Session Opener Questions and Activities

 

Below are some examples of questions and activities to help get to know those in your Pain to Purpose group. 

Introduce yourself and why you chose to facilitate a Pain to Purpose group and then have the other participants introduce themselves and tell what they hope to get out of the Pain to Purpose Course. 

Get to Know You Activity:

Since this is one of your first sessions, this “Emotions Candy Game” may be a fun way to start this session on “befriending your emotions”. 

The Emotions Candy Game: Give each participant a snack size bag of M&Ms or Skittles; you can play this game two different ways. 1) Have the participants pull out one candy piece without looking and then have them share one emotion/experience based on that color. 2) In this version, the participants have to do one of the following, depending on the color of the candy they pull out of their bag (without looking).

  • Red: Share something the makes you Happy

  • Brown: Share something that makes you Sad

  • Green: Share something that makes you Angry

  • Yellow: Share something that makes you Excited

  • Blue: Share one poor choice you’ve made today and what you could have done different

  • Orange: Share one good choice you made today

Get to Know You Question(s) (choose one or more from the following):

  • What is your earliest childhood memory? 

  • What is one special memory you have of your childhood?

  • How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?

  • Describe a typical family dinner. Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods?

  • Are there any special heirlooms, photos, bibles, or other memorabilia that have been passed down in your family?

  • What did your family enjoy doing together?

  • Of all the things you learned from your parents, what do you feel was the most valuable?

Get to Know You Question(s)/Activity:

Play a version of “would you rather”. You can ask participants to raise their hand on which of the two choices they would rather do.

  1. Go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?

  2. Have dinner with Moses or the Apostle Paul?

  3. Give a speech for 30 minutes or sing a solo for 3 minutes?

  4. Do a Bible Study with a group or do a Bible Study with just one other person? 

  5. Make a phone call or send a text

  6. Read a devotional book OR read a devotional in the Bible App? 

  7. Volunteer at church in the nursery every other Sunday or volunteer with the youth every other Sunday? 

  8. Pray out loud when no one is around OR write your prayers in a journal? 

  9. Go without food one day a week or go without your phone for one day a week? 

  10. Listen to the Bible being read to you in an audio app OR read the Bible yourself? 

Get to Know You Question(s) (use the following questions or come up with your own):

  1. What do you do to relax?

  2. What is your favorite recreational activity? 

  3. What is a new activity or hobby you would like to try? 

Get to Know You Question: (use the following question or come up with your own):

Did you have a teacher or mentor that was a great influencer on you? What made them stand out to you? Who were they and in what ways did they influence you? 

Get to Know You Question(s) (choose one or more from the following ideas):

  1. Share a memory about a childhood friend. What made that relationship special?

  2. You could play another version of “would you rather”. You can ask participants to raise their hand on which of the two choices they would rather do using the following (or come up with your own):

    1. Go to dinner alone or to a movie alone? 

    2. Read the book or watch the film?

    3. Have an in-house cook or a maid?

    4. Hear the bad news or good news first?

    5. Work in a group or alone?

    6. Vacation at the beach or in the mountains?

    7. Have lots of friends or 1-2 trusted friends? 

    8. Wake up early or stay up late? 

    9. Live in the city or in the country?

    10. Spend time with friends outdoors or indoors

    11. Watch a horror movie or a Rom Com?

    12. Play card games with friends or play sports with friends?

    13. Have a quiet night at home or go to a party?  

    14. Go to a small group with 3-4 other people or go to a Bible Study with 20 or more people?

Get to Know You Question(s) (choose one or more from the following):

  • As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

  • What is one thing you are good at or you feel is your God-given gift or gifts? 

  • What are you passionate about? What fuels you or gets you excited? What keeps you awake at night? 

Get to Know You Question(s) (use the following question or come up with your own):

What is it that you enjoy planning and why? A party, a trip, your weekly schedule, what is it?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES each class member has for the 12 weeks

  • 3 months Community Plus for free

    • Use promo code: PTPMEMBER

  • Access to the videos after each class for them to review (lasts for the 12 weeks of the class)

    • Use this participant link: https://mypaintopurposeplan.memberspace.com/member/plans/77b675499c

OTHER RESOURCES FOR YOU AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS

Amy Sylvestre