TOGETHER IN LIFE – Ice Breakers & More…

(from ThrivingGroups.org)

1. Get-to-Know You Bingo Get-to-Know You Bingo helps participants to get information on each other in a fun, competitive way. Before your meeting, you will need to create a bingo card containing a grid of squares with a statement or question in each square that will apply to some members of your group and is in line with the objectives of your class, workshop, or event. You could ask for this in your group introduction email. After each player gets a bingo card, they mingle around introducing themselves and finding other participants who can sign their cards indicating that a statement applies to him/her. To avoid having people only talk to one or two people and filling up their card, limit the signatures they can give to 1 or 2 per card. When everyone has reached bingo or is super close, you can share something you’ve learned about each other, yourself and the experience of this ice breaker activity.

2. Highs and Lows With everyone sitting around in a group, ask everyone to share his/her highs and lows (best things and worst things) of the day. This is quite simple, but especially effective when groups are trying to connect and learn about one another.

3. Hot Seat Choose one person / one couple per gathering and ask 3 questions. – What is one success you’ve had in the last month? – What is one lesson you’ve learned in the last couple of months? – What is one thing you really want to do in the next month? Of course, you can ask a number of other questions of the person / couple that are more in depth, but be careful, those same questions might come your way when it’s your turn to be in the “hot seat.”

TOGETHER IN THE WORD – Time in the Bible…

Some helpful guides for reading Scripture well.

• Observe: What does the text say?
  • Take time to consider all the players and setting (the Who/What/When/Where)
  • Really be careful to notice details and ask: “Why might that be in this part of the text?”

• Interpret: What does this mean?
  •  ORIGINAL MEANING:
    • Consider context of the original audience (both those inside the story being told and those to whom the story is written to.
    • Think about what the story meant in the lives of the people at the time.
    • DON’T RUSH THIS! Too many times we bring our ideas into the story before we even consider the original meaning.
  • CURRENT MEANING:
    • Once you’ve taken some time here, then consider what parts of that meaning translate to today.
    • What of this helps us understand the goodness of God better, today?
    • What truths of God are consistent with God then and now?

• Apply: What should we know, be, do, or love because of this?
  • How does the meaning of this text help us grow to know and love God more?
  • How does the meaning of this help us grow to know and love our neighbor more?
  • What step do you sense the Holy Spirit putting on your heart to take in order to accomplish this?

TOGETHER IN PRAYER & ACTION – Next Steps for bringing the Word home…

• This last part “Apply” should lead into a time of worship in prayer and commitment to action.
• Consider how you can pray and apply this text to your life today.
• Find at least 1 way you can encourage each other this week to work together to love God and your neighbors well.