A printable PDF can be found at the end of this article.

Connection building activities are great ways to not only start a meeting, but also amplify opportunities to identify commonalties and create friendships. Spending time in fun activities allows for connection on a more personal level — and that connection can last even after the event is over. Use the following connection building activities to enhance connections with friends in meetings, visioning sessions, retreats, or workshops.
 

DESERT ISLAND

Objectives: 

Engage and connect attendees, build rapport, and learn about others.

Suggested Group Size: 

3 to 100 participants

Supplies: 

None

Directions:

• “Desert Island” is among the most popular ways to connect a group of people because it is engaging, informative, and takes nothing to set up.
   
• Divide participants into groups of four or five people (if the group is large).
   
• Gather your group and ask them what five (you can change the quantity) items they would want to bring with them if they were stranded on an island.

Discussion:

1. Allow each woman an opportunity to share why. You can learn a lot about your fellow servant leaders’ hobbies and favorite pastimes, as most people will choose either their favorite book or game.
    
2. The best part is that every member gets an opportunity to share if she so chooses!

BIBLE VERSE SCRAMBLE

Objectives: 

Read and hear Bible verses; learn to work together as a team.

Suggested Group Size: 

3 to 100 participants

Supplies: 

Bible, preprinted Bible verses, paper, pens or pencils to write Bible verses (if a printer is unavailable)

Directions:

Before the activity begins, choose as many well-known Bible verses as possible, print them out on sheets of paper, and cut them into short phrases. To make things more challenging, put all the phrases in one giant pile instead of having one pile for each verse. Split the group into as many teams as you want and have them stand around their respective pile of jumbled-up Bible verses.

Once the game begins, each team must unscramble the pile of phrases into multiple verses. The first one to correctly complete all the Bible verses wins!

Variations:

Ensure that the game is neither too difficult nor too easy for the players. Assuming that you won’t allow participants to open the Bible, you can make the game more challenging by including Bible verse references (i.e., which book of the Bible, chapter, and verse it came from) in the “phrase pile.” You can make the game easier by removing references altogether, so they only must remember what the verse said. Winners could start a mite challenge.

Discussion:

1. What process was used in discovering commonalities?
    
2. Do you feel you know the other team members better?
    
3. What ideas shared could be used to improve your group?

FOUR CORNERS

Objectives: 

Engage and connect attendees, build rapport, and learn about others.

Suggested Group Size: 

6 to 100 participants

Supplies: 

Paper, markers

Directions:

• “Four Corners” is best in groups of at least six people. This activity is a great way to identify commonalities, as well as differences among the group.
   
• To start, you will need a “loud voice” and four signs labeled one through four.
   
• Tape one sign in each corner of the room, stand in the center, and ask the group to crowd around you.
   
• Read off multiple-choice preference questions with four answers, each marked by numbers one through four, and ask the group to move to the corner that matches their response.
   
• You can modify the questions as needed, but think about fun, simple, and engaging questions that allow for quick responses. Some examples include:
  
  
  • What’s your beverage of choice in the morning?
    1. Coffee, 2. Tea, 3. Soda, 4. I wake up energized!
     
  • What’s your favorite music genre?
    1. Pop, 2. Classic Rock, 3. Folk, 4. Country
     
  • What’s your favorite season?
    1. Summer, 2. Winter, 3. Autumn, 4. Spring

Discussion:

1. Now that you’ve found some commonalities within the group, how can you use this new information to enhance your Lutheran Women in Mission activities?
    
2. Do you feel you know the other team members better?
    
3. What ideas shared could be used to improve your group?

SCAVENGER HUNTS

Objectives: 

Engage and connect attendees, build trust, and learn strengths of members.

Suggested Group Size:

6 to 20 participants

Supplies: 

Scavenger script (for participants), items to hide, location large enough to allow participants enough room

Directions:

Scavenger hunts are a great way to bring the group together and spark conversation naturally rather than forcing it through talking points. The point of the game isn’t necessarily to learn more about the other person but to build trust in a small group in a unique, competitive setting.

To host a scavenger hunt, you will need to hide items across a space and give each person a list of what they’re trying to find. Additionally, you might consider coming up with riddles to help each player find the item for an added fun challenge. Rather than going through the hunt individually, consider pairing members in groups of two or three so they’re relying on one another. The first group to find all the items wins.

Discussion:

1. Did you see strengths in team members?
    
2. Do you feel you know the other team members better?
    
3. What opportunities surfaced, if any? How could the opportunities be improved to further enhance connections within your group?

CREATIVE BINGO

Objectives: 

Engage and connect attendees, build rapport, and learn about others.

Suggested Group Size: 

6 to 20 participants

Supplies: 

Creative bingo playing card — one for each participant

Directions:

• Bingo teaches servant leaders about each other but also offers a competitive fun side.
   
• The prep work needed is to create and print a “playing card” for each person (the card could be labeled “Find Someone Who …”). Fill each square with a unique benchmark or characteristic and give participants a pencil or pen. Women participating are to find those who match a square on the bingo card and reach five in a row before anyone else.
   
• Fill the bingo squares with simple life experiences that can teach your group more about each other. For example, one square could read “speaks multiple languages” and if a player finds a multilingual ministry member, they can fill in that square and start a conversation about their speaking skills.

Discussion:

1. What process was used in discovering commonalities?
    
2. Do you feel you know the other team members better?
    
3. What ideas shared could be used to improve your group?

THINGS IN COMMON ACTIVITY

Objectives: 

Communication, rapport building, sharing, and connecting.

Suggested Group Size: 

5 to 100 participants

Supplies: 

Paper, pencil

Directions:

• Divide participants into groups of five people.
   
• Ask each group to appoint a scribe to take notes and be ready to read their results to the whole assembly upon completion of the assignment.
   
• Each group is to find 10 things that they have in common with every other person in the group.
   
• Allow 10 minutes to complete the activity.
   
• Share the results verbally if you are in a smaller group. If your group is large, ask the scribes to submit their answers to the leader who will share the compiled results later. These results may be helpful in future visioning exercises.

Discussion:

1. What process was used in discovering commonalities?
    
2. Do you feel you know the other team members better?
    
3. What one thing did everyone have in common that can be most useful in connecting with other women in your church or group?

DESIGN A TEAM FLAG

Objectives: 

Planning, goal setting, teamwork, communication, creativity.

Suggested Group Size: 

2 to 75 participants

Supplies: 

May include fabric, paper, crayons, scissors, pipe cleaners, beads, yarn, wire, glue, tape or other craft supplies; be creative

Directions: 

This activity is perfect for meetings, visioning sessions, retreats, or planning workshops.

• Divide participants into teams of 6 to 8 people or divide into teams according to previously assigned committees. Ask each team to appoint a spokesperson who will share the team results at the end of the activity.
   
• Each team or committee will design a team flag that depicts how their group contributes to the team or group. It could be an actual fabric flag, or a picture drawn with crayons or markers.
   
• Give teams 15–20 minutes to plan and create a team flag.
   
• At the end of specified time, the team is to present their flag and explain the significance behind their design.

Variations: 

Following the event theme, other items may be designed instead of a flag to describe the team’s mission.

• Examples:
  • Beautiful Feet Theme — Design footprints or footwear.
     
  • Love Conquers All — Design a beautiful cross or a large heart.
     
  • The Armor of God Theme — Design a breastplate or a helmet.
     
  • Gifts of the Spirit Theme — Design cursive writing or symbols of the gifts.

Discussion:

1. What communication methods did your team use?
    
2. Was everyone allowed to give their ideas and input on the flag design?
    
3. Was there a plan or did you just “wing it”?
    
4. How well did you work as a team?
    
5. Did a leader emerge? Was it helpful to have a leader?
    

View printable PDF of this article, Connection Building Activities

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