Embracing the digital mission field
Should Christians care about video games?
TORONTO, ON—The Canadian Bible Society is harnessing the interactive medium of video games to teach kids about the Bible. Partnering with OneHope, together they have created an online platform called Incredible Islands, a collection of games to make the Bible come alive in an exciting new way.
“The idea behind Incredible Islands is to offer a different way of learning to the kids that come to Sunday school,” says Don Miller, director of Canadian Ministry at the Canadian Bible Society.
The game expands on traditional Sunday school so kids engage with what they’ve learned at church throughout the week.
“It’s a totally safe environment and the children’s worker or pastor can actually tailor some of the learning opportunities for the kid during the week, whether that’s a Bible verse or another way of learning the story online,” Miller says.
Miller says with so many children interacting with technology, traditional teaching methods are not as effective as they were even 10 years ago.
“One of the challenges we’re facing as we introduce this idea,” Miller says, “is that churches are used to one way of doing things and adopting a new way of learning can be a challenge.”
Miller says the online environment is a creative way to teach young kids core principles in a format they enjoy.
Some online proponents say video games and interactive media can create community and memorable experiences.
Kyle Rudge, a radio DJ and communications specialist in Winnipeg, says one of the things he loves about gaming is community.
“Millions of people play online games and it’s a communal environment,” he says. “In a game like World of Warcraft, for example, you can’t go out and conquer the greatest of adventures by yourself. You have to communicate with people in order to do it.”
For Rudge, games have also provided surprising opportunities to become a witness to other players. When a friend Rudge met playing an online game was tragically killed in a biking accident, the gaming community sought out Rudge for guidance.
“Our gaming community was really broken by this news. Then the creators of game contacted me. They knew I was a Christian and that I wasn’t a ‘Hellfire and brimstone’ kind of Christian, and would I be willing to host an online memorial service? Our community was grieving and they needed some kind of hope.
“A room was set up in the game for the service. We shared stories of who he was inside and outside of the game. And then I gave a message of hope, that we can rest in knowing there is something greater than what is on the earth.”
Rudge recalls that 10 years later, a guy from the game contacted him and remembered his message. He wasn’t ready to become a Christian but he was moved by what Rudge had said and wanted to believe there was something beyond this world.
“They accepted my message because they trusted me,” Rudge says. “After that, it’s the Holy Spirit’s work and not mine. But he wouldn’t have trusted me if I hadn’t been a part of that community for years and hadn’t been making active contributions in the game.”
Others are a bit more hesitant. Drew Dixon, editor-in-chief at Gamechurch.com, says video games have the potential to be a very good thing, but can often be abused. Plenty of video games are often bent towards misogyny and violence.
“Not that playing those games necessarily always has a negative impact,” he says. “But it certainly can.”
“I tell parents all the time, if your kids are into video games, you should be into video games. You don’t have to be into them the same way that they are, but you should take an interest in the things that interest other people as a means to connect with them.”
Too often the Christian response is to boycott or avoid video games as opposed to engaging and thinking about them, Dixon says.
“We’ve created a culture of not engaging these things, and instead trying to provide more wholesome alternatives. But in doing that, what we’re actually promoting is moralism rather than the gospel.”
While it can be difficult to navigate, Dixon believes Christians need to be aware of the new medium. He is encouraged as more Christians become game developers.
“I think it’s important that Christians think about engaging with video games,” he says, “because we live in a world full of people who play video games.”
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