Bethany United Methodist Church

United Methodist Church serving Clio, Michigan

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You are here: Home / Archives for Youth & Children's ministry / CORE

CORE Gaming Vibes – Explained for parents and older adults

July 26, 2022 By Elizabeth

Core Gaming Vibes Explained for Parents

I’m not sure if the church is aware of a ministry that Marc Middleton, our Director of Youth & Children’s Ministry, has been engaging in since 2020. I wanted to share about it in a post that is intended for parents and congregation and community members. Marc’s communication about this ministry is geared for the people he is trying to reach, youth thru young adults. and he does a wonderful job inviting them into something they understand and enjoy. But, I decided to do a focused post, bragging on Marc just a bit, and also sharing information on this ministry geared towards an older audience. Please read on to learn more about this unseen ministry that Marc has embarked on for several years.


BACKGROUND

Adults reading this may or may not know that since 2015, “Let’s Play” type of videos have been some of the most watched content on YouTube. Parents and adults get very confused oftentimes when they hear or see children watching videos of others playing games. Yet, this type of content is VERY popular and youth today are increasingly engaging with online content creators who stream their gameplay.

Parents should be aware of the type of Let’s Play content their kids are engaging in. Even if the game that is being played is age appropriate for your child, with many streamers or content creators, the additional content included may not be age appropriate or even appropriate for children at all.

Kids watch Let’s Play gaming streams for a number of reasons. They might watch because they want to level up in a particular game and see how another gamer solves a level or creates a story. They also sometimes watch the streams because of the social connection. Normally there’s a chat or an audio channel along with the content creator and so there’s a social connection developed into the stream itself. Sometimes they watch to have a voice in the background when they are working on homework, doing chores or playing their own games. Let’s Play content helps to alleviate the intensity of loneliness that many kids today deal with. Some kids may not be able to afford a particular game and they want to be able to talk about it with their peers. And, then there’s just the entertainment factor. YouTube Let’s Play content is entertaining for kids, especially if the content creator is entertaining. Kids get to know the personality of different streamers and look forward to their next video. They start to feel like friends with the streamer after chatting and interacting.

Because of all of that interactivity, it’s really important to know what content creators your children are interacting with and what values or teaching they may be providing in addition to the entertainment of gameplay.


What is CORE Gaming Vibes?

CORE Gaming Vibes is Marc’s dedicated “Let’s Play” type of content. He describes it to the youth this way:

Welcome to our Ministry! You will see some of the most chill gaming, reaction, and overall fun streams. We are a part of Bethany United Methodist Church in Clio, Michigan. Our mission is to share the VIBE of Jesus through this PLACE (positivity, love, affirming, caring, and encouraging.) Our goal is to let this be the place where the light of Christ shines the brightest. We hope to see you soon!

Marc’s explanation of CORE Gaming Vibes for youth

CORE Gaming Vibes has it’s own unique YouTube channel where the streams are hosted. YouTube is the main place where this ministry happens. There’s also a Facebook page which is used to share the links to the streams on YouTube and share video highlights to encourage young people to head over to the YouTube channel. I encourage parents to Like the Facebook page and/or Subscribe to the YouTube channel if you are interested in sharing this with your children.


How does it work? What is included in a CORE Gaming Vibes stream?

In the interest of trying to explain this to other adults, I watched at least one hour of Marc’s Let’s Play gaming streams. I tried to watch ones from games that I’m somewhat familiar with (Legend of Zelda, Fall Guys, Kirby) and a couple that were more recent but I wasn’t familiar with. I watched one that was called “Unpacking” and I thought the game looked really fun. It appealed to my nerdy sense of organization. I might try it! He plays more popular games like Minecraft sometimes and he also plays games like “Episode” that the youth request. Sometimes he plays games that he wants to play. It’s a good mix!

Basically, you see Marc in a corner of the screen and hear Marc’s voice while Marc plays a game which you see in the majority of the screen. If he has young people live chatting with him during the stream, he will interact with them. You may see their chats on the screen. He has the ability to moderate this to ensure that what others watching see and hear is appropriate. You’ll often hear him encouraging those that he’s chatting with. Sometimes the people give him hints about something he should do or try in the game.

Marc also talks about his other ministry in the gaming streams sometimes. He might be telling people about movie nights or outdoor family night. He mentions some of his other “teaching” type of content that he has on the CORE Student Ministries channel. So, he’s cross promoting more biblical teaching content within his gaming streams.

Marc will read the “story” parts of games in a really engaging way. He also talks through what he’s doing. He’s authentic and funny and he shares much of himself with his audience. Marc has a really expressive face & voice which helps his stream connect with the viewers.

Sometimes the streams last a half hour and sometimes they might last 3 hours! From what I can tell, it depends largely on how fun & engaging the game is!


Who should watch CORE Gaming Vibes streams?

If you have kids who enjoy watching this type of Let’s Play content, I really encourage you to introduce your kids to the CORE Gaming Vibes channel. When your child watches this channel, you don’t need to be concerned about bullying or inappropriate content. You should always be aware of what your children are engaging with online, but rather than telling them you don’t want them watching any streams after finding out they were watching something inappropriate, redirecting them to a safer stream may be more effective. These streams are mostly geared towards school kids anywhere probably from 3rd grade to high school and even college. But, honestly, they could be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in the games he is playing regardless of age. Marc is a young adult and his content will appeal to an older audience who is interested in gaming streams as well as the younger group that many of his ministry efforts are aimed towards. Marc’s own generation watches and participates in streaming, Let’s Play type of content as well as the younger audience that he directs most of his ministry attention towards.


What can adults who don’t want to watch do to help with this ministry?

If you are a parent, introduce your kids to CORE Gaming Vibes. They might love it and the more kids who love it, the more it will grow. As this ministry grows, more unchurched kids will be reached. For some kids who never step foot into a church, engaging with Marc through a gaming stream may be the way they are introduced to Jesus!

If you are not a parent, but you have some in your network, you can click on one of these buttons and share either the Facebook page with parents and young people you know or share the YouTube channel with parents and young people you know. Keep in mind that all of the streams take place on YouTube, but the Facebook page will share the links to the streams, highlight reels and generally drive interested people towards YouTube.

Share YouTube Channel
Share Facebook Page

I’d also of course encourage congregation members to include this ministry in your prayers. You can pray that this ministry reaches & blesses unchurched youth and young adults.


Experience CORE Gaming Vibes

Are you curious about what CORE Gaming Vibes is like? I’ve embedded the most watched video here:

Here’s a recently posted video which is a throwback of Luigi’s Mansion 3.


In Closing or what the kids call tl;dr

If you have young people in your life, they are probably watching “Let’s Play” kind of videos. Consider checking out Marc’s channel and other Christian gamers to help make sure that the content creators your kids are following are age appropriate. This ministry may seem strange to adults, but the truth is that this is the modern mission field. Unchurched kids are out here watching these videos and if Marc and other Christian gamers can reach them where they are, they can plant seeds of faith for future generations through the power of the internet.

Article Submitted by Elizabeth Whiting – Annual Conference Lay Delegate & SPRC Chairperson

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Filed Under: Blogging Believers, Children, Community, CORE, Featured - Home, Youth, Youth & Children's ministry Tagged With: Core Gaming Vibes

CORE Student Ministry Updates July/August 2022

July 1, 2022 By Marc Middleton

Happy Summer everyone! School’s out and the fun can begin, right? I mean…some of us still have to work, but fun can still happen. It just requires balance. Most family’s schedule opens up during the summer, yet the summer can be the busiest time of year because we try to squish 9 months’ worth of fun events that we couldn’t do during the school year into three months of summer fun! I hope Clio Bethany UMC will be on your radar this summer because COE and I have a LOT…and I mean a LOT…of fun stuff planned for all families of all kinds this summer. From movie nights to games, VBS to VIBE, among other events, we are going to be a happening place this summer. (Do people still say happening? I’m an old soul, so forgive me.)

It’s so exciting to see everything planned this summer! We haven’t been this busy in 3 summers now. We haven’t had this consistency of events in what feels like a long time! Is it exciting? Yes. Is it stress-inducing? Yes! Does it come with fear as well? Yes! This summer for me will be hosted by a myriad of emotions. While it’s full of excitement, energy, and hope from all the different things that we’ve planned, I’m reminded that this summer isn’t about JUST that. We’re getting a new Pastor this summer as well. This transition comes with new joys and some hesitations because it’s change. Change always seems to be followed with those two emotions: happiness and hesitation. It’s exciting, yet scary. Plus, we see the Cooperative Parish system with Otisville come into action. That as well, comes with it both happiness and hesitation.

To recap: this summer, from my perspective, includes the following emotions: excitement, energy, hope, happiness, hesitation, fear, anxiety, and others that are lying under the surface of everything. It’s going to be a summer to remember, I believe. God’s presence is going to be flowing with us all summer long. From the different events to the different emotions, to the different volunteers, to the different attendees, and to the overall atmosphere. We are welcoming God’s presence here with open arms. We are going to be the light in the community that shines in the chaos of the world. We will be the safe and loving place that the church should be to all who come.

With all that, let’s get into what July and August have in store for us!

Online Ministry Stuffs

We have migrated over to YouTube as our hub for all of our videos. For our main channel (the lesson videos), the schedule is listed on the image to the left. Note a couple changes:

  • Minute Motivators move to Tuesdays at Noon instead of being on Wednesdays at 6pm. This was to make room for #SelfCareSummer!
  • Moments with Marc come back on July 15 as Marc returns to the Sunday morning stage on July 10 with Pastor Kayla.

Our Gaming Ministry will expand this summer. We will stream two days a week (Saturday and Sunday) starting July 2. This will continue through the end of August!

There will also be a major video at the end of August on our main channel (CORE Student Ministries) explaining future plans of our online ministry for the fall and beyond. Stay tuned for that!

Movie Night Under the Stars

July 16 and August 27

Gather at 8:30pm;
Movie to start approximately at 9pm

Let’s gather outside in front of the church to watch movies this summer! Bring your chairs, drinks, and snacks that aren’t popcorn (We’re serving that!) and enjoy this time together outside and under the stars. We will have some games and activities available before the movie starts as well! This is a FREE community-wide event that families of all ages and all types are welcome to join!

Outdoor Family Game Nights

Tuesdays from 6pm – 8pm

We are gathering at the ballfield behind our church for all kinds of fun! When I say ALL kinds of fun, here’s just a snapshot of what we’re going to do: basketball, cornhole, badminton, chalk drawing, snow cones, cotton candy, volleyball, and MORE! This is a FREE community-wide event for families of all ages and all types to come up and join! Bring your own games as well if you’d like! We will be hosting this event all summer until Tuesday, August 24 (and we have a special surprise for the last event, but I’m keeping that a secret!)

***Please note that there will not be a Game Night on August 9
due to our Vacation Bible School! ***

We want to invite you to join our Science Team this year for VBS! We will conduct some experiments to attempt to understand some of the miracles Jesus performed a little better. Registration is live! Tell your friends, family, and neighbors that we’re having a VBS this year! This VBS is for all Kindergartners – 5th graders.

Register Now!

Summer VIBE

July 6, 20; August 3, 17

6pm – 8pm

Our Youth asked for our gatherings to continue, so who says that fun and fellowship have to stop for the summer! We will continue our VIBE programming on an adjusted schedule for this summer. This is a time for all Youth (5th – 12th grade) to join us for fun, fellowship, and experiencing God’s presence all at once! You do not have to be currently attending or a member of Clio Bethany UMC to join us for VIBE!


Painting for Jesus

Thursday, July 28 from 6 – 8pm

You may have heard me talk about doing a Bob Ross Night the last few months. We are going to pivot from that due to unforeseen circumstances. We still are going to paint. We still will wear some Bob Ross wigs. We are just changing what we’re going to paint. After a conversation with our Youth, we talked about some painting topics, but the final decision is still being decided. We may just come to the church to paint whatever Jesus puts on our hearts. We will also have some kind of food served at this event.

All youth (5th-12th graders) are welcome to come to the church for this event! It’s a free event for all youth in the community. You do not need to be a member of Clio Bethany UMC nor affiliated with us at all. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Youth Laser Tag Night

Thursday, August 25 from 6 – 8pm

To close out the summer, we will be hosting a Laser Tag Night for our Youth! We need to send the summer out with a bang! We will either gather outside or in the Fellowship Hall for the Laser Tag arena! All youth (5th-12th graders) are welcome to come to the church for this event! It’s a free event for all youth in the community. You do not need to be a member of Clio Bethany UMC nor affiliated with us at all. If you have any questions, please let me know.

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Filed Under: Children, CORE, Youth, Youth & Children's ministry

Youth Ministry Updates – May 2022

May 1, 2022 By ClioBethany

Want to see what’s coming in Youth Ministry? Read Marc’s Updates below:

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Updates from Youth Ministry – March 2022

March 8, 2022 By Marc Middleton

Happy March everyone! We are getting so close to spring again, at least calendar wise. I know this is Michigan and that our winter can last until at least May/June. It’s good to dream though, right? The first few months of 2022 for our ministry has included a lot of dreaming. With the return of our Committee on Education (COE), we’ve been able to do a lot of dreaming with events like Vacation Bible School, Easter Egg Hunt, All-Church Birthday party and hopefully so much more. After two years, it feels so good to dream like this again. To be able to look at what we used to do and look at what we want to do and dream about its ways that fit our ministry and our church in the best way possible. On the opposite side of dreaming there have been some nightmares. Nothing severe, please hear that, but situations that can trigger my anxiety. Our youth program is still running lower numbers compared to where we were pre-Covid which is scary to look at. Our church is going through the big decision regarding the Cooperative Parish, which is scary to look at. The 2 year anniversary of our decision to shut down due to Covid is coming up (March 13th). There’s lots of dreaming and anxiety that comes with looking to the future, but there has been one constant through it all: God. God is still the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. God has walked with us every step of the way through the last two years and will continue to walk with us through the next two years and beyond that. How will you dream? Will the anxieties stop you from dreaming? I pray that you remember that God is with you every time you lay your head down at night and every time you wake up in the morning. We will dream together, we will struggle together, we will fight together, and we will do all things through the God that gives us strength.

— Marc Middleton

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Filed Under: Blogging Believers, Children, CORE, Messages From Marc, Sunday School, Youth, Youth & Children's ministry

Cancelled! Summer Family Snack & Game Night

August 11, 2021 By ClioBethany

Summer Family
Snack & Game Night

Saturday, August 28th* from 6:00 – 8:30pm

in the ball field behind the church.

Due to the heat advisory and other factors, we have decided to reschedule the event. Stay tuned for plans for a make up date!

We are inviting all families from all over to join us in celebrating the end of a summer like no other

Games!

We will have a variety of games for all ages from basketball to disc toss, to volleyball, and MUCH MORE!

Snacks!

We will also be offering a snack to all who attend and encourage you to bring your own as well.

MORE!

We will also be doing a small devotional about halfway through the service to pray over all families that are returning or have returned to school in the fall.

We will also need some volunteers to help manage the event, such as snack and general supervision. We need at least one more volunteer to help us in order to have the event. Deadline to volunteer is Wednesday August 18th.

If you have any questions, or would like to help volunteer, please contact Marc Middleton either during office hours (Monday – Thursday from 9am – 3pm) or contact him online in any of the following ways:

Social Media: CORE Student Ministries on Facebook or Instagram

Email: youth@cliobethany.org

Phone Number: 810-686-5151 (Office Hours)

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Filed Under: Children, Community, CORE, Youth, Youth & Children's ministry

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Pillars of Faith – In August 2022, Pastor Kayla leads us through a sermon series that starts in Hebrews 11 and we consider the Pillars of Faith from the Bible and hear testimony from lay people within our own churches at Clio: Bethany and Otisville UMC.

Pastor Kayla’s Welcome Series – In July 2022, we will be getting to know Rev. Kayla Roosa, as she begins her ministry in the cooperative parish.

Lay Speakers Includes the 2022 Graduation Sunday & Celebration of Men & Fathers sermons from Marc Middleton and the July 3rd sermon from Elizabeth Whiting

View all past online worship experience choices

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Mission Projects – 2022

Everyone can participate!

  • July / August 2022 – Personal Dignity Kits Collecting donations in the Gathering Area for our VBS Mission Project
  • Ongoing – LOVE Pantry – Accepting cash donations and non-perishable food donations
  • Knitting with Jesus – Meets on Thursdays @ 1pm
  • Aluminum & Steel Tabs and Bottle Caps – Den & Karen Nichols collect these in support of Ronald McDonald House, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The monies earned from this collection go to providing a place for families to stay at Ronald McDonald house while their children are being treated there.
  • Ongoing – Collect items for Operation Christmas Child.  Toys, hygiene products, crayons, hats, gloves, etc. must be able to fit in shoe box, no liquids, and no weapon or war like toys. Bring them to church office or youth ministry!

If you have a need or can fulfill a need in our community, please connect with our church office.

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Pastor Kayla RoosaAre you looking forward to meeting Pastor Kayla? She's hosting Tea on Tuesdays at 10 and there are many opportunities to meet her. If you'd like to schedule a one-on-one, just call the church office to set up a time. Pastor Kayla is looking forward to getting to know the people of Clio and Otisville

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