Jeff Grant has worked with gamers to share their faith authentically in their favorite gaming spaces. In this unique field, Jeff has learned a lot about gamers’ distinct contributions and how they could fuel the next generation of missions
Jeff Grant knows gamers. His family is full of them. Some of their favorite bonding moments are around a console, watching each other journey through videogames.
Tabletop roleplaying, 80s and 90s cartoons, online gaming…you name it, chances are Jeff has some connection to it. “My wife likes to say we’re equal opportunity nerds.” So when it came to Jeff’s faith, it was only natural for him to connect it with one of his many interests.
For the last few years, Jeff has been working with gamers, discipling and empowering them to have critical conversations about faith on keyboards and over headset mics. And in the most recent #HACK, Jeff and his colleagues saw some surprising things take shape in the Christian gaming community.
Sense of Wonder
In the body of Christ, the gamer is an eye, seeing the world from a perspective others don’t.
To Jeff, gamers offer something truly unique that the Church desperately needs. Gamers naturally find themselves drawn to a sense of wonder found in many videogames. It’s this shared pursuit of awe that establishes such strong communities around games like Fortnite, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, and so many others.
“[Gamers] are usually innovative, not afraid of change, and there’s this boldness of exploration that the Church needs.”
Gaming and #HACK
Last year, Jeff and some fellow gaming ministers used #HACK to meet a challenge. They asked themselves how they could best reach Christian gamers and send them out throughout the digital world. A Discord server filled up. A training plan came together. Marketing materials went out.
The result?
The first round of outreach brought to the team’s attention the clear need for Christian community in the gaming world. Getting those Christian gamers together to connect was the first step. Sending them out into the gaming world on mission is the next.
What’s Next
Last year’s #HACK was only the beginning for Jeff. He’s already lining up new ways to invite Christian gamers into their ranks and send them out on mission. For Jeff and many others, games take us on journeys, often telling compelling stories in the process.
While the options are endless for the next innovation in the gaming mission field, one thing is for certain.
It will be quite the adventure.