1. Short poems – There are several varieties of short poems that are written according to specific formulas. Haiku, cinquain and shadorma are several examples. Choose one or more of these poem types and have each member write one or more poems.
2. Point of View – Choose a Bible story and have each person tell the story from a different character’s point of view.
3. Write a new Psalm – Choose a psalm with at least as many verses as there are members in your group. Assign each person one verse of the psalm and invite her or him to write a new psalm incorporating that particular verse.
4. Group short stories – Each person begins a story by writing one paragraph (three to four sentences) on a piece of paper. The papers are then passed to the right. Each person adds a paragraph to the story now in front of him or her. Continue until each person adds the final paragraph to the story he or she began. You will now have as many stories as you have persons in your group.

Happy writing!

~Sally Hoelscher