Icebreakers For Women’s Ministry
Cyndee Ownbey

As Women’s Ministries strive to be more relevant some have chosen to eliminate icebreakers and games.

Can I suggest that we not be so hasty?

While I do believe we should update many games and handouts, there is still a time and place for an intentional icebreaker or game.

6 Reasons Why Women’s Ministry Events Need Great Icebreakers:
1. Women need a reason to mix and mingle with others outside of their social circles. Let’s face it – it’s so much easier for women to visit with old friends. Great good can come from forcing them outside of their group for a few minutes.
2. God can use icebreakers to make connections among the women at your event. Details are shared that might never be otherwise. Whether it’s the love of the same hobby, a shared travel destination, or a Christmas tradition, creating means for such details to be shared reveals similar hearts and journeys. God may even reveal a potential mentoring relationship.
3. You are creating a memorable experience for that group of women to share. Our MOPS team will never forget the wealth of items found in Stephanie’s car during the Car Scavenger Hunt.
4. It will fill their mouths with laughter (Psalm 126:2).
5. Give your women a reason to smile and laugh. Our entire group got tickled over the team that listed a cabana boy as one of their items when we played “Marooned”
6. Mental breaks are needed during retreats, conferences, and other longer events. Your women will absorb more of God’s message for them after having an opportunity to move and laugh.
7. Icebreakers can provide an active opportunity to reinforce the message of your event.

Icebreakers should not:
1. Make anyone feel stupid
• Trivia-type games should be played in teams
• Assume there are women in attendance with little to no Bible knowledge
2. Humiliate anyone
• Always ask for volunteers
• For something really silly/messy recruit a willing friend
3. Cause division
• Prizes should be minimal to eliminate any jealousy (such as small candies)
• Create new teams for each icebreaker
• Stay far away from controversial topics (breastfeeding, politics, homeschooling, etc.)
4. Exclude someone from participation
• Take into account the physical limitations of your specific group
5. Reinforce cliques
• Divide your women into teams – by color, numbers, stickers, etc.
6. Be boring
• Your icebreaker coordinator needs to be exciting and fun
• Choose an icebreaker you would want to do and sell it!
7. Take time away from the speaker/program for the evening
• Know the time you have and plan accordingly
• Wrap things up quickly if things get out of control in any way
• Be prepared – have supplies ready to go and practice the icebreaker if needed
8. Encourage the sharing of secrets or lies
• It’s just not Biblical
• Be prepared to squelch any “over-sharing”
9. Cause discomfort or anxiety
• Always give them the option to choose another question or skip an item
• Take care not to put anyone on the spot
10. Violate any church policies
• If you’d be embarrassed if the pastor came in during the icebreaker – don’t do it!
• Use wisdom when choosing music, content, video clips, etc.

EVERYDAY ICEBREAKERS & GAMES
For details on each of these in the below list, go to: www.womansministrytoolbox.com web site.
A Day in the Life
A Few of My Favorite Things
DRACT – Draw + Act
Four Corners
High School Memories Bingo
Icebreaker IF (Christian Questions)
Marooned
Meet Your Match
Movie Night Icebreaker Questions
Roll & Poll
Take Flight
The Great Candy Pass
Things We Love
What’s inside your car? – Scavenger Hunt
Who Here?
Women’s Ministry Bingo

The above article, “Icebreakers For Women’s Ministry” was written by Cyndee Ownbey. The article was excerpted from www.womansministrytoolbox.com web site. August 2017.
The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”