Video games are as popular as ever. Among the hottest games right now are Minecraft, Fortnite and Call of Duty. Kids and adults alike spend hours competing against known and unknown opponents to win a prize that’s always just beyond their reach. So they keep coming back to try again.
Most churches would love to have a youth ministry with a following like some of today’s most-played video games. As we continue to reinvent and reimagine ministry, perhaps there is something the church can learn from gaming that can inform what we keep, what we discard and what we create for children’s and youth ministry today.
For starters, game designers are great storytellers. Video games invite players into a story — an imaginary world with its own rules and way of perceiving. An avid gamer can toggle back and forth between the world we live in and the world of the game. They know there is another story.
Story is what Christians do so well, but sometimes we lose sight of our compelling narrative and construct our youth ministries to give youth ministry participants a rule book of life’s “do’s” and “don’ts,” instead of an invitation to live into the life-transforming Christian story.
Video games are also big on discovery. Players move through games gaining new knowledge as they move between levels. They learn what to do and what not to do. They begin as novices and over time develop a sense of competency that translates into self-confidence. How do we give children and youth an invitation to discover what is good and rewarding about the Christian life? In what practices must they become competent to live into the abundant life we have in Christ? We probably don’t need to outfit the church classrooms with video game controllers, but maybe we can learn something from the world of gaming that makes us better at nurturing young souls for the kingdom of God.
