The NUS Cell Journal: September 2007

101 Ice-breakers for Cell Meeting

1) Self Disclosure
2) Cell Intimacy

1
Fear in a hat
 Each person is given a piece of paper to write their personal fear. No names are to be written.
 Put all the papers into a hat and to mix them up.
 Every person is to draw 1 paper (to put it back and re-draw if he/she picks his/her own).
 Every person is to read own out the fear from the paper and try to explain what the person, who wrote it, is feeling.
 Ministry: Pray for all members to deal with fear
 Variation: Other emotions can also be used as ‘sadness.’

Submitted by: Leonard

2
Bonding
Taboo

 Play the board game Taboo in small groups.

Submitted by: Grace Goh

3
Bonding
Build Trust

Shrinking Island

 Provide each small groups of 5 with a piece of newpaper
 Place Newspaper on the floor.
 Progressively reduce the area for people to stand on.
 Group disqualifies if their feet is outside newspaper.

Submitted by: Samuel Ee

4
Self Disclosure

Toilet Roll

 Each person is to take as many pieces of toilet paper as they wish.
 For each piece, they have to say 1 interesting thing about themselves.
 Variation: Use M&Ms; Instead of interesting, can replace sharing on most creative things, greatest achievement, etc

Submitted by: Jennifer Kwan / Clare

5
Bonding

Who am I?

 Each person has a post-it note pasted on his/her back with the name of another person written on it.
 Each person goes around trying to guess who that person is by asking “Yes” or “No” questions.

Submitted by: Sam Lo & John Chia

6
Bonding

Tangle

 Stand in a circle
 Stretch your hand to hold someone else’s hand. It should not hold both hands of same person.
 Try to get out of the entangled circle.
 If group is big, break into 2 sub-groups and compete to see which group dis-entangle first.

Submitted by: Kenneth

7
Bonding

Pen Circle

 Form a circle facing inward.
 Each person is to partner the person on the right and on the left by holding a pen between them using their index fingers.
 The whole group is to turn around facing outward without dropping the pens.

Submitted by: Kok Hong, Stephanie

8
Bonding
Self- disclosure

Ordering

 Two groups to face each other.
 Game master to ask each group to re-arrange themselves eg. by ascending order of birthdays, surnames or order of births, etc
 First group to accomplish wins.

Submitted by: Cerise

9
Self Disclosure

I have never…../Never have I ………

 Each person to take turn to say a thing that he/she has never done before.
 Those who have done what the person has never done before will get a chip/candy/M&M or to take a sip from a glass of water.

Submitted by: Sin Ee & Cleo

10

Self Disclosure
Toy Story
 Each person is to take turn to draw out a toy from a bag of toys and to explain how they can identify with the toy.

Submitted by: Pearl Lam

11
Self Disclosure

Me and My Drink/Fruit
 Each person to buy a drink/fruit before the meeting that can be used to describe themselves.
 Each person to take turn to share.

Submitted by: Jon Hems & Aurelia

12
Self Disclosure

Identity Guess
 To write 1 description of oneself & place in a bag.
 Each person to take someone’s description and go around asking “Yes” or “No” questions to identify the person.

Submitted by: Unknown

13
Bonding

Broken telephone line
 Form into lines.
 A message/phrase is to be passed down the line through acting.
 The last person in the line is to guess the message/phrase.

Submitted by: Eugenia

14
Self Disclosure

My Secret
 Each person to take turn to share something about him/herself that no one else is supposed to know. (Eg habits, interest, special gifts, etc)

Submitted by: Marcus

15
Bonding
Self Disclosure

Number Game
 1 person to think of a number from 1 to 99. This number has to be a significant one and he/she has to explain why this number was chosen after the round.
 The others are to take turn to shout out a number. With each new number given, the number range will narrow until someone “hits” the right number.
 The person who “hits” the right number will have to do a forfeit.
 The 1st person who choose the number to explain why this number was chosen.

Submitted by: Peter Tan

16
Bonding
Self Disclosure

2 Truths and 1 Lie
 Each person to take turn to say 2 thing true and 1 thing false about him/her and ask another person to guess which is the right one.
 The person who guess wrongly will have to do a forfeit.

Submitted by: Unknown

17
Bonding

Passing the Name
 The group first establishes an order of passing. The 1st person calls someone who isn’t on his/her right or left. Subsequent people call someone in the group, who hasn’t been called yet, using the same criteria.
 Once the order is established, an object is passed around, with each person calling out the name of the person he/she is passing to. The time taken is noted.
 The game is played a few times to try and get the shortest time possible.

Submitted by: Christopher Kwan

18

Bible Lesson
Bible Objects
1. In two teams - The first team to find 5 objects in the room or in your pockets / bags that are linked to an event or passage in the Bible. You have to read out the Bible reference.

19
Bonding
Tallest Tower

Break into small group of 4. Provide 3 sheets of A4 paper
To design and make the tallest tower that will stand unsupported for 60 seconds using ONLY three sheets of A4 paper. No glue / sticky tape / clips allowed, only tearing / cutting / folding.

20
Self Disclosure

Draw My Mood
Give everyone a piece of paper and get them to draw a picture of their face only - illustrating the kind of day they have had. THEN - Fold the pictures, get everyone to choose one at random, you have to guess who it is and what they are feeling. Don't reveal the correct identities until the very end.

21
Bonding
A big bag of beans

Have a big bag of beans. Begin by passing out 5 beans (or more or less, depending) to each guest. The guests then mingle and talk freely, while the object is to be the one who gets the most beans. To win beans, the other person has to say Yes, No or shake or nod their head. When someone does this, they hand one bean over to the other person. At the end of the time limit, see who has the most beans and that person is the winner.

22
Bonding
Air Soccer

Divide your cell group into two teams. You can play guys against girls if you like. You need to use a table for this one so make sure it’s okay to use the coffee table. If the people are really sticky about furniture this game can also be played on the floor. The game is played just like soccer except instead of kicking a soccer ball around a soccer field, you’re blowing a ping pong ball around a table. The ends of the table are the goals, each team needs a goalie and three players to come up at a time. Once they have played against each other for five minutes changeover with four other members from the teams. (You’ll need a timer and a score-keeper.) The changeovers need to be quick because fast teams may blow the ball through the goals if the other team's goalie is not ready yet. Play like this until every member of the team has had a few chances to play.

23
Bonding
Balloons in the air

Give everyone an inflated balloon. The balloons should be in different colours or with identifiable marks on them. Everyone tosses his balloon in the air and tries to keep it in the air as long as possible. In the meanwhile, he must try to get everyone else's balloons to touch the floor. When a person's balloon touches the floor, he is out. The person who keeps his balloon in the air the longest, wins.

24
Bonding
Banana duel

Have everyone pair up and tie their left wrist together. Give each a banana to hold in their left hand. When you say "go", they peel the banana with only their right hand and try to push it in their partner's face/mouth. You may want to do this blindfolded to add excitement.

25
Bondiing
King Nut

Give each person a peanut and have them pair up. They should try to crack their partner's peanuts by pushing their peanuts against one another. Those with cracked peanut are out. Do this in round until only one or a few peanuts are left not cracked

26
Bible Lesson
Bible mime

Divide the group into teams of three to six members. Every team selects one biblical event to pantomime for the other players. The others try to identify the bible stories being enacted. Variation: Scripture passages are cited on slips of paper and drawn from a box for performance

27
Bonding
Trust
Blind Trust

Decide on a route to take your cell members on. Preferably a route around the building Make sure the path you choose isn't too dangerous! . Blindfold everyone in the group, except yourself. Tell everyone to hold hands and to follow you. Promise them before you go that you won't lead them anywhere that they can get hurt. (If you attempt this with a Teen Cell, make sure an adult is with you.) At no time may anyone remove their blindfold until you say it's okay. The ones that do remove their blindfolds may continue in the game but they must keep quiet. Once you get back to your house tell them to remove their blindfolds and ask them how they felt about the

28
Bonding
Trust
Blinded by money

Pair everyone up and form a big circle. Give each pair two 20 cent coins. One person in each pair tilts his head back and places a coin on each eyelid with eyes closed (no peeping!). Put a big container in the centre (e.g. a garbage can). The object is for each person to dump their coins into the container, following the verbal direction of their partner. No physical guiding by the partner is allowed. If any coin dropped, the person should pick it up and start all over again. The fun comes when all the pairs go at once, crowding around the container, blinded by money, trying to hear their partner's direction.

29
Bonding
Longest Line

This game is suitable for group size of 5 and above. Each group will be given a bundle of equal number of strings of same length. However, 1st member can only use one of his hand to tie a string with the help from one hand of 2nd member, 3rd member with 4th member and so on. If 3rd member can coordinate well with the 2nd and 4th member simultaneously, this team will certainly increase their chance of winning as "the longest line". To make it more difficult, we can use different types of strings e.g. sewing thread, ribbon, fishing thread (do not use stretchable material). Also, no verbal communication is allowed during the game. Facilitator can ask players to share their "in-sight" or "experience" from the game. Also he can encourage them the importance to overlook some differences of each other in order to fulfil an objective for a good cause e.g. in a mission trip.

30
Self Disclosure
U is for Unique

Have each member write down three random letters of the alphabet on a piece of paper. Then, explain to them that they must come up with three unique things about themselves that start with the letters they wrote down. For example, if someone wrote A, H, and L, for A they could reveal they have vacationed in Atlanta for H, maybe that they have gone Horseback riding... and for L that they are Left handed

31
Bonding
Stand up

Sit on the ground with your partner, backs together, feet in front of you, and arms linked. Then try to stand up together. After you succeed add another twosome and try again. Keep adding people until your whole group is trying to stand together.

32
Bonding
THUMB FIGHT

Have everybody pair up and hold hands (fingers into finger hold). Their thumbs should be down by the sides. When you say "ready", they hold their thumbs up touching each other. At the signal, "go", they push each other's thumb and try to knock down their partner's thumb. The one who get knocked down is out. Play for as long as you want or until only one or a few "winner" are left.
33
Bible Lesson
One word per person prayer

"One word per person prayer" - instead of one person opening in prayer you get the whole cell involved. One person starts by saying the first word, then the next person the next word and so on ....etc... person1 "Our", person2 "Father", person3 "who", person4 "is", person5 "in", person6 "heaven",etc...

34
Bonding
Gum Art

Required: Bubble gum, toothpick and index card Players: Small to large groups Give each participant a piece of bubble gum to chew, toothpick and index card. Allow them 10 minutes to chew the gum, place gum on index card and then design something on index card using only the toothpick as a tool (No Hands). The person with the best and most creative design is the winner. If you have quite a few players you can have several categories of winners, like “most ingenious”, “most creative” and of course the"What is that?"award.

35
Bonding
HORSE RACING

· Equipment: A Dice. In this racing game teams of 3-4 line up at one end of the room. The farthest end is the winning post (marked by a chair, for instance) The members take turns to throw the dice. Each number turned up represents the amount of shoe lengths they are entitled to step towards the winning post. First team to cross the finsihing line wins.

36
Bonding
Can you follow instructions

A READ AND DO TESTS Time Limit: 3 min.
1. Read all that follows before doing anything.
2. Write your name in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
3. Circle the word "corner" in sentence two.
4. Draw five small squares in upper left hand corner of this page.
5. Put an "X" on each square.
6. Put a circle around each square.
7. Sign your name under line 5.
8. After your name, write "yes, yes, yes".
9. Put a circle around number 7.
10. Put an "X" in the lower-left-hand corner of this page.
11. Draw a triangle around the "X" you just made.
12. Call out your first name when you get to this point.
13. On the reverse side of this paper add 6950 and 9805.
14. Put a circle around your answer.
15. Now that you have finished reading carefully, do only number 1 and 2.

PLEASE BE QUIET AND WATCH THE OTHERS FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.
EQUIPMENT: 1 A4 Paper each.

37
Bonding
SAVE ME

The leader asks members to imagine they are all survivors at a shipwreck, swimming for their lives. There is only one life belt. One survivor can claim it and be saved. Each member must state their case: Why they think they have the most right to live. The member with the most convincing or amusing case wins. Leader is the referee

38
Bonding
KNOW YOUR PASTOR

· This game has a surprise element. The guests are asked to be "at the ready" with pencils and paper. They are told they are to write down as many pastors; names as possible in three minutes. When they are poised and ready they are told to put the pencil in the other hand. Right-handers becomes left-hander, and vice versa. Winner is the one with the most correct and most legible list.

39
Bonding
Cartoon Character

Everyone must sit in a circle. Everyone will think of a cartoon character that best resembles the friend on their left. Write down the name of the character on a piece of paper and stick it on your friend's back. The friend will now go around asking people questions about their cartoon charater.

40
Bonding
Stuntman

Everyone writes a silly stunt on a small slip of paper. E.g. Stand on a char, bark like a dog, dance around. Mix the paper and re-distribute one slip of paper to each person. When the signal is given, all members perform their stunt simultaneously. Give them a few minutes to look at one another and laugh.

41
Affirmation
Compliment

Put a chair in the middle and let the group form a circle around it. Take turns of letting each person sit on the chair.When they sit on the chair, each person in the circle must say something that they admire in that person. When each person has said something, the next person gets to sit on the chair and the process continues.

60 Ice Breaker Questions
1. Do a simple mime that represents the day you've just had.
2. How do you think that others perceive you?
3. What would you like to achieve in this year that you didn't achieve last year?
4. Tell us about your first love. Then comment on how many (or how few or nil) said Jesus.
6. What was the happiest moment of your life?
7. What is the greatest regret of your life?
8. What's the hardest thing you've ever done?
9. What's the greatest compliment you ever received?
10. Tell us about your best (earthly) friend...
11. What room in your house do you like best?
12. Where did you feel warmest and safest as a child?
13. If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the future or in history would you visit?
14. When was the last time you did something for the first time?
15. When you do something stupid, how much does it bother you to have other people notice it and laugh?
16. If you could change two things about the way you were raised, what would they be?
17. Who is your favourite relative? Why?
18. What is your favourite memory time spent, as a child, with your father? Your mother?
19. Who did God use to bring you to the point where you knew you needed Jesus?
20. If you could change places with a Bible character, who would you choose? Why?
21. What is your favourite movie or TV show?
22. Recall a time when you failed recently
23. Name someone you admire who had to overcome great obstacles to get where they are now.
24. What do you value most in a human relationship? In your relationship with Christ? Your parents?
25. How do you react when you aren't thanked for going out of your way for someone?
26. What is your favourite time of day?
27. My greatest disappointment...
28. The gift I will never forget (apart from my conversion)...
29. If you could choose to meet anyone who ever lived, who would that be, and why would you like to meet him/her?
30. What is your position in your family - first second etc. What would you have liked to swap about this position?
31. Do you have a nickname and if so what is it?
32. One thing I would really like see happen at the moment in my family? ... my church? ... my cell group? ... the world?
33. Have you had an answered prayer recently - share the story
34. What is one thing that God would be delighted with you recently?
35. What encouraging action have you done to someone this week?
36. What do you still want to accomplish with your life?
37. What is your most embarrassing experience?
38. Share the most meaningful scripture to you and why is it so meaningful?
39. Have you ever experienced healing in your body - share
40. What is your favourite type of music / song etc?
41. The last time I got really angry was ...
42. What do/don't you want said at your funeral?
43. One thing which has stressed me out this week ...
44. One thing which makes me feel guilty ...
45. One thing which I do not understand about the opposite sex is ...
46. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about God?
47. What are the biggest questions that you have about your relationship with God?
48. Under what circumstances do you feel most lonely? Least lonely? Why?
49. In what areas of your life is it most difficult to trust God? Other people? Yourself?
50. When was the last time you admitted you were wrong? Why is it so hard to do?
51. What have you learned recently from another believer?
52. If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you least like to be there with you and why?
53. If you were to die tonight in your sleep, what one thing would you regret not having done?
54. Think of an example of when you ere last let down by someone. How did YOU react and have you completely dealt with the incident?
55. When you were a child, who was your hero and why?
56. What recent event or answer to prayer has given you a better understanding of one aspect of God's character and what is that aspect?
57. If you could pass one law that everyone in the world had to obey what would it be?
58. Take the letters of your christian name and think of a quality you would like to grow in for each letter. e.g. Peter = Patience - Endurance -Thankfulness - Encouragement - Reliability (Don't worry if you can't cover every letter - especially with long names!)
59. TALK ABOUT - A time when you were misunderstood - what happened - was it resolved - how?
60. TALK ABOUT - Your first encounter with supernatural spiritual gifts. Where was it? - What was happening? - How did you feel? - What did you do?
61. Paul says in 2 Cor 5:17 "The OLD has gone, the NEW has come". Share something "OLD" that has gone and something "NEW" that has come as a result of being a "NEW CREATION"

The NUS Cell Journal

Saturday, September 29, 2007

break is over!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

cell feedback

Friday, September 14, 2007

after G6 growth

Monday, September 10, 2007

Ideas for Ice-Breakers

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Matt 16:24

Woahh!

Thursday, September 6, 2007

maths and the love of God

shout it out!!

calendar dates

Testimonies!!

Blog Archive

Other links

Contributors

Our Cell's Prayer List