According to the research reported in Barna Trends 2017 (affiliate link) 1 in 5 adults regularly or often feels lonely (pg 112).
And when “nearly half of women (43%) say they do not feel any emotional support at all from church” (pg 153) we can assume that loneliness is a church problem too!
God has given us a great opportunity to connect and build relationships when women attend our women’s ministry events, Bible studies, and small groups.
While building relationships can take time, we can “jump start” them with a fun icebreaker.
Icebreakers help women move beyond those awkward “getting to know you” moments by quickly uncovering interesting information that women may not share upon first meeting someone new.
This bingo-style icebreaker asks women to SHARE their preferences and life experiences with other women in the room.
For example, your women will seek out women in the group who:
- Enjoy scary movies
- Have moved more than 5 times
- Collect something unique
- Prefer the mountains over the beach
- Enjoy playing cards
- Have eaten something exotic
These discoveries will often lead women to asking more:
- What exotic foods have you eaten?
- I love Stephen King. What’s your favorite scary movie?
- We’re heading to the mountains this fall, where do you suggest we go?
- I used to love playing Bridge. Do you know how to play?
- My mother used to collect spoons on our family vacations. What do you collect?
You’ll be amazed at how God will use these discoveries to connect your women! Often the desire to know more will encourage your quieter women to speak up.
Encouraging our women to share seemingly trivial things about their lives can be a stepping stone for sharing what Christ is doing in their lives.
Directions as posted below and the Bingo-card are included in the free PDF file below.
Click to open: Share Bingo Style Icebreaker Game
SHARE – A Bingo-Style Icebreaker
Group size: 15 or more
Time needed: 10 minutes (1 row); 20 minutes (whole card)
Supplies need:
One copy of the bingo card for each person
One pen or pencil per person
Small prize for the winner (if desired)
Instructions:
- Distribute cards and pens to everyone in attendance.
- Say: Today (tonight) we’re going to share some interesting facts about ourselves with each other. Your task for the next several minutes is to search the room for women who match the descriptions listed on your bingo card. When you find a match, ask them to put their signature in that box. Search carefully though, as you can only have each woman sign ONE box. And search quickly as the first one to fill the entire card wins a prize. Let us know your card is full by shouting “SHARE!” Grab your pens and you may start NOW!
Notes:
- If your group is smaller (30 – 15 women) have them collect 2 signatures per person.
- For a shorter game (and less mingling) have them just fill one straight row – down, across, or diagonal.
- After the game consider reading through the descriptions on several of the squares (or all if there’s time) and have the women stand (or raise their hand – if mobility is an issue for anyone in your group) if it describes them.
- At the end keep the sharing going by asking specific questions to the group: Who has eaten something exotic? What was it? Who likes to play cards? What card games do you play?
- Use this game as an intro for someone in your group to share a testimony of what God is doing in their life. I.E. “Now that we’ve had the opportunity to share with one another, I want to invite Stacey to come forward to share about God has been doing in her life this past year.”
May God bless your women as they share with one another!
Looking for other icebreaker games? Be sure to check out my complete list of icebreaker games here.
You may also want to read:
Why I Don’t Do Bible Games
10 Things Icebreakers Should NOT Do
Why Women’s Ministry Events Need Great Icebreakers
One year ago: Brand New Publicity Idea for Reaching Your Neighbors
Two years ago: The Importance of an Agenda
Three years ago: Why Women are Running from Mentoring
Four years ago: Small Group Idea: Sister Six
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