into small groups and choose 3 or 4 articles or adverts that they think make the biggest impact on them. Each group then briefly shares their choices with everyone.

Using a sheet of flipchart paper or wallpaper, ask the group to paste or tape pictures from the articles and adverts to create a montage of images. Leave a black space at the bottom of the paper for the final summary.

40 Icebreakers for small groups - FREE eBook

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 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.

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Shipwrecked - a youth group discussion starter

A discussion starter exploring the values we place on people. Two incidents from the life of Jesus help to illustrate the value Jesus places on people, including ourselves.

SHIPWRECKED

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.

Character - more food for thought

'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  

Pentecost - a youth group discussion starter

A discussion starter exploring the impact of the Holy Spirit on the lives of the first Christians at Pentecost. Helping young people to discover 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;

• One of the believers in the upper room (Acts 2: 1)
• A God-fearing Jew (Acts 2: 5)
• One of those who mocked the Christians (Acts 2: 13)
• Peter (Acts 2: 14)
• One of the new believers (Acts 2:37, 41)
• A member of the early church (Acts 2: 42-47)

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.

More icebreakers for small groups

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.

Icebreakers for small groups

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,

• SIMON
• WENDY
• ROBERT
• ANN

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

Talking to God - three youth group discussion starters on prayer

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 8 page pdf prayer discussion starters containing three group discussion starters on prayer.

MORE DISCUSSION STARTERS

For more, click on discussion starters in the category list on the sidebar.

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Getting started - three youth group discussion starters

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 12 page pdf 3 discussion starters for youth groups.

MORE DISCUSSION STARTERS

For more, click on discussion starters in the category list.


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Each month 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.

Jesus Christ RIP - resurrection in progress!

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?

Easter Eggstravaganza - a themed night of icebreakers, activities, quiz and talk!

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. View and download the 14 page pdf Easter Eggstravaganza

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Would you believe it? - a youth group discussion starter

Use this humorous discussion starter to stimulate and generate questions from your young people. Find out more about what they find hard to believe or understand. What are their barriers to faith? What questions do they have about the Christian life?

These are genuine statements found on insurance claim forms, where car drivers attempted to summarise the details of an accident in the fewest possible words.

• Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have. 

• I thought my window was down, but I found it was up when I put my head through it.
  

• I collided with a stationary truck coming in the other direction.
  

• The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.
  

• I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and headed over the embankment.
  

• The accident happened because I had one eye on the lorry in front, one eye on the pedestrian and the other on the car behind.
  

• In an attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telegraph pole.

How do you spend your time? - a youth group discussion starter

How do you spend your time? Does it matter? This discussion starter considers our responsibilities as Christians and asks how we set our priorities.

MY WEEK – MY LIFE

For this discussion starter you will need paper, pens and several pocket calculators. Ask each young person to write down ten things they have done the previous week. For example, watching TV, eating breakfast, cleaning their teeth, talking to their parents, talking to friends on the phone, playing sports, going to youth group, shopping etc. Then ask them to estimate the amount of time (in hours), they spent on this activity. Five minutes a day adds up to 35 minutes a week, about ½ hour.

Multiply the time in hours by 0.42 (using the calculators) and you get the number of years you would spend on that activity in an average lifetime. So, someone who looked around the shops for three hours a week would spend 3 times 0.42 years of their time shopping in a life of seventy years. For the calculation to work properly remember to work in hours and not in minutes.

Ask the young people to share some of their results and write these up on a whiteboard or flipchart. Some of the results will amuse, while others may be a surprise. Don't make any judgments on the results. Instead use them to facilitate a discussion on the use of our time. For example;