Coming to a church near you... gaming

Gaming at church? Yes.
Youth group gaming nights? Yes.
Video games can teach? Of course.
Games as immoral and wasteful? Not on our watch.

A few months ago I was asked by the Library Director of a local seminary to be a guest lecturer. She was teaching a course on technology in ministry and wanted to include video games. I jumped at the chance and now I'm putting the finishing touches on the class session. The purpose is to build awareness and provide possibilities for these future pastors to use and discuss video games in their congregations.

Here is my outline for my class - any feedback would be great:

I. Gaming Literacy Test

a. Awareness builder / Conversation starter

c. Reaching players where they are at

II. Video Game statistics – “Explore the world”

a. Who’s playing

i. Nielsen household data

ii. Pew internet research

iii. Video game report card

iv. Adults playing too

III. What games teach us – “Recruiting your Party”

a. Learning

i. Prensky, Gee, and a host of others

ii. American Federation of Scientists

b. Social Play

i. Man, Play, and Games

ii. Focus on social interaction

IV. Gaming applications in Ministry – “Conquer your World”

a. Youth Group

i. Gaming nights

ii. Social outreach

iii. Opening a dialog

b. Generational Gaps

i. Youth / Mentor

ii. Parent / Child

c. Serious Games

i. Darfur is Dying

ii. UN Disater Game

iii. Educational games

V. Christian games – “Leveling Up”

a. The right path – why Christian games are worthwhile

b. The hidden path – Failings of Christian games

c. The shadow opponent – violence in Christian games

VI. Violence in video – “The Final Boss”

a. Parent perceptions

b. Research data

c. Parental involvement

d. Awareness and Education

VII. End Credits…Too be Continued…

a. Additional sources

b. Further exploration