The television fills the room with sounds of gunfire and bloody images. Teens yell and frantically press the buttons on their plastic controllers, totally engrossed by the graphic video game.

It's a normal scene in living rooms across the nation, but it's becoming common in church youth rooms too.

“Halo 3,” an epic, space-age game made for the Xbox console, earned a record-breaking $170 million for Microsoft in its first 24 hours on the shelves.

The game allows players to enter a futuristic wasteland and fight aliens. Multiple players can participate, helping or competing against each other. Groups of youths gather for “LAN parties,” creating local area networks with their consoles and playing simultaneously.

Some church members see the game's popularity as a means of outreach. Dennis Jamison, youth minister at the Meadow View church in Mesquite, Texas, uses “Halo 3” with his youth group, and doesn't believe the game is damaging to the teens who play it.

“It's very clear to see that there's aliens and monsters and things that we don't have in our lives,” Jamison said. “There is a definite line between fiction and non-fiction.”

Other church members who work with youths call for caution, citing the game's “mature” rating. Purchasers of “Halo 3” must be 17 years or older.

Dudley Chancey, associate professor of youth ministry at Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City, said that, “if nothing else, as a Christian it desensitizes (us) to killing people.

“Everything we do has some influence on us for good or bad, or Philippians 4:8 is a lie,” Chancey said.

That verse reads: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.

Brandon Price, a missionary in the Eastern European nation of Ukraine, has been to several video game gatherings. Instead of providing a venue for Christian outreach, he fears that such gatherings may encourage players to suppress Christian principles.

“Every LAN party I’ve ever been to — which has always been in Christian gatherings — has certain principles you must accept,” Price said. “If you accidentally walk in front of the screen, you get yelled at. If you attempt to talk to someone playing, don’t expect an intelligible response from that person.”

“Halo 3’s” outreach potential is hard to measure, said Patrick Doherty, youth minister for the Woodbury, Minn., church. “Our entertainment choices are extremely subjective,” Doherty said. While some non-Christians might view church-sponsored Halo parties as a dynamic outreach, others might see such parties as evidence of Christian hypocrisy.

“It’s a question not so much of the game’s appropriateness, because we can’t make that decision for every family, but it’s simply a question of where we draw the line in using something for outreach,” Doherty said, adding that “the benefits of ‘Halo’ don’t really outweigh the risks.”

Jeff Smith, college minister for the Sunset church in Lubbock, Texas, said he’s no expert on “Halo,” but he and his 21-year-old son both play the game. So do many of the students in his ministry, Cross Campus, an outreach to Texas Tech and Lubbock Christian universities.

“I can understand some of the concern,” Smith said, referring to discussion of the game as an outreach tool. “But it seems to me to be another ‘Harry Potter’ scenario that the church helps create.”

Three years ago Smith used the popularity of the game’s predecessor, “Halo 2,” as a motif for a Bible class series on spiritual warfare.

“Our students responded well to the series,” he said, “and with the release and buzz of ‘Halo 3,’ I intend to dust this class off in the upcoming spring semester.”

Jamison said he’s sensitive to the possibility that some parents may not want their teens playing “Halo 3” and works to keep church leaders and parents informed of the activities. He also is ready to provide other activities for teens who can’t participate.

As for the game itself, “I’ve just used it mainly as an activity,” he said. “I don’t try … comparing Master Chief (the protagonist in ‘Halo 3’) to Jesus. I just try to use video games to get in touch with (youth) and get on their level. If they’re comfortable ... that can open the doors to deeper discussion about religion, and about their faith.”

Chancey disagrees: “The whole idea (is), if we have ‘Halo’ in our youth room, the kids will come, and the fact is, they don’t. If you want to reach people you have legitimate, authentic relationships. You don’t need ‘Halo.’”

That’s been the case for Price. Despite their popularity, video games aren’t necessary for ministering to youths, he said.

“Guys from the youth group are always in shock when they come over and find out that I don’t have any video games,” Price said. “After I explain that I’m not into them, the weirdest thing happens — we talk.”

Nov. 1, 2007