The Greening of a Discussion Leader
Lead an engaging discussion in any setting.
| posted 2/16/2007
| Topics: | Communication, Creativity, Discussion, Discussion starters, Participation, Questions |
| Filters: | Coach, Director, Facilitator, Train |
| Purpose: | Discipleship |
| References: |  |
| Date Added: | February 16, 2007 |
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On the other hand, you could put it this way: "You've read the Sermon on the Mount. Suppose Christian kids in your school were to put its teaching into effect for just one week. How would things be different?
That's a whole different ballgame. Instead of one right answer, there are lots of possibilities. There's room for disagreement, even an argument. And since there's no way you can authoritatively state they are wrong, no one fears being shot down by the leader.
This suggests the second principle of popping the question: Make them the experts. During one meeting, I asked, "What do you guys think sin is? How would you define it?" They tried—they really did. But I was the one who knew sin could be defined as missing the mark, breaking the law, or severing a relationship. They were aware I was one up on them. Besides, sin is a rather touchy subject if you feel that anything you say may be used against you.
Sensing their discomfort, I took a different tack. "What's the average guy at your high school like?" I asked. It took about two minutes of pump priming to convince them I really wanted to know, but after that, it was as if I'd turned on the spigot.
The bull session went all over the map with only occasional questions from me: "Is that right? Do most kids at school get drunk on weekends?" They didn't always agree with each other, but that added to the liveliness. And regardless of what they said, I couldn't contradict them. They knew much more about life as a teen-ager in their town than I did. I'd discovered a topic on which they were the experts.
A third principle of opening a discussion is to use vivid imagery. People think in pictures. You're ahead of the game if you help your group think in concrete terms. Otherwise they could just let abstract terms wash over them without ever engaging in the dialogue.
It's possible to visually portray almost any topic. Our spiritual pilgrimage over a period of time can be charted like the Dow Jones average. Drawing a seating plan and communication pattern at the dinner table can depict our family relations. I've led a Bible study on Mark 4—Jesus controlling the wind and waves—by having participants create a weather map similar to those seen on the evening news. Different areas of the country represent distinct areas of our lives. Traditional symbols for sunny, cloudy, thunderstorms, and fog show how we feel about our work, friends, home life, recreation, and God. For any of these issues, it's best to start with the nonverbal exercise, and then have people talk about their creation. Most of us are freer to speak up when we can refer to something tangible in our hands.
There are many structured exercises, games, and role-plays available commercially. Secular topics include leadership, roles, decision-making, cross-cultural communication, and creativity. Christian-oriented material is available for stimulating discussion about community, spiritual gifts, and many of Jesus' encounters with people in the Gospels. Both types can be effective because they stay away from the simplistic right/wrong answers, provide an experiential base that gives all an equal competence, and make an abstract ideal visual. But you don't need to wait for someone else to create structured experiences for you. With some imagination, you can make up your own discussion starters that are tailor-made for your situation.
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