Your Local Game Store

Missionary work doesn’t need to be as complicated as some people make it out to be. Sure, there are those who trek into jungles and learn new languages; there are those who move to different countries and change cultures; there are even those that risk their lives in countries unwelcoming to missionaries.

But when Jesus said to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), surely he meant this nation too, right? Certainly, we aren’t required to create some sort of missionary exchange program so that every missionary travels to a foreign country.

So, what does local mission work look like? 

For most people, it means to live the gospel where they’re at. That could mean being in their place of work, or with their non-believing friends, or even with a local missionary organization. But I think we all recognize that those in nerd culture don’t often match the “most people” moniker. We are unique, and proudly so.

So, what does local mission work look like for a nerd?

It’s an important question, particularly for those of us who want to share the Gospel but also work from home and our circle of friends are all Christians. Is there a place where we can serve others, introduce non-believers to Jesus, all while proudly upholding our passion for nerd culture?

Allow me to reintroduce you to your local game store (LGS).

I know, a lot of you just hit a speed bump, but let me be clear. I am not suggesting that you stand in front of your LGS with Dark Dungeons Chick Tracts and try to save these heathens from their evil ways. I am not saying that you should sit at a table in your LGS and tell trading card gamers “the only thing I trade is my life for Christ.”

I am, in fact, begging you to not do these things. Like, for real. Please don’t do these things.

But if not these things, what does a ministry to a local game store look like? While it may seem hard to fathom at first, there are various ways you can serve your LGS and its community.

It begins in the simplest way: be present. Simply be there to get to know people, learn their names, and show a genuine interest in their lives. Attend events, not to win (though there’s nothing wrong with that) but to build relationships with the people in that community. Show genuine compassion for them, show that you care about their life, love them as Jesus would.

For so many people who frequent a local game store, it’s the only place where they feel seen and validated. Their love for games is how they connect with others, but then the games can become the only way they connect with others. When we regularly show up and enjoy the game, but to love the person, it reminds them that they are valuable beyond the trading card game deck they’ve constructed or the roleplaying game character they’ve built.

Remember that, for so many of these folks, they think that church is a place where they will not be welcomed. Unfortunately, this is a mindset we have created in the church. Decades of the Satanic Panic and saying that games are something children do have sent a message to nerds that is ostracizing, at the very least, if not outright condemning. 

Being someone from the church and being someone that plays games with people is how we combat that message. It’s how we begin to heal the hurt that the church has caused to so many people who frequent local game stores. When we play games with them, we aren’t just saying that games are welcome, but that they are welcome as well.

Be present for the games, but also be present beyond the games. Love these people, invite them to your church, invite them into your home, invite them to enjoy games with you and your Christian friends. See them, serve them, and be the gospel to them.

In truth, this is just the beginning of how we can make our local game store also our mission field. There is so much more we can do to serve the gaming community. But start here. Start by seeing people the church has overlooked for so long. Start by seeing people who are used to only being seen over a hand of cards or behind a set of dice. 

Begin by being the light of Christ in your local game store.