Games can be used to bring the community of believers closer together and be a tangible reminder of the oneness believers have in Christ. Outside of the gospel, I have never seen something more unifying than a game. It breaks down barriers through common bonds and unites people together, forging friendships, which lead to depth of community and a further way to glorify our communal God who has wired His people for community.
From the Word
We are wired for community; it is our God-given design as being image bearers of the Triune God. At the beginning of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). You see in the Scriptures the triune God in community, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16–17; 28:18–20; 1 Cor. 12:4–6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4–6; 1 Pet. 1:2; Jude 20–21). As Donahue puts it in Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, “… each member of the Trinity is fully divine, and each is totally connected to the other in perfect relational harmony… There is not haggling over who is the greatest, most important, or most deserving of attention (17). And in that same vein, He has wired His people, His image bearers, for community. Scripture discusses the communal nature believers have throughout, comparing it to that of a body (1 Cor. 12:12–14; Eph. 4:1–16), a family (1 Jn. 3:1–2; Gal. 4:4–5) soldiers in a war (2 Tim. 2:3), calling us to the “one anothers,” etc. In all of these things, the Christian life cannot be done alone.
Games Teach
In that light, games can be used in a way that push us towards individualism or towards community. Games are not neutral. They teach, whether it be gospel truth or worldly lies. The slightest of variations in how games are led and played can make a world of difference. The hope of Not Just Games is to lead games in a way that presses participants towards the communal mindset they have in Christ rather than to an individualistic aspect.
Games Workshop
In order to see how this might change the games we select or alter the way we play them, let’s take a look at a game we might select and work out how we could change or tweak in order to make it align with our the theology we hold to in a way that’s not overtly cheesy or overly “spiritual” in language. For example, take the noodle tag game that has been discussed over the past few blogs to where if someone gets hit in the back with a noodle, they turn into a hotdog and need “buns” (two people) to come next to them in order to save them. Below we will take a look at how this game can be played both from stage and from the floor in a way that can either press towards individualism or towards community.
Stage Games
Since many factors can lead to a game being played from stage (i.e. space, time, etc.), this can provide opportunity for either an individualistic message or a communal message, since as we’ve discussed above, games are not neutral- they are teaching us something. When playing the noodle game above from stage with a select number of participants, this can inadvertently send the message to those in the audience that they are just that- part of the audience, spectators. Even if the space/time only allowed for this game to be played from stage, how can this be tweaked in a way that the audience still participates? Maybe instead of merely watching, they switch out with participants once they get tagged on stage until there is no one left. Maybe those in the seats are able to participate with those on stage by giving directions, constructing shields to help those on stage block the noodle. The sky is the limit with possibilities to get the audience involved. And this can be done with virtually any game played form stage! At the very least, have those watching have some skin in the game by cheering on someone on stage from their section. Even with slight adjustments to the rules based on the group’s given boundaries can change and shape what is subliminally (and at times overtly) being taught to the group.
Floor Games
Having that same scenario in which all are participating can still be shaped or changed based on the group’s needs. For example, an individualistic way to play this game would be to do so in a way that if one gets hit by a noodle and turns into a hot dog, they have to do a certain task to be freed (run to the other side of the room, do 15 jumping jacks, sing the Oscar Myer Weiner song, etc.). Many games default towards an individualistic focus having a certain skill or ability emphasized by the individual rather than the group. In changing this to press a group into community, games can be done in a way that participants must rely on one another in order to accomplish a given task. With the noodle tag game in mind, one could include having people free them by being “buns,” carrying them across the room to the “de-hot dog stand,” throwing a certain object to those frozen in order to free them, etc. If wanting to take that one step further in pressing towards community by pressing them into their small group, games can be led and tweaked in a way that calls them to rely on their small group. In the case of noodle tag, maybe switch the game in a way that only their small group can help free them. Games involving the whole group can be done in a way that presses towards individualism or towards community. Try to think of ways to be community minded within games to further impress the communal nature of being a Christian serving a Triune God and having one more touch-point to press against the individualistic mindset of American culture.
Conclusion
The reality is that what we just did with the example of noodle tag can be done with almost any game and any group, whether smaller groups or larger groups, whether younger groups or older groups! We as leaders in ministry have the opportunity to call the Church to be the Church even in the midst of the games we play. They do not have to be in cheesy ways like Kumbaya or trust falls. They can be in the midst of almost any type of game, whether the game is competitive or collaborative, serious or silly. Games can be chosen and changed in a way that emphasizes the theological distinctives of the Church.
Our God is a communal God in relation to the members of the Trinity as well as in relation to us, His creation. He has wired us for community and in necessity of one another. If we are the Church, games should look different. They are not just games, but rather a way to continue to infuse truth, even if just in actions, to the body of Christ in a way to continue to make disciples.