Wednesday, March 5, 2014
If we live in a world where games are constantly being used within the church, does that mean that church is becoming more like a game? Or does it mean that we are becoming more interactive and encouraging our teens and children to enjoy church? We will all face a day when we are asked by those within the congregation why we play games within our teen and children's ministries. While we have covered the topics of Godly play and the purpose of having games within our ministry in class (sometimes it is nothing more than a game), that does not mean we can always get others to understand the importance of these activities. All in all how would you handle parents, the board, etc. If they were coming to you demanding that you concentrate more on teaching their children, and concentrate less on goofing off. Remember these people are a major part of your congregation and typically get there way. Even if their way does not include you on the staff. So use diplomacy.
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This is a rather hard, yet realistic question to deal with. I do not think it is enough to merely say, "these games teach students the underlying message" or "we incorporated the lesson with the game." In some ways I feel this is the expected answer, but we should have much more educated responses. I would argue that students learn in different ways with different learning styles, so for some students lectures work perfectly, but there are others who need more hands on ways to remember the lesson. I would suggest that we see what students remember the most, a lesson that they played a game or interactive activity in or one that was solely lecture based. I would also remind them that there is a time for everything and sometimes students need to learn about resting and can do that through play. Overall, I would argue that godly play is a part of learning, but that it is not all that the students do. Our main goal in using play is to incorporate all forms of learning and give them a break from their regular routine of lectures they receive at school.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Tanner. In my life I have found that I am a hands on learner. Lectures are great but sometimes for people like me things can get lost in translation. Games are a great way to get the message to people who do no do well with lectures. Games can go overboard sometimes though. What we need to do is to find the middle ground. We need this so we can have that mix of both fun times and serious. We need this mix of games and lectures to cater to all types of learners. If the kids enjoy learning they are more likely to remember what they have learned as well. Games can be a n enjoyable way to teach in a way that gets kids excited.
ReplyDeleteGames are used to connect fun with spiritual growth. Kids and teens naturally want to have fun. The human nature seems like it craves fun. If we only just taught the kids in a school like manner, how much would they honestly remember and learn? They go to school 5 days a week. By only teaching them without fun, we are adding another day of school to their already boring schedules. Fun needs to be used to spark creativity and imagination in children and teens. If parents, the church board, or anybody else had a problem with it, i would have them experience the fun first hand. I would also bring out the point that learning without fun is a hard thing to do. Fun needs to be incorporated somehow. Without fun, learning is boring and not liked.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Tanner and Cody about games being good for students who are more hands on. I have always been more of a hands on learner so I really relate well to games. I also think games can be a great way to incorporate the lesson. Most children and teens grasp concepts better when they are related to something like a game. A game gives them another way to remember the lesson. It also allows them to have fun, while they are learning. I don't know a child or a teen who wouldn't want to have fun while learning. So I believe that games can be a great way to illustrate a lesson and should be used whenever appropriate.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a board member or some other authority in a church approach me about playing games in youth group I would include most of what has already been discussed by Tanner and Cody and others. Some students learn differently and so we must have ways of teaching them in a way that they can best learn. However, I would also challenge the authority figure to think about things they have learned from games in their life or even how they learned about Scripture through games. I would also invite the authority figure to come and see for themselves or even to participate in these "fun and games" and see how it affects the students and even how it affects them and/or helps them learn.
ReplyDeleteI love games but I understand where parents are coming from. I think that parents remember what happened with organizations like YMCA that started out as a place for teens to go to play games, essentially, and to hear the gospel. But eventually became what is today; a place that is solely about games and even dropped that C from their name. From my vantage point, as a college student and not yet a parents, this is what they fear when they are addressing the topics stated in the original post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much everything you guys have said, but I also want to bring up the point that games are a great reason for teens/kids to invite friends to youth group. Non-Christian teenagers are not going to be interested in coming to hear a message preached to them. However if kids light up as they tell their friends about the crazy relay race they did or the game of basketball or the scavenger hunt, they will attract their friends. (Not trying to make it all about attraction, but we do want to make youth group a place in which teens can invite friends that will want to continue coming.) I know that in our youth group for the first hour or so the teens play basketball and I have watched two of my brothers bring so many young athletes to youth group because of this. The star basketball player in our city was coming to youth group every week and gave his life to Christ through youth group. But I honestly think it was basketball that got him coming. Games are so much more important that we understand!
ReplyDeleteI think that this is similar to what we talked about with the ASCP folder that a lot of us created last semester for Missional Strategies class. Like what Tanner said, there must be a reasoning and purpose behind all that we are doing, so then when situations like this come up we are able to articulate our reasonings and beliefs for the game through our mission and vision for the group as a whole. Of course they could say that there are other ways of going about it all, but I feel that if you go into the situation with respect and patience (again like what we learned with Missional Strategies) you will be able to at least have a conversation where both sides are able to voice their opinions/concerns. This will end up with an understanding and maybe some compromise, but I am sure that they will understand the importance and role of the games within your ministry.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you guys are saying. I think that Godly Play is something that should be used and I think that it would be very hard for parents to understand these things. That is why I think that we should show them what we do and why we do it. If we show them that the students are learning better through hands-on play and activities, then I think they would understand better why we do this. I agree with Tanner when he said that students learn in different ways. Not everyone learns by a lesson and not everyone learns by interactive, hands-on activities. There needs to be a balance between both.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you all have said. If a parent or board member was concerned about my use of games I would definitely tell them that games are a great way for teens to use their gifts to learn. Everyone learns differently and games are a great way to allow all types of learned to thrive. While games shouldn't be the central focus, they encourage community and allow students to learn together. So there needs to be a healthy balance between games and lesson time.
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