Sometimes a successful group prayer time depends on asking a good question.  We met on a Tuesday prior to Easter and used a simple guide for getting our prayers of thanksgiving started:

“What are your ten favorite things about Easter?”

We took a few minutes to make our lists, then described the items.  Some had family traditions, some mentioned the coming of spring, and some cited Bible events.  No matter what the list, the joy came out in the descriptions and in the following prayer time.

This was a church group, but I think you could probably ask the same question in a secular group (probably without prayer).  Certainly in December, people are not generally upset about “What is your preferred Christmas tradition?”  Perhaps a question about best Easter activity would lead to sharing the gospel.