ARLINGTON, Texas (BP) — Simply by playing video games with his own children, Curtis James came up with a ministry idea that has gone nationwide.
The virtual Easter egg hunt, to be hosted on a Minecraft server Easter Sunday, April 12, stemmed from the desire of Tate Springs Baptist Church to engage entire families, both adults and children, even as meeting together was not an option during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After looking through some online options my mind went to a game I had played with my own children,” said James, family pastor at Tate Springs, who added that using the popular game that allows people to interact virtually while building made sense because, “It was a place most kids have already been that we could gather together for Bible Study, fun and an Easter egg hunt.”
Initially, the plan was to serve the church family. But when others became aware of the idea, interest grew — and James quickly realized more people would be hunting virtual Easter eggs than they had planned. The National Esports Association (NEA), a nonprofit educational organization, stepped in to offer free expertise and resources to Tate Springs.
“They feel it is a great opportunity to come together in a time when people feel separated,” James said. “They have the tools to allow the event to grow exponentially.”
James said the NEA is now hosting the Easter egg hunt on its servers and is designing a server that will be better equipped for such a large group of participants.
“We are now capable of handling a nationwide event, so we encourage churches from all over to join us to celebrate the resurrection,” James said.
In addition to creating a space for families to have fun together, the event itself will feature components designed to share the Gospel.
“Anyone who participates will receive a video sharing the Gospel with a way to contact us with questions,” James explained. “It is our desire to connect anyone who makes a decision with a local church to follow up with them.”
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Source: Baptist Press
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