One year ago, I sat down at the computer to come up with a new podcast to add to the InnRoads Ministries audio repertoire. I knew I wanted something that would force me to get back into studying and preparing like I did back when I was leading youth groups. No matter how much I know that sort of study is important for faith and developing my relationship with God – it’s easy to get distracted and not bother. I needed the tangible discipline of a recording schedule, and if I could produce something that could benefit somebody else in the process – all’s the better. The problem, though, was that there was certainly no shortage of already existing podcasts sharing sermons and devotions – so what could I add to the endless ocean of content that meant I was adding something more than waves methodically crashing into ears? The answer was to be the first bard in the devotional arena – combining storytelling, exhortation, and – yes – knowledge I’d gathered from years of preaching and teaching, to provide a simpler style of devotional podcast. One that sounded less like a sermon and more like a conversation with old friends. There may have been a few hiccups in the schedule for illness and family responsibilities – but over the past year we’ve walked through hard passages, shared new insights into old stories, and generally tried to open up the parts of our Bibles our ignorance overlook.
This past year has been such an amazing journey together at the Bard & Bible. The world my fictional tavern is set in has unintentionally seen some world-building – causing the stories to grow. I have received some passionate emails from folks who enjoy what I’ve been trying to do in this podcast. Several who have gained an intensely personal resonance with the tagline that says “You are a dwarf bard – don’t let anyone call you sub-optimal.” I have heard from families, wayward folks who left churches but didn’t have any desire to leave the presence of God. and even pastors, and other church leaders, who have shared how God has worked in them and in the lives of others through this.
With B&B taking such a prominent place in my heart – as well as garnering such a response from the community – it only makes sense to commemorate this anniversary by giving away some games.
What can I win?
We’re always trying to build relationships between InnRoads Ministries and game designers. Sometimes that means we get some games donated that we want the community to get their hands on. Currently, we have a copy of Commissioned by Chara Games , as well as a number of copies of the boxed edition of Button Shy Games’ party metagame, Pretense. The winner of the contest will be receiving the copy of Commissioned ( as well as some InnRoads swag), while the 2nd place will receive a copy of Pretense – allowing them to take part their own version of our annual Pretense meta-tournament.
What do I have to do?
If you listen to the most recent episode of the Bard & Bible – you will have heard me talk about a group that was formed in college days called The Simple Theologians Club. It was an opportunity for us to remember both why we were studying so hard, as well as giving ourselves – a chance to step back from all our studies of doctrinal shifts and the like – to remember that anybody who trusts Jesus is our brother/sister.
In describing what we did to start, I break down the opening ceremony of the club, including a recitation of the oath of membership. I refered to this as “evoking the meeting.”
All you need to do is to post a picture/video of you “evoking the meeting” of the Simple Theologians Club. If you chose to use a picture instead of a video, please ensure that the important words appear somewhere in the image. You can send these directly to us at contact@innroadsministries.com, you could post it to our facebook group, or even leave a link in the comments of this posts. Whenever you post your entry, be sure to tag it with the hashtag #simpletheologiansclub. All entries gathered between now and March 31st will be entered for a random drawing for the winner.
If you want to go the extra mile, there is a chance for a bonus entry. If your video/picture either includes or is accompanied by a story of how the ministry of InnRoads Ministries – whether specifically related to Bard & Bible or not – has impacted your life, I’ll give you an extra entry for the drawing.
I look forward to seeing/hearing all your entries.