Halo 3 Used to "Recruit" Youth

[AndrewA]

I beleive its bad if its for the wrong reasons.

I was wondering, What would you guys think of inviting teens to play halo 3 like on a Friday night? I would see it as a good time to witness

There are a lot of problems with this. The first problem is choice of game, its not fitting for any kind of outreach etc.

Most people are not going to take too kindly to having "religion rammed down their throat by Bible Bashers " after they have been tricked into turning up to play a console game.

Halo 3 is rated Mature content, what would happen if a 14 year old slipped in and played this game? How would the church stand if the parents found out and took it to police and the local news that the church allowed their child who has been banned from playing violent games, had broken their rules at invitation of the church?

If a church wants to do an outreach or whatever aimed at certain age groups there are far better ways of doing so, and ways that will not offend anyone nor make people feel like they have been deceived.

[Zceiv]

Most people are not going to take too kindly to having "religion rammed down their throat by Bible Bashers " after they have been tricked into turning up to play a console game.

Who ever said the church was going to preach at them? Come and play then you just invite them back sunday.

Halo 3 is rated Mature content, what would happen if a 14 year old slipped in and played this game? How would the church stand if the parents found out and took it to police and the local news that the church allowed their child who has been banned from playing violent games, had broken their rules at invitation of the church?

Its a Joke that its rated M sould be rated Teen

You Moniter who comes in and plays, maybe get a slip signed

Most would laugh

If a church wants to do an outreach or whatever aimed at certain age groups there are far better ways of doing so, and ways that will not offend anyone nor make people feel like they have been deceived.

Ill have to disagree with you there. Yeah there are diffirent ways but go to a high school and invite them to play halo. If its a big city the whole church might be filled.

[sierra21]

Most people are not going to take too kindly to having "religion rammed down their throat by Bible Bashers " after they have been tricked into turning up to play a console game.

Who ever said the church was going to preach at them? Come and play then you just invite them back sunday.

IF kids want to play video games they should play them at home or at an arcade. The church is for learning, worshipping, and honouring Christ. i really don't think playing Halo 3 is going to achieve any of that.

[Zceiv]

Most people are not going to take too kindly to having "religion rammed down their throat by Bible Bashers " after they have been tricked into turning up to play a console game.

Who ever said the church was going to preach at them? Come and play then you just invite them back sunday.

IF kids want to play video games they should play them at home or at an arcade. The church is for learning, worshipping, and honouring Christ. i really don't think playing Halo 3 is going to achieve any of that.

Fine then go play with them at the "arcade". And what's the churches job? to witness. remember that the church building is not the church and is not the house of God the Christian is.

[sierra21]

Most people are not going to take too kindly to having "religion rammed down their throat by Bible Bashers " after they have been tricked into turning up to play a console game.

Who ever said the church was going to preach at them? Come and play then you just invite them back sunday.

IF kids want to play video games they should play them at home or at an arcade. The church is for learning, worshipping, and honouring Christ. i really don't think playing Halo 3 is going to achieve any of that.

Fine then go play with them at the "arcade". And what's the churches job? to witness. remember that the church building is not the church and is not the house of God the Christian is.

We already talked about that. Most of us believe you don't need the latest secular form of entertainment to draw new people to church. Besides, its not about quanitity, its about quality.

[Axxman]

We already talked about that. Most of us believe you don't need the latest secular form of entertainment to draw new people to church. Besides, its not about quanitity, its about quality.

Most of you are wrong! I would hope that most of you are not so quick to undermine the ministries in your own church that involve reaching out to the world. I attend the one of the largest churches in our state and I challenge ANY OF YOU to find a flaw in our outreach methodology. We have Tons of youth activities that "most of you" would consider worldly. We play Volleyball, have a HUGE skatepark, a full gymnasium, we play videogames, we watch movies, we have concerts, etc...and we also have a high school youth membeship that is larger than MOST of the churches in our city.

There are alot of good churches in our area, but they seem stuck in the mud when it comes to attracting youth. There is a reason they call it "Outreach." Now God can certainly work around the 'outreach' and bring people in as He desires...but it is our JOB to reach out to our communities and bring people to Christ, not sit around and hope that God does it for us. If a kid can ask his friend to church, and maybe play a pick-up game of basketball (or whatever) too...you really gotta reach to see the harm in that.

BTW...the "MATURE" rating of the game is subjective. It is a tad 'adult' when playing the campaign...however, when you have a group of people playing head-to-head in multiplayer modes it is no more mature (or violent) than a Bugs Bunny cartoon. My 6 and 8 year old sons have already beaten the game and if it was bad I wouldn't have let them play it...nor would I have bought it.

My Church's website

[eric]

Axxman,

I had a browse through the link you have provided and yeah they seem to be having a good time. However we seem to be talking cross purposes, because I am not alluding to youth out reaches per-se,because I'm all for them. What I am referring to is including them in a normal run-of -the-mill sunday church service. I, myself would not like to be at church trying to enjoy the service with a bunch of teenagers playing video games and making a noise during the hour and a half, set aside for praise and worship and partaking of the emblems of communion and the singing of choruses and listening to the message from the pulpit. Just shedule another time for the youth outreach. That's all, out of courtesy for the older attendees.

[Oh Hamburgers!]

If these churches want to use Halo 3 as a tool to bring youth, by all means go for it.

But first, lets get one thing straight.

I play halo, and I enjoy the game from time to time. But there is certainly nothing biblical about the game. At all. It's a first-person-shooter. It glorifies violence. It's bloody. It's intense. You kill aliens.

So as long as these youth centers can get around the fact that they are promoting a violent game in order to tell people about Jesus, I don't really care how they attract people, within reason. But trying to spin Halo 3 off as having a biblical message is foolish in my opinion.

[Axxman]

Axxman,

I had a browse through the link you have provided and yeah they seem to be having a good time. However we seem to be talking cross purposes, because I am not alluding to youth out reaches per-se,because I'm all for them. What I am referring to is including them in a normal run-of -the-mill sunday church service. I, myself would not like to be at church trying to enjoy the service with a bunch of teenagers playing video games and making a noise during the hour and a half, set aside for praise and worship and partaking of the emblems of communion and the singing of choruses and listening to the message from the pulpit. Just shedule another time for the youth outreach. That's all, out of courtesy for the older attendees.

Hey Eric...I went back and re-read the OP just to be sure of myself. There is NO mention of the game being used on Sunday Mornings, or during regular services. There is no indication that ANY regularly scheduled church services are being interrupted. This is strictly youth events and gatherings. Its a youth ice-breaker.

[HisWordIsSufficient]

Sweetie, if you have never been able to invite a kid to church and have them say yes purely because they see something different in you that they want, then i would seriously consider looking into wether you actually have a relationship with God or not! They will come, when they see you are different.

No i haven't. Their not interested At least the ones who's parents don't care what happens.

but those that have been to church aren't the ones were trying to get in is it now!

umm, i run a youth group that have 5 out of 150 kids that come from Christian homes. Other than 5 of them, the rest come from broken homes with all sorts of things going on in the household, none of there parents care about God, infact, half the kids walk to youth in the dark, on there own, because the parents dont care that they go to youth, as long as they dont have to drive them, that is how little they care. We give as many of them as we can, a lift but we can only do so much. lol. but anyways, my point is, God can reach ANYONE. Any age, from any kind of background. and if YOU are full of God, they WILL listen. they will accept your invitation without worldly allurings. my youth group is proof of that.

No, God does not use anything to spread His word. If He uses unbiblical ways to spread His word than He is not a Holy God like He says that He is

OH Really now!?? your in a position to determine what God can and can't do now! I can tell you one thing, God uses whatever he wishes to use, secular or not. IN CASE you forgot, he created everything including the secular.

I gurantee you God uses NON BIBLICAL ways. guess what, he can use anything he wishes as he is God

no, im not in a position to determine what God will and will not do... but im certainly in a position to find out what the word says about how God does things. read your bible, He does NOT use worldly fleshy tactics that go against His word to lure people. He sure can use anything He wishes, but He says in His very word, that He will not use scummy world stuff. He even advises that WE avoid worldly things. That we are in this world, but not to be OF it.

Uhh...... convince them that they arent going to recieve a miracle?!?!?!?! where is your faith?!

Good for you, I don't have that much faith in anything anymore.

well that is a shame. i pray that you meet God. listen to a message by Paul Washer on youtube.com type in "shocking message paul washer"... i think it will help you ALOT.

This is exactly the problem, people have stopped believing God, they think that He is like they are, and they doubt His word and How powerful He is.

I don't know what your talking about here.

you dont know what im talking about? well, people, have stopped believing God's word, but still claim to believe in Him which is a total contradiction. If you believe in God, you believe what His word says. usually what people mean to say, is that they believe in God but they dont KNOW what His word says coz they havent read it enough to believe it.

there is no reverence anymore. God is a God of miracles, a God of supernatural means, He can do above and beyond more than we could ask or think!

No he's not, he doesn't do those things anymore. He can do it but he doesn't do miricles anymore.

don't know why he doesn't guess we don't deserve them like the early christians did.

He doesnt? wow, then the healings recieved all over the world (and i being one of the ppl who have been healed)... are all fake then are they? Since the bible days.... nobody has been saved have they? after all, the word says that the BIGGEST MIRACLE of ALL is the MIRACLE OF SALVATION..... so if all the "lesser" miracles havent happened, then the big one certainly couldnt have, which means since bible days, nobody has been saved. thats a bit ridiculous now isnt it?

read your bible. no He's not a God of miracles? so all the scriptures that says He IS... are wrong then? the one that says "He is the same yesterday, today and forever"... is a misprint then??

oh, and just so you know... nobody ever deserved them. EVER. the word says that "nobody is worthy, no not one" there is no deserving difference between the believers then and now. not in Gods eyes. its just that now, people dont want them, or dont believe in them, and doubt God the way that you do.

the problem far bigger than the Halo thing, is your issues with God. you dont believe He is a God of miracles, you think He uses worldly schemes to draw people to Himself, you have so many twisted views of God.... you dont seem to know Him at all. that is not only tragic for you personally, but if you are a youth leader, every single child under you, is in danger of having the same views of God as you do... unbiblical ones. that scares me and i will be praying for you. this is important, pray, get your bible out, forget about little halo gatherings and find out about the attributes and character of God. get to know Him, cry out to Him like never before. before too long, i garantee you, you will see miracles, and more people accepting your invites to church than ever before, because you will be filled with God... not strategies.