OOOOH look out, this might be a hot topic! Make sure you respond on the poll before reading this post! Could make for some fun times in the comments section!
So anyway, video games seem to be a VERY touchy subject for some people. I’ve grown up playing lots of games: Mario, Mario Kart, James Bond, Call of Duty (though that one is recent), Rock Band, Guitar Hero and sports games are generally my favorite. For Christmas this year, I bought my husband an Xbox 360 (Modern Warfare 2 Special Edition, oh yeah!) and little did we know that it would become an amazing tool for connecting with some of the guys in our ministry!
This has led to some interesting conversation. At youth, we don’t allow violent, vulgar or sexual games to be played in the church. That’s pretty much a no brainer. You don’t want a kid going home to their parents at the end of a night to a conversation that goes something like this:
“Hey Timmy, how was youth tonight?”
“Well mom, it was awesome! I stole a bunch of cars for a while, then ran around shooting people and sang along to an Eminem song (or insert some other culturally relevant profane artist in there).”
We really want our kids to love coming to the church for the night, but we limit those experiences to something that will glorify God and be wholesome for the whole family.
But how does that translate into our everyday life? I hear all different ends of the spectrum. Personally, I don’t have much of a problem with First Person Shooters, such as Call of Duty, Halo, or for the N64 lovers, James Bond: Goldeneye. I actually find online games more akin to a game of dodgeball: You get hit and then you’re back in the round after a few seconds for respawning (and if you don’t play in hardcore mode, you’re just a wussy!). Some people would harshly disagree with me and even question my faith and my abilities to lead based on my video games choices. Is it a sin to play a video game with blood and violence in it?
How is that different from video games that have swearing in them? Or even games these days that have a high level of sexual content? Is there a certain line that has been crossed as far as gun violence goes? Why doesn’t the Bible address video games and the games that we should allow into our homes? I know that some people will read this blog, and after seeing that I play FPS games, will write me off and think that I’m a bad role model for their children (and if our numbers are down this week, I’ll know who to call), but I do ask this in all seriousness. As a Christian, what is permissible? Paul tells us that just because things are permissible, it doesn’t mean they are beneficial. So what is beneficial about video games?
Here’s why I have continued to play:
Online playing has allowed me to have a connection with a demographic at our youth group that I normally do not converse with (male leaders AND male students)
Teamwork is promoted as we get together and talk as a team
My motor reflexes go into high gear when I’m driving down the street and see people on the roof, at the tops of hills, or in windows, or anywhere else suspicious. There is no way I can be caught by surprise by anyone!
I’m not going to come out and draw up a standard for every age group, person and religious belief represented in the readership. What I will do, however, is list some guidelines that I will definitely put into play when it comes to my own kids in the future:
What is the game’s rating?
How much time and influence will this game have on my child’s life?
Is there anything on this game that I wouldn’t want to subject my child to?
Will this promote more harm or more good in their life?
Anyway, that’s enough of my observations… What are your comments out there?
So… I often talk in my “Weekend in Review” posts about games that we like to play at youth, and get a lot of questions about how to play the game, or what the game is about, so I thought perhaps I would start a semi-frequent post on this very topic! If you are itching to know about a particular game, leave a comment below and I’ll make it a priority!
So today, I want to talk about one of my favorite games, BUCKETBALL!!!!!!!!
Bucket Ball is a relatively simple game that uses only a few props. We love to pull this one out in our parking lot once the weather is nice. When I was in youth a zillion years ago, we even tried it on the field in the winter with a gigantic outdoor lighting rig.. SOOOOO much fun, even though it was probably one of the coldest nights ever! It also builds up a good sweat, so it’s a great segue to going for ice cream or slurpees after! It’s a lot of fun for all age groups to play because of the few rules it has, and the quickness of the gameplay. You can vary the number of balls, style of balls, and advanced users can even vary the number of teams (4-way Bucket Ball, anyone?). The game is very similar to hockey or basketball, and there aren’t a ton of rules, so let’s get started, shall we?
Equipment:
2 large buckets. We like to take the trash bags out of our kitchen bins and use them as our “buckets.”
2 chairs. I would recommend sturdy wooden chairs, they are going to hold one student, who is holding the bucket! We use old Sunday School chairs, as our sanctuary chairs are far too nice and we would get murderalized for even attempting to take them outside.
1 ball minimum. We usually use 2. You can use a basketball, football, dodgeball, frisbee, volleyball, soccer ball or rugby ball. Any ball will do
That’s it for equipment! You most likely have all these things around your church or house. Make sure that the buckets and chairs aren’t going to be missed too much if you trample them to death, i.e.: don’t use the platinum buckets and the prized seats from the sanctuary if you can’t replace them– find OOOOOOLLLLLD stuff to use that no one will cry over if they are broken!
The Game Play:
Divide your group into two equal teams and send them off to their “end” of your field or gym. Have each of them pick a bucket holder. Their role is sort of the opposite of a goalie. Make sure they are strong enough to lift the bucket, and light enough to stand on a chair!
Have your bucket holder go to the opposite of “their end” and set up the chair in the middle of the end (think of where basketball hoops are positioned on a court if that last sentence confused you). They then stand on their chair, holding the bucket.
The remaining members of the team will line up similar to a basketball tossup back on their end. Make sure you have a referee to keep the game fair! The ref will toss the ball(s) in the air and the game begins!
Students then advance the ball to the end that their bucket holder is standing in and attempt to get the ball in the bucket. The bucket holder is allowed to move the bucket around to catch any shots that aren’t accurate.
Referee keeps score (game usually goes to a certain score, or we have a certain time limit on the game and the winner is declared then – you can play any way you like though!)
The Rules:
If the ball is in your possession, you cannot run with it. You cannot dribble it. You must pass or shoot.
The bucket holder is not allowed to move the chair or touch the ground
The opposite team is not allowed to touch your bucket
If you are outside and the ball goes out of bounds, the other team gets the ball.
Once a bucket is scored, it’s the same as bball rules, the opposing team gets the ball and play starts immediately.
Ref has the right to “time out” players who are acting too aggressively or cheating.
So there you have it! I remember playing hours upon hours of bucket ball when I was a senior in high school and attending “Sonlife Youth” in Oak Lake, Manitoba. I still have many fond memories and even pictures of my friends and I enjoying this simple game!
Leave a comment below if there are any particular games you’d like me to cover!
