Nother jump starts the small group like a great icebreaker question. They have the ability to unlock someone. The right question is like the key to the treasure. That treasure is getting to know someone’s heart. 

A great small group icebreaker question is like setting the whiffle ball on the stand and letting someone slug it out of the park. It has to be t’ed up correctly. It has to be supported, but it shouldn’t have boundaries. 

Below we’ve put together 101 and of the best icebreaker questions to equip you to have a great kick-off to your small group. 

Ideally, icebreaker questions should be asked after an informal social time when members get to freely converse and catch up with each other. And be asked before the more serious material gets covered. Leading with an icebreaker before getting into the study material has shown people are much more open with their ideas, questions, and contribution. In addition, they are more honest and authentic. An icebreaker time allows people to really open up about who they are, their dreams, desires, and aspirations. When someone gets to share this with others they feel a lot closer to them. Sadly, this might be the only time a small group member gets asked these kinds of questions and has the freedom to share with others the uniqueness on how God created them. 

This list is laid out by the ‘type’ of question; what, where, who, when, how. But feel free to use the list however you want. You’re also welcome and encouraged, to change the questions however you see fitting for your small group. And if you have any ideas on great questions of your own, please feel free to add them in the comments section below. 

Where

1. If you could live anywhere, where would you live and why?
2. Where is a place you’ve always wanted to visit and why?
3. Where is a place you’d never go even if it was an all expensed paid trip?
4. Do you know where your family heritage is from and how important is that to you?
5. Where would you go if the US economy crashed and had another depression?
6. Where do you think Heaven is?
7. Where is your favorite place to pray?
8. Where is a place you feel unmistakably relaxed and at peace?
9. Where was your family place lived growing up?
10. Where was your favorite place to play growing up?
11. Where was your favorite hiding place growing up?
12. Where was a place you were scared to venture growing up?
13. Where did you go on vacation growing up, and what was special about it?
14. Have you ever been in a hurricane, tornado, or other violent storms?
15. Where was a place you’ve served or volunteered that you still believe in their mission?

Why

1. Why was your best boss the best?
2. Why do you drive the car you have today?
3. Why did you decide to live here?
4. Why do you, or don’t you, wear fashionable clothing?
5. Why do you consider yourself a ‘good’ person?
6. Have you ever had to unlearn something, and if so why?
7. Why did you change your belief, or opinion about something?
8. Why did you catch the giggles most recently?
9. Why did you join this small group?

How

1. How do you make difficult decisions?
2. How do you decide what to wear in the morning?
3. How many times have you been pulled over?
4. Share how you’ve overcome a recent challenge?
5. Share how you’ve dealt with a difficult person.
6. How did you find your most valuable possession?
7. How are you different today, than you were a year ago?
8. How would you handle finding an abandoned kitten?
9. How would you handle finding hair in your Chinese food?
10. How did accomplish something you didn’t think you could?

Who

1. Who from history would you like to have dinner with, and what would you ask them?
2. Who has influenced you the most?
3. Have you ever had a mentor, and if so what lesson did you take away?
4. Who is your favorite superhero, and why?
5. Is there a teacher you remember, and what do you remember about them?
6. Who is your favorite author or artist and why?
7. Do you have a relationship with someone you have to travel to visit?
8. Who was the most influence in raising you and why?
9. Have you ever met someone famous?
10. Who is the most successful person you know?
11. Who is someone that inspires you and how do they do that?
12. What subject we’re you not interested in until someone introduced it to you?
13. What does your ideal Friday night look like?
14. When starting, is consistency or intensity more important?
15. Who do you consider to be your best friend and why?

What

1. What is a topic you’d like to learn if and when you have enough time?
2. What is a hobby that you enjoy? 
3. If you had unlimited time, what hobby would you like to learn?
4. What is something strange about you that few know about?
5. What other career or profession would you’ve like to develop?
6. What would you attempt to do if it was certain you would not fail?
7. What is something important about how you live or keep your home?
8. What is your favorite author or type of book to read and why?
9. What is your favorite medium for creating with?
10. What type of music do you like to listen to while driving?
11. Did you play an instrument growing up?
12. If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
13. What’s something that gives you the shivers (i.e. nails across a chalkboard)
14. What is your favorite sweet?
15. What is a talent you have?
16. What is something you’ve learned about over the last two weeks or two months?
17. What one quality is mandatory to be an effective leader?
18. What is the greatest lesson you have learned from one of your mentors?
19. If you could take the stage tomorrow and give a talk about anything, what would you speak about?
20. If you had an assistant, what would they do for you?
21. What invention would you make if you could create anything?
22. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Can afford other than the Bible).
23. What subject do you feel is either not taught enough, or everyone should learn?
24. What job could they NOT pay you enough to do?
25. What video game character would you be if life was a game?
26. If you needed to win, what game would you propose or create?
27. Did you have a pet, and if so what and did you enjoy it?
28. What is something that makes a big impact on your day?
29. If you had your own special compound, what would be special about it?
30. What movie do you feel, relates to your life and how?
31. What is something you are or easily could become, addicted to (for fun)?

When

1. What historical time period would you want to visit and why?
2. What do you picture yourself spending on time on when you’re old?
3. When did you feel like you really wanted to understand God more?
4. When was a time you’ve sacrificial love?
5. When was a time you lost something important to you?
6. Are you a morning or night person?
7. When do you feel most focused and able to perform?
8. When was a time you had to call 911 or someone for help?
9. Have you ever broken a bone or had to go to the emergency room?
10. Have you ever won a prize or a contest, if so what did you when and how? 
11. When is your favorite season of the year?
12. Share a time you couldn’t stop laughing.
13. Share a time when you placed all your hope in someone else.
14. When was a time you knew something was the right thing to do, even though it was hard?
15. If you didn’t have to sleep, how would spend that time?
16. What is your favorite way to disconnect after work?
17. What’s something you’re looking forward to in the next five years?
18. What’s your favorite way to spend your free time?
19. When was a time in your life you experienced a lot of spiritual growth?
20. When was a time someone did something you were NOT expecting?
21. When do you feel truly alive?

There you have it, all 101 small group icebreaker questions we could come up with. 

Freedom

The secret to leveraging a good icebreaker question in the small group is making sure the person you’re asking has a rope to run with. Meaning gives them the freedom to take the question where they want to go with it. The goal of the question is to learn more about the person, so they don’t have to answer it verbatim. Some of the best moments come from people changing these questions. It’s even funnier if they offer up the new version of the question for the group to consider. Support them in this and promote it. 

Seriousness

Some of these questions can come across really serious, and we’ve added the words ‘for fun’ to at least one of them to remind people to have fun with them. The member can decide if they want to have fun with the question or be serious. Try, as a leader, not to make a requirement to answer the question in a serious and honest fashion. 

Sometimes the right question can trigger an emotional response. If they begin to get emotional, slow down the small group and take the time to support them. Loving on the small group member is more important than watching the clock and moving on to the next person when they are having a difficult time. 

Be a Good Listener

Icebreakers are a ton of fun. The only issue with an icebreaker time is people’s tendency to think about how they are going to answer the question instead of giving their attention and focus on the member sharing. This will happen, but you as the small group leader should pay attention to this. Sacrifice your own story, your answer so you can listen to them. You’ll notice the person telling the story will look for someone paying attention, and once they do they tend to continue to look at the person through the whole story. So you paying attention to them not only shows you care about them but it also ensures the speaker does not pay so much attention to the people NOT paying attention. 

Permission

Allow people to choose not to answer the icebreaker. For some people, like the emotional response, the question will be associated with something they prefer not to talk about. Be sensitive to this and give everyone permission to not have to answer the question. Instead, they pick a different question, or a different form of the question, or just pass on the icebreaker time altogether. 

Personal Story:

I have a couple of favorite memories asking icebreaker questions at small group. One memory was when we asked, “What is a musical instrument you play?” Someone from the small group answered, “radio.” It was hilarious, and I just remember people could not get over how witty the answer was. That was years ago and I still remember it today. The other one was when we asked, “What’s your favorite animal?” And someone answered, “an owl.” The funny part was when they said it they made some crazy hand and arm gesture that almost looked like it could have been sign language. That gesture was clearly remembered by everyone in the small group and frequently was used to crack a laugh together. 

Icebreakers are great for getting the conversation going and helping people get to know one another. There isn’t a type of group where icebreakers don’t work. Whether you’re a new small group or a small group that has been meeting for years, these question still have an impact on the contribution of the members and help grow the small group through deeper fellowship. 

Bookmark this page, so next time your small group meets, you will have quick access to a list of small group icebreaker questions that will ensure your group is growing.