We are about the business of introducing churches to the idea of gaming ministry. Particularly in the tabletop world. Board games, card games, and – yeah – even RPGs are not only something that the Church should consider “permissable” – but can be a way of actively connecting and growing relationships with people that shy away from church.
We want to introduce a new category of articles that we will be focused intently on gaming in ministry context. Our readers/listeners have sent us plenty of pictures and emails showing that gaming with people in their local church or as a special event, but as a ministry unto itslef? In this context – this is still a new concept. We aren’t the only ones pursuing this, but have been laying down the foundations for a while now. We want to encourage those who are on the same road. These articles will focus on the methods, tips, and even the trials we have seen in the past couple years of growing this ministry.
“But Mike,” you might say if you’re one of our Regulars or enjoyed any of our past content before, “this isn’t news. You guys have always said that.”
Well, hypothetical voice in my head, you would be entirely right in saying that. We have always been about showing how the gaming hobby and the games themselves can help us reflect on God, build relationships with each other, and create shared history even among virtual strangers. However, in the past we have tried to keep things broad in scope.
We hope articles in The Abbey will be something to take the reader to that next level. A place to turn after you’ve answered the question, “Do I want gaming to actively be a part of my church’s ministry?”
This is still new ground for a lot of people, and we’re still laying the groundwork ourselves as we move forward. We hope that you guys will be able to look to these as a help to grab hold of what we’ve seen to be effective and avoid the mistakes we make along the way.
If you are part of a church’s leadership team or would be interested in bringing something like this to your church – we want to hear from you. Are there issues you’d like to see us address? Contact us at contact@innroadsministries.com with your questions/suggestions and we’ll try to address them.