What's Your Story?: Icebreaker Questions for Small Groups - Paperback

by Cheryl Shireman (Author)

You do not know a person until you know their story. We each have a story and it is filled with both factual details and personal details. I believe the amount we are willing to reveal to another is in direct proportion to the amount they are able to love us. You cannot love what you do not know. When a group of people get together, one of the quickest and easiest ways to get to know one another is through the use of questions that prompt us to tell our story. That is the purpose of this book. The material is divided into three sections. Getting to Know You is a series of factual questions that will allow you to know someone at a surface level. Getting to Know What You Think questions are a bit deeper and allow you to begin to know a person's experiences as well as their thoughts on various subjects. Getting to Know What You Feel are a series of questions that often require a bit more of thought before answering. New groups might want to start near the front of the book with questions that are easier to answer. You may ask the questions in a variety of ways: -Ask everyone in the group the same question -Have group members open to a random page and answer the first question they see -Have group members open to a random page and ask another group member the first question they see You may also use the book in a variety of circumstances: -As an icebreaker for new groups -A fun break for groups that have been together a long time -As a "get to know you" session whenever a new person is added to the group -The first few minutes of every group meeting Fun to use for any small group!

Author Biography

Cheryl Shireman grew up in the Midwest and came to Christ relatively late in life. She did her best to outrun God, but ultimately realized that no one is quite that fast. She gave her life to Christ in 2003. In 2004 she became the Director of Small Groups in the Indiana church where she came to Christ. In 2008, she became the Small Group Network Coordinator. Founded by Saddleback's Steve Gladen, the SGN is a network for leaders of small group ministry. Through her work with the SGN, Cheryl worked to connect small group ministry leaders across the world so that they might build relationships, encourage one another, and share resources and ideas. She is passionate about discipleship and believes that intentional and focused small groups are powerful tools in that life-long process. In January of 2012 she resigned her position with the SGN to pursue a full-time career writing novels. She holds a Master's degree in Christian Education and an undergraduate in Creative Writing. She is also the author of one novel, and two reference books on writing. She is married, has three children, and two adorable granddaughters. She enjoys backpacking in the Colorado Rockies and gathering with family at her Indiana lake home on the weekends. Cheryl's website is www.cherylshireman.com She can also be found on Twitter and Facebook. Her novels include... Life Is But a Dream: On The Lake Life Is But a Dream: On The Mountains Broken Resolutions Cooper Moon: The Calling Cooper Moon: The Temptation She is also the author of the much-loved non-fiction book, You Don't Need a Prince: A Letter To My Daughter. Cheryl also writes books for toddlers - including the Lets Learn About series and the two I Love You When books (one for boys and one for girls).