“Your written instructions are miraculous.
That is why I obey them.
Your word is a doorway that lets in light,
and it helps gullible people understand.
I open my mouth and pant because
I long for your commandments.”
Psalm 119:129-131
Steering Your Icebreaker: Successful Ice-Breakers
Using icebreakers successfully is similar to being able to tell a good story: you need to know your audience, delivery is everything, and good stories build up intensity as they go along. And props never hurt if you have them.
1. Make Course Corrections (Be Flexible)
As with most games, you can change the rules to suit the group. Icebreakers may start off well but may degrade into a stale activity quicker than we anticipate. Always be ready to change your routine and learn a new game to become enthusiastic about. Generally, with youth you can move pretty quickly into highly active, or silly games that get everyone laughing. For “too-cool” teens or “very serious” adults, you need to proceed very slowly. You can always tell how things are going by the level of conversation and laughter.
2. Iceberg Ahead! (Obstacles to Avoid)
Anything that causes embarrassment to individuals: “my most embarrassing moment” speeches might be entertaining for the instructor, but they don’t do anything to foster a conversation.
Also watch out for icebreakers that involve:
- uncomfortable or forced communication
- fun and games that detract from course content
- time consuming activities
- competition
- assignments that highlight differences
- cultural bias
- activities in which success requires prior knowledge or experience
3. Let’s Try a New Heading (Variation)
Use fun props. Buy rubber chickens, silly rubber faces, fun stuffed animals, or other objects that create laughter or interest by themselves. Whenever possible, use these props in place of tennis balls, or whatever standard objects you might use. If you don’t have any, don’t worry, the activities are fun enough, fun props are just a bonus! You don’t always have to use the same icebreaker the same way. Feel free to experiment with a different variation or add a new twist to an old, familiar icebreaker to spice things up a bit.
4. Put Your Backs Into It! (Enthusiasm)
Participate enthusiastically. The whole point of name games and icebreakers is to help participants break down barriers, learn something about the others in the group, and most of all… have fun.
Encourage everyone to participate, but it is not advisable to force someone to participate and risk bringing the whole group down. An extremely introverted person may not immediately be comfortable participating in icebreakers, along with youth with below average physical abilities. You will find that when given the option to decide on their own, most people will choose to participate.
Be sure to play an active role in the game, as it is important that the participants learn something about you as well. This is equally true for youth or corporate groups, too. Always encourage your participants to play full out, 200% – that includes you! Be a good example of enthusiasm.
Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level
This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.
Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!
Ice Breakers : Knowing the Ice
When planning ice breakers, think about the “ice” that needs to be broken.
- If you are bringing together liked-minded people, the “ice” may simply reflect the fact that people have not yet met.
- If you are bringing together people of different grades and levels in your organization for an open discussion, the “ice” may come from the difference in status between participants.
- If you are bringing together people of different backgrounds, cultures and outlooks for work within your community, then the “ice” may come from people’s perceptions of each other.
You’ll need to handle these differences with sensitivity. Only focus on what’s important to your event. Remember, you want to break some ice for your event, not uncover the whole iceberg! And as you move on to design and facilitate the event, it’s always best to focus on similarities (rather than differences), such as a shared interest in the event’s outcome.
A simple way to figure out what kind of “ice” you’re facing is to consider the following factors:
1. Size of the Crew
Some icebreakers work best in large groups of 20 or more, some are better for small groups of 5 or so. If you have too many people for the icebreaker, split into smaller groups of the right size and run the icebreakers concurrently.
Another often overlooked consideration is the size of the premises you will be conducting your activities. It’s always advisable to have twice as much free room as participants if there is to be any running or moving around.
2. Knowing Your Crew (Participants)
One obvious point to consider is the audience. You will want to consider:
A) Age (which affects the physical energy level and mental ability)
B) Backgrounds (Familiarity between participants, culture, personality types, etc.)
3. Plotting Your Course (Purpose)
The tone for the remainder of the event is set by the icebreaker. What are you doing after the ice breaker?
- Are you brainstorming new ideas?
- Discussing year end results?
- Kicking off a new project?
- Teaching an important lesson?
- Team building?
Match the mood of the ice breaker to the mood for the meeting. The participants may immediately come to a conclusion about how the rest of the session will go based on the tone of the opening ice breaker.
Ask yourself: Is the icebreaker there to:
- ease introductions
- increase understanding of others
- improve communication
- build group cohesion
- build trust
- get mental juices flowing
- just be downright silly
- increase the energy level of the group in the MIDDLE of a meeting
In any case, the group members should be able to take something away from the activity that will be beneficial to the remainder of the session.
4. Preparing for the Journey (Preparation)
- Try out your explanation of how to play in advance and carefully choose your words and instructions.
- Run through it with other leaders and facilitators in advance.
- Take note of any materials you might need before leading the icebreaker.
- Consider the safety of participants. (Dangerous activities, furniture, etc)
5. ETA (Time)
Be realistic about the time you have for the meeting ice breaker and stick to it.
- Choose a short punchy icebreaker to get energy levels up.
- Choose longer icebreakers when more disclosure is desired.
- Remember icebreakers always take a bit longer than we think they will take.
6. Full Speed Ahead (Take It to the Next Level)
An important part of choosing an icebreaker is deciding whether or not a serious message will be incorporated into the activity. One must remember that regardless of whether or not learning is a focus of the activity, icebreakers inherently contain hidden messages.
We always prefer to use icebreakers that contain significant learning points because they can create powerful teaching opportunities without appearing like we are lecturing the students.
7. Disembarking (Debrief)
When finished with an icebreaker, it is important to take a few minutes to help the participants find meaning in the activity. If the time is not taken to bring it all together, the participants may feel as if they were simply playing a game. Discuss the purpose of the activity, what was learned from it, and how it can be related to their lives. Be sure to make the discussion interactive. The participants will take more away from the debriefing if they are a part of it, rather than being lectured to.
A standard debrief that we use following our icebreakers or activities has this basic structure:
- “What happened?”
What actually happened in the activity? What did you do? - “Why?”
What factors limited your success? What factors contributed to your success? - “What changed?”
What did you do it differently? What changes did you make in your strategy? What made it more successful the second time around? - “So what?”
How does this apply to us? What lessons can we learn from this? - “Now what?”
What is one thing you would change in your life because of this? What would you do differently as a result of this activity?
Be sure to give participants the opportunity to ask questions throughout the activity. Nothing promotes learning like dialog. We encourage participants to discuss among themselves what they have learned and what the activity means to them. You may be surprised at the level of depth and insight your participants will have!
A well chosen icebreaker is worth it’s weight in… ice!
Choose your icebreakers wisely and you can impact many lives.
Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level
This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.
Click here to find out how to get your hands on this incredible resource!
Icebreakers Ahead: Take it to the Next Level
New eBook published with 52 of the world’s most popular icebreakers!
My new eBook, found at
http://www.creativeicebreakers.com
not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities, but also includes lesson ideas and questions to smoothly transition into discussions about issues common to most groups.
There are a lot of icebreaker books on the market, but this one is DIFFERENT!
The book was written in response to common complaints heard in team meetings, training events, youth meetings, and other venues where icebreakers are often used with participants. “Why do we have to endure meaningless icebreakers? We’ve played this so many times before! They’re just for fun and that’s it. They don’t teach anything or have any deeper meaning!”
“We’ve seen those icebreakers in books too. They have the title, they list the materials needed, the duration of the game, and the instructions BUT… they have no application. Icebreakers are supposed to be great lead-ins to the topic you want to teach or discuss aren’t they? So why do these other icebreaker books leave you hanging? That’s what we wondered also. That’s why every one of our icebreakers come with discussion questions and applications for you to take the activity “to the next level.””
The application for each icebreaker is generic enough that you can use it in any setting, not just for a youth group, but also for company events, training, and other types of get togethers. They flow right into discussions that touch on universal issues that youth and adults around the world face.
Topics include: attitudes, diversity, personality, change, dreams, priorities, character, emotions, purpose, communication, friendship, relationships, conflict management, goals, responsibility, courage, identity, teamwork, decision making, leadership, values, discipline, perseverance, vision, AND MANY MORE!
There are a lot of benefits to having a collection of proven icebreakers for use with a group. Icebreakers are a great way to set the tone for any class or meeting. With icebreakers you automatically encourage and increase classroom participation. They are also great motivators! Icebreakers work to create a more relaxed learning environment. They are great energizers – sometimes it is just a good idea to shake things up a bit, especially in the middle of the meeting when feet begin to tap, pencils begin to doodle, and eyelids begin to droop. Of course, as previously mentioned, icebreakers can be great topic lead-ins to discussions that help to identify group and individual goals and objectives. They also help bring groups toward meaningful interaction and group building.
I wrote the book from my experience working with youth and other groups from around the world over that past 20 years. I also regularly leads workshops in a “personal development” focused e-learning company and is often involved with facilitating training events with adults. My co-Author, Joshua Goh is a Singaporean and works with youth in schools and other youth organizations in Singapore.
Both of us know what it is like to spend tons of time and cash on group resources that simply don’t cut it. It was because of this difficulty of finding great resources that we began to compile a list of the most popular icebreakers we had discovered while working with groups from many different cultures around the world.
We have organized a ton of youth events from large scale to small group settings and collected the icebreakers that the youth WANTED and ASKED to play. “We didn’t just pick these icebreakers out of someone else’s book or pull them off websites. We’ve personally used, tweaked and perfected each and every one of these icebreakers! What’s more, our youth love them too.”
Not all the icebreakers are 100% original, BUT all of them have been modified through our many years of experience and feedback from youth groups we have led around the world. You’ll find we’ve also included with the icebreakers a list of variations so that you can use an icebreaker your group has played before but add the variation to give it a new twist. The possibilities are endless!
These icebreakers can be used, not only for youth groups, but for schools, company meetings, family gatherings, community events, and social clubs. Try these icebreakers out for parties, on company retreats, family get-togethers, the first day of school, high school reunions, team building events, and more!
Whatever the occasion, you’ll probably find an icebreaker in here appropriate to it. Included are icebreaker games, get to know you questions, icebreaker discussion questions, energizers, and wacky activities from mild to wild! Simplify them and these icebreakers are great for children. Add a little depth and they are a delight to the most sophisticated adults!
For more information on “Icebreakers Ahead: Take it to the Next Level” visit
http://www.creativeicebreakers.com
Spiritual Battle Discussion Questions
What best describes my current situation in spiritual battle? Explain your answer.
- In basic training
- In the mess hall
- Running from the battle
- Running to the battle
- In communication with Headquarters
- In the latrine
- Dedicated to my mission
- A prisoner of war (P.O.W.)
- Camouflaged
- Absent without leave (A.W.O.L.)
- A M.A.S.H. unit
- Wounded
- On the front lines
- Obeying my orders
- Ready to help other soldiers
- Practicing my drills daily
- Military observer
- Sitting Duck
- Covert Operations
My biggest problems in spiritual battles are: (Explain your answer)
- I forget my equipment
- I run away from battles
- I doubt my enlistment into the army of God
- Enemy distractions
- Fatigue (I’m tired)
- I lose communication with the Commander
- I don’t know my training manual
- Family road blocks
- The enemy takes me prisoner to sin
- I lose focus in the battle
- I fail to trust the commander
- Sneak attacks on my faith
- Sabataged friendships
- I worry about what others will think
- Enlisting God’s help
- False intelligence
- Lack of courage
- Too many battles at one time
- Fear
- Other?_________________________
Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May God be with you and bless you:
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Heaven and Hell
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.” The Lord led the holy man to two doors. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.”
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, “I don’t understand.” It is simple” said the Lord, “it requires but one skill.
You see, they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”
MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Put on the Full Armor of God Daily!
Description
Youth will look at a series of common situations, struggles, temptations, etc and determine which piece of spiritual armor would be most useful in the given situation.
Preparation
Make a list of activities/ situations:
Examples
- A close family member just passed away
- Someone has done something to hurt your feelings
- Someone is gossiping about you at school
- Someone tempts you to view a pornographic picture
- The desire for money, power, or fame tempts you to do things you know are not good
- You and a good friend are not talking to each other anymore
- You are accused of cheating on a test
- You are afraid to tell your best friend about Jesus
- You are being taught evolution in school
- You are having doubts about your faith
- You are not prepared for your examination
- You are trying to decide your life career
- You best friend uses profanity all the time and you find yourself picking up some of it
- You discover a 50 dollar note on the subway
- You discover your best friend is gay
- You don’t feel like God is listening to your prayers
- You feel very alone
- You find a person’s wallet on the ground
- You found out your best friend is pregnant
- You have doubts about your faith
- You really want to attend youth camp, but your parents have grounded you.
- You saw your best friend shoplift an item
- You see someone begging on the street for food
- You want to read a novel that has some sexually explicit parts
- Your exam results were not satisfactory to go to the school you wanted
- Your friend doesn’t believe in God
- Your friend is asking about your faith
- Your friend is having a fight with her parents
- Your friend needs some advice on a relationship
- Your friend offers you alcohol at a party
- Your friend says Jesus never claimed to be God
- Your mother and father are always fighting
- Your parents ask you a question and you know if you answer honestly you will be in more trouble
- Your parents discover you lied to them
- Your parents never seem to understand you
- Your parents wish you to be Buddhist
- Your teacher seems to be treating you as if you are stupid
- Your worship life is stale
- You’ve lost your prize possession
Getting Started
Using Ephesians 6:13-18 give youth a few minutes to discuss the “six” pieces of spiritual equipment.
Here are the original 6 pieces of equipment for the passage:
- Belt – Truth
- Breastplate – Righteousness
- Shoes – Gospel of Peace
- Shield – Faith
- Helmet – Salvation
- Sword – Word of God
Note: Sometimes people also add “prayer” to the list.
Discussion
Read out the list of common situations, struggles, temptations, etc one by one. Youth must choose which piece of spiritual armor they believe would be most useful in the given situation. You can also ask them to explain their answers.
Variation
Ask youth to make a list of difficult situations, temptations, doubts, tests of the faith, and fears they have had during the last week. Then ask them to identify the piece of spiritual armor which would help most with each item on the list.
MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Christian home or religious home?
There is a difference between a Christian home and a religious home. A religious home focuses upon the requirements of being a Christian, whereas a Christian home focuses on the relationship with God. Here are some of the characteristics of a Christian home:
- A Christian home is not legalistic but instead there is genuine intimacy and communication of God’s love and his desires for us.
- Family devotionals need to be a part of the family, but flexible, invigorating, full of variety and life. What a shame it is when we bore or burden our teens with religion rather then sharing the joy and love of serving God and growing in intimacy with Him!
- As parents we need to live by example – More is Caught than Taught. Principles mean little to a teen… example means everything! Those who are the best examples are not the ones supposedly living perfect Christian lives, but those who allow teenagers to look in and see what life is really like.. the struggles, the triumphs, the desire to grow. Expose youth to good models in other adults as well among your church members and friends.
- A teen’s view of God as the Father is often affected by earthly fathers. As father’s are we seeking to live in the example of the Heavenly Father?
- Perception is reality to teens… Don’t say the perception is false and ignore it… deal with the perceptions. Don’t see questions and doubts as threats but as opportunities to understand. Struggles are part of our spiritual journey.
- Don’t pretend to be perfect in your Christianity… be honest about your own faith and they will know that you are real… youth see hypocrisy quicker than anyone.
- Put a voice to your personal values and convictions and back them up by seeking to live by them.
- Remember that faith is a relationship with God, not a complete understanding. You don’t have to understand everything for your faith to make a difference. We use so much technology today that we don’t fully understand… the real issue is not how does it work, but instead how does it work for me. How does it make a difference in my life.
- Remember you cannot expect others to do your parenting work for you when you as a parent are the greatest influence on a child’s life. If you were to examine your life you will find things being transfered to your children… but very often it is our bad habits rather than our faith. Inspire your child. Spirituality is not demanded or forced but inspired and encouraged and nurtured.
- “Today’s church dropouts are not the kids; but their the parents. You can’t teach what you don’t know any more than you can come from where you have never been.” -Adrian Rogers If you want to see your child grow in their faith, you need to be GROWING in yours.
- You cannot do anything to be absolutely sure your teens will accept Christ because God gave each of us free will. But we can pray and live it ourselves daily!!
- Dt. 6:6-9 Talk about your faith at any time of the day (Note there is a difference between talking with someone and preaching!) Have a willingness to share plus a mental readiness to share when the time is right. If we want our children to desire the faith we have we must show its attractiveness… is the Christian life truly the abundant life for you or a burden.
- Make your home a place where other Christian teens are invited and welcome. Teens choose peers with needs similar to their own and as such can provide a clue to your teens needs and desires.
- Instead of getting defensive, as parents we must admit we are depending on Christ in our own weaknesses. Scripture teaches us to be vulnerable: “Not that we are competent to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” II Cor 3:5 Be real. You don’t have to be a superhero to be a positive spiritual influence in the life of a youth!
Actually, while these truths are critical principles for parents, they are true for anyone who wants to make a positive difference in the lives of youths. That includes youth leaders, teachers, mentors, and anyone that has regular contact with teens.
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Stained Glass Windows
(c) Copyright 2007 by Ken Sapp
Broken, incomplete,
shattered, rough edges,
cutting, scattered.
Different shapes,
reflecting different colors.
But the Master takes them,
fits them together according to His pattern and vision,
and from the broken pieces,
creates a masterpiece of color and light.
And when the Son shines through,
the colors reflect on the faces,
of those inside.
Bound together,
the brokenness is forgotten
as each contributes to the whole.
Together they reveal the stories of God’s love
and give us a beautiful image of our Redeemer who lives among us.
Vivid reds, yellows, oranges,
combine with muted browns and grays,
each in its place,
even the smallest sliver
a sparkle in the Savior’s eye.
Stained glassed windows,
a simple reminder of who we were
and a promise of what we can become
in the church of the loving Redeemer.
MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.