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Introduction

Memorize the True Story: “Rescue Centers”

  • This is a true historical event.  On a large sea coast, many people lost their lives as ships crashed along the rocky shores.  Caring citizens built rescue stations and trained volunteers how to row boats out to rescue the drowning people.  They even put up bright lights to warn ships of the dangerous rocks.

  • Over time the citizens began to make the rescue stations more comfortable by adding chairs and tables and refreshments.  Soon there was no room for the boats, no time to rescue the lost and no time for training the workers.

  • Ships continued to crash on the rocky shores and lives were lost at sea while the once “rescue center” had now turned into a “lighthouse club” for the citizens enjoyment. 

 

Story: Rescue Centers / Training Centers

  • This often happens to churches. Once focused on saving lives and training believers to use their gifts many churches have become inward focused (trying to please their members) rather than focusing on the simple commands:

    • Love God

    • Love Others

    • Make Disciples

  • Warning: This can happen very quickly in a long running ministry for children. The focus can drift to entertainment or just fun or the “latest attraction.”  GameLife Training Centers focus on two main areas at all times:

    1. Rescuing the Spiritual Lost: Evangelism Outreaches (at least 3 times a year)

    2. Training the Christian Workers: Disciple Making.  Every week teaching God’s word and Training Champions for Eternity!

 

Bible says it best:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it 
15 and how from childhood
you have been acquainted with the sacred writings
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (emphasis added)

 

Train up a child in the way he should go; 
even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6 (emphasis added)

You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 6:7 (emphasis added)

 

 

DO NOT READ unless you are an “Education-Fan” (like a Sport-Fan)

For those that want to peel back the layers and see the Theological, Educational, and Missiological foundations of GameLife.  Our passion is to teach children in the way God created his children to learn.  We want to teach like Jesus, …what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?  A farmer scattered seed…  We teach using child friendly language, child appropriate learning domains, and at a child’s cognitive stage of development.

  • Jesus started with the known (farmer) // and He moved to the unknown (Kingdom)

  • We start with a known (concrete experience) // and we move to the unknown (Kingdom)

  • GameLife: known (Coach sacrifices for players) // moving to unknown (Jesus sacrifices for us)

     

Theological Foundation:

We have fun playing experiential-games, but we are very serious about teaching God’s word with integrity to its intended purpose and accurate to its historical context.

  • Bible Discovery

    • Three-Thirds for Adults:   1. Look Back               2.  Look Up                3.  Look Forward

    • GameLife for Children:     1. Game Experience   2. Bible Discoveries   3. Life Connections

       

       

Educational Foundation:

 

GameLife does not focus on “games.”  GameLife focuses on “experiences” that parallel biblical truth //

GameLife is “Experiential Education” that means GameLife can be used with:

  • Story Experiences

  • Art & Craft Experiences

  • Worship Experiences

  • Media Experiences

  •  _______________ Experiences (fill in the blank.  Yes, any experience)
    All these experiential-expressions allow GameLife to be easily adapted to every cultural context

  • Legal: If one cannot play games openly for fear of persecution, simply substitute out the “game” and replace with arts or crafts indoors in a private setting.

  • Space or Weather: If one cannot play games outside due to space restrictions or weather, simple substitute out the “game” and replace with engaging stories or even media.

If any “experience” will work, why games?  
After literally decades of field-testing in almost every country (“Kids Games” camp ministry) we found “games” are the most “universal experience” for every child of all cultures.

 

Missiological Foundation:

We use zero resources for rapid multiplication.  Zero means zero: no balls, no markers, no paper, and no props.  Obviously, nationals can use whatever resources they have available. 

  • Biblical, Simple, Scalable, Highly Reproducible, and Very Easy to Remember:

    • GameLife 1-2-3 If you can remember the name you’ve just been trained!

    • GameLife 1-2-3 1 Game Experience, 2 Bible Discoveries, 3 Life Connections

  • Sustainable Multiplying Movements: 
    If the “game experience” is fun the children will come every week!

    • Consider would you rather enjoy a learning experience or be bored during a learning experience?

    • God created his children to enjoy play.  God has revealed a way to use play for a higher purpose.