Card games, puzzles, and action—and all while learning something about our faith. A group of youth leaders came up with this idea. Here is more on the world of nac-games.com. Check it out.
“How can doctrine be taught in a fun way?” This was the question youth leaders of the Neuwied congregation in Germany asked themselves in 2012. Although the congregation had quite a few young people, not all of them were interested in attending youth meetings.
The youth leaders thought about how they could reach young people with more effective contemporary methods. How could they be motivated? And how could they create a youth session that would be more engaging and inspire young people to talk about their faith, have fun, and enjoy bringing their friends along? They decided that the best way was to plan an evening that they themselves would enjoy attending: a games evening. No sooner said than done, the first game “Slap It!” was created.
“They really enjoyed the card game,” Ben, the youth leader, says. “Within 15 minutes, all 20 players knew the content and order of the Articles of Faith.” From then on, a group of youth leaders created a new game for each meeting and received active support from the young people.
Creative frenzy and developer spirit
They decided to take a chance and finally landed a direct hit at the 2019 International Youth Convention (IYC). The group had organised three stands at the IYC: one where the games were presented and played, one with a poetry slam competition, and a third one with an escape room.
The enquiry reached the group a few years before the IYC and meant a lot of preparation. Janine Pl., Maria, Jens A., Timo, Vanessa, Sascha, Jasmin, Stephan, Heike, Tobias S., Christina P., Jonathan, Doreen (RIP), Sören, Matthias, Miranda, Martin, Reiner, Anke, Vera, Joscha, Anna-Caroline, Janine Pi. and other volunteers from the district of Western Germany racked their brains. For a year before the IYC, the team met almost every Saturday: a shared breakfast, game development, lunch, playtesting and refining of the games. If everything worked out, the graphic designers Tobi and Christina made them visually appealing, and volunteers translated them into different languages.
After the IYC, New Apostolic congregations from countries like Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg reported positive feedback on the games. They have also been used at regional youth meetings or retreats across various districts. “The absolute all-time favourite is ‘Slap It!’” Ben says with a grin.
Three games with guaranteed fun
“Slap it!” Each player receives a well-shuffled deck of cards with the Ten Articles of Faith face up in a pile in front of them. The first person turns over a card and says one of the ten headings (Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Apostles, Ministry, Baptism, Holy Communion, Sealing, Return, Obedience), regardless of what is on their card. The players take turns until a player calls out the same heading as on the card. Everyone has to slap the card with their hands as quickly as possible. The slowest player receives the card, and the game is over when one player has all the cards. There are two variations of this game: the Ten Articles of Faith or the Ten Commandments.
“Escape room ‘The Apostles’ Legacy’”: Professor Elijah Whitmore dedicated his life to helping young believers understand their faith. When he died, a mysterious chest was found containing what he called “The key to living faith”. In his final letter before his death, he wrote: “Faith is not about memorising words. It is about understanding what we believe and why. I have hidden my legacy in ten steps. Only those who truly grasp the foundation, the path, and the promise will find it.” Players have sixty minutes to unlock the professor’s legacy by following the clues.
“Bible Speed Dating”: For anyone who has ever wanted to meet a character from the Bible, this is your chance. The names of various biblical figures such as Eve, Jonah, and David can be found on the playing cards. Each player receives a card and takes on the role of the biblical character. In several rounds just like at a speed-dating event, the players must guess the character of the person sitting opposite them by asking five questions. Whoever guesses correctly receives a point.
These and other exciting games are available in English, French, Spanish, and German on the website www.nac-games.com. A newsletter informs about any new releases.
Photo: ProstoSvet – stock.adobe.com, nac-games.com