Building Relationships With Each Other

Here are some simple ways to build community in a small group. (this is a modified post that was borrowed from Josh Harris who borrowed it from Michael Hyatt).

Ask open-ended questions. These are questions that lead people to elaborate and give us some insight into them as a person. For example,

* What is your idea of a perfect vacation?

* If you could design your ideal job, what would it look like?

* What is the best book you have read in the last 12 months and why?

* What is the most important lesson you learned from your father?

* When is your very favorite thing about your spouse?

* If you were by yourself, and could listen to any music you want, what it be?

* If you could spend a day with anyone on the planet, who would it be?

* What it is like to be your friend? or to be married to you?

* If you were suddenly the President of the U.S., what would you do first?

* Looking back over your life, what would you describe as your proudest moment?

Ask a second question. The most interesting conversations come after the initial answer. It takes extraordinary discipline to refrain from answering your own question and, instead. answer a second question. Yet this is where the deepest conversations occur. I like to ask questions like these as follow-up questions:

* How did it feel when that happened?

* Can you elaborate on that?

* Why do you think that is important to you?

* Do you think you would have answered the same way five years ago?

* What emotion do you feel when you describe that?

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