Fun is essential to any relationship—or group of relationships. And while activities like praying together as a small group are certainly important, so is laughing together.

The following ideas offer group members an opportunity to laugh and serve together while building lasting relationships that will impact others around them.

This is as simple as choosing a movie and building a theme around it. Invite the group to come over on a Friday or Saturday evening and have people dress as one of the characters from the movie (or just ask them to reflect one of its themes). You can also encourage people to bring food items centered on the theme of the evening.

Such events help people get to know one another in a comfortable environment rather than at a restaurant (where people are often excluded in a large group simply due to seating arrangements). This type of evening is suitable not only for members of the small group, but also to those from the outside. It gives members a chance to invite others to a fun and lively event.

A game night brings out the teenager in all of us! I have had the privilege of watching grownups become teenagers while playing a round of cards.

Other games such as Cranium, Apples to Apples, and Clue offer fun evenings full of laughter. Again, this activity provides an opportunity for group members to invite another person who may be un-churched or simply in need of encouragement from other godly men and women.

Playing cards is a failsafe for almost any crowd, but here is a twist to the usual poker night. The jackpot does consist of money, but not for the winner. The money goes toward a serving opportunity in your community.

Choose a game of Hearts, Slap Jack, or Poker. Have people put money in the middle. If you have a large group, you can have people play in teams. You can play three to five rounds of the chosen card game and whoever wins the overall game chooses to whom or where the money will go. You can even have the last round be the deciding round for the serving opportunity.

Again, this type of activity encourages laughter and fun while impacting the community at the same time.

Everyone loves a progressive dinner. But what about a meal that offers adventure and fun not only for your group, but also for complete strangers?

To try this, meet at a person's home and have everyone pile into one or two vehicles. Begin at your favorite restaurant or dining establishment for an appetizer, but don't simply order food for your table. Buy an appetizer for the table behind, beside, or in front of you as well.

Once you have completed your appetizer, head to your favorite fast food place. Each of you get a meal, and then collectively or individually choose a person to buy for or purchase a gift card to leave at the counter for unsuspecting consumers. You can each pitch in a dollar or two for the gift card and tell the cashier to use the card to pay for people's meals until the card has no money left.

After you have completed your tantalizing meal, drive to your favorite place for dessert. Again, you can collectively or individually choose to buy for the person behind you, or choose to purchase a gift card to leave at the register.

At their core, small groups are designed to build spiritual growth and lasting relationships for people within the group, but also outside of the group. By offering fun events where guests can enjoy an amusing evening to serving together in fun ways to impact a community, small groups have the potential to shine the love of Christ in new and creative ways.

—Peri Sandifer is the Small-Group Coordinator at The Simple Church in Bossier City, LA.

Choosing the Right Study

Making Fun