When you are leading others in the outdoors, you have a lot of time to work with to grow deeper in relationships. Outdoor ministry curriculum covers a wide range of topics and it can be challenging to find creative group activities for different topics. Here are a few specific ideas of how to use your time well to build community on your trip:
5-10 minute activities
- Trust walk or trust fall
- Group questions (see 165 Great Conversation Starters)
- Share first impressions
- Read stories
- Pick a Bible character you identify with and why
- Find an object in the woods that is most like you and explain why
- Share one of your most meaningful Bible verses
- Memorize a Scripture passage together
- Set up 1:1 conversations
10-30 minute activities
- 20 questions
- Strength bombardment
- Name 26 things seen with alphabet
- Set up an Experiential Bible study that connects the outdoor experience to Biblical truth
- Share personal testimonies
- Take a natural object & from God’s perspective decide why it was created
- Draw how you would describe your relationship or position with God
- Give a Bible verse
- Biblical scavenger hung using just one word
- Worship service
- Write your own psalm
- Write a letter from God to you
- Role play a scenario or an account in the Bible
- Symposiums: set up panel discussion or talk about family, adolescent life realities, church body/community, etc.
- Life stories
