I had a 10-foot pole out. Computer gaming and ministry? I don’t think so …
Jamie Harris was making an announcement at the monthly CaN (Churches as Neighborhood) Centers lunch. That month we were meeting at Evergreen Presbyterian, birthplace of The NW Hub bicycle (and human!) reclamation project. Jamie, the youth pastor at LakePoint Church in Keizer, was promoting an upcoming gaming tournament and something called Satellite Gaming. Someday, he said, it would be in churches and schools and probably be its own 501©3 nonprofit.
I was still having trouble getting past “gaming” and “ministry” in the same sentence. Like oil and water, right? In my experience, computer games were all about violence, sex, misogyny, gambling, the occult, and “winning at all costs.” Jamie didn’t deny that these are legitimate concerns. “But because the church won’t touch computer gaming with a 10-foot pole,” he said, “a whole generation of kids are being lost to the dark side of gaming.”
Jamie’s announcement caught the attention of several CaN partners and the SLF staff. We started looking for ways to help—a little money here, some connections there, maybe a video console or two. We ultimately decided to invite Jamie back to the CaN Centers Collaborative for a pair of lunch meetings. One, at Life Church in West Salem, where he made a full presentation on the game industry and Satellite Gaming. The second, a month later at Salem Mennonite Church in SE Keizer, which featured Round Table discussions on gaming. Pros vs. cons. Virtues vs. vices. Healthy avenues vs. unhealthy. By now Satellite Gaming was part of the SKEF after-school program at a couple schools, with several more interested. New Harvest Church in NE Salem, another CaN Center, partnered up.
Here’s when I put away my 10-foot pole. Jamie began highlighting the three key components of Satellite Gaming: 1) Kids are gaming at their own school, which fosters a positive attachment to school. 2) Kids are gaming with their peers in a safe environment, not with players of unknown age, location or motive. 3) Kids build positive, trusting relationships with adults and teachers. There are now 12 schools (200 students!) partnering with Satellite Gaming and many more asking.
If you want to learn more—or volunteer!—go to www.satellitegaming.net or reach out to Jamie at jamieh@lakepoint.net … there’s also a free educational workshop coming up on May 31 (hey, that’s Fancy Friday!) at Claggett Creek Middle School in Keizer. Even if you’re not 100% convinced that ‘gaming’ and ‘ministry’ can ever go together, give Jamie a chance to make the case and connect it all to the Gospel. Quite compellingly. I know that 10-foot pole is gathering dust …