As I consider the last 10 years serving as President of Tribe of Judah, I am pressed by many thoughts and emotions.
I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to help Christian gamers come together, make new friends, strength and encourage one another, and, of course, have fun playing games.
I am excited to think of what comes next for Tribe of Judah, as we prepare to build a new web site, purchase or rent dedicated server hardware, and train new staff.
I am looking forward to spend time with friends and acquaintances at tonight's party on TeamSpeak.
Yet for all this gladness, I can not help but feel a pang of sorrow. During these last 10 years, I have had the good fortune to meet many wonderful Christian men and women through Tribe of Judah. Many of them have since disappeared from our community. Many have retired from gaming. Many have gone on to join other communities.
In all these transitions, no other member has been part of Tribe of Judah for the entire decade since its founding. My status as the last remaining founding member, coupled with the limited nature of online interaction, can often make my position as President seem a bit lonely. The fact that my friends and family are in another state and I can not be with them today, that I have yet to make any friends here in Springfield, that I have yet to find a job, that I have yet to have a short story published, and that my wife and I have yet to find a home church only amplifies the feeling of isolation.
I am supported by a wonderful staff and continually encouraged by members, but there are times nostalgia tugs at me and I miss those first days playing StarCraft with a handful of Christian gamers who happened upon an old Battle.net forums post.
My nostalgia quickly dissipates when I remember that I was struggling with depression in May 1999 and had not yet entered college. I was looking for direction in my life and finding little.
In Tribe of Judah's early days, I served in all staff positions at one point or another and even designed the first web site for our community, then a small Christian StarCraft clan.
Today, I am able to delegate many, if not most, tasks to staff members. I trust my Chapter Leaders and Guild Leaders to manage their respective chapters and guilds without direct daily involvement. I am ever ready to equip my staff members with whatever they need to make Tribe of Judah, in part and in whole, a greater success, but I do not have to micro-manage the community like I once did.
Though I remember our early game nights fondly, I would not go back to those days if I could. I am now older, at least slightly wiser, married to a wonderful and supportive wife, and blessed by a community of Christian gamers, both past and present, who have encouraged me these last 10 years.
There is still a long road ahead of Tribe of Judah. There are still so many projects left unfinished, so many ideas still yet to take form, and so many goals yet to achieve that I feel I will still be at the helm for a while longer. When the day comes for me to step down as President and appoint my replacement, I intend to remain involved, but also take a step back and enjoy my "retirement."
Then, as always, the games we play are and will be only a vehicle for us to gather together, build each other up in the Lord, enjoy fellowship--both in-game and out--with one another, and, most importantly, glorify God through gaming.
May the Lord bless Tribe of Judah as richly in the 10 years ahead as he has these 10 years passed.
I am grateful to God for giving me the opportunity to help Christian gamers come together, make new friends, strength and encourage one another, and, of course, have fun playing games.
I am excited to think of what comes next for Tribe of Judah, as we prepare to build a new web site, purchase or rent dedicated server hardware, and train new staff.
I am looking forward to spend time with friends and acquaintances at tonight's party on TeamSpeak.
Yet for all this gladness, I can not help but feel a pang of sorrow. During these last 10 years, I have had the good fortune to meet many wonderful Christian men and women through Tribe of Judah. Many of them have since disappeared from our community. Many have retired from gaming. Many have gone on to join other communities.
In all these transitions, no other member has been part of Tribe of Judah for the entire decade since its founding. My status as the last remaining founding member, coupled with the limited nature of online interaction, can often make my position as President seem a bit lonely. The fact that my friends and family are in another state and I can not be with them today, that I have yet to make any friends here in Springfield, that I have yet to find a job, that I have yet to have a short story published, and that my wife and I have yet to find a home church only amplifies the feeling of isolation.
I am supported by a wonderful staff and continually encouraged by members, but there are times nostalgia tugs at me and I miss those first days playing StarCraft with a handful of Christian gamers who happened upon an old Battle.net forums post.
My nostalgia quickly dissipates when I remember that I was struggling with depression in May 1999 and had not yet entered college. I was looking for direction in my life and finding little.
In Tribe of Judah's early days, I served in all staff positions at one point or another and even designed the first web site for our community, then a small Christian StarCraft clan.
Today, I am able to delegate many, if not most, tasks to staff members. I trust my Chapter Leaders and Guild Leaders to manage their respective chapters and guilds without direct daily involvement. I am ever ready to equip my staff members with whatever they need to make Tribe of Judah, in part and in whole, a greater success, but I do not have to micro-manage the community like I once did.
Though I remember our early game nights fondly, I would not go back to those days if I could. I am now older, at least slightly wiser, married to a wonderful and supportive wife, and blessed by a community of Christian gamers, both past and present, who have encouraged me these last 10 years.
There is still a long road ahead of Tribe of Judah. There are still so many projects left unfinished, so many ideas still yet to take form, and so many goals yet to achieve that I feel I will still be at the helm for a while longer. When the day comes for me to step down as President and appoint my replacement, I intend to remain involved, but also take a step back and enjoy my "retirement."
Then, as always, the games we play are and will be only a vehicle for us to gather together, build each other up in the Lord, enjoy fellowship--both in-game and out--with one another, and, most importantly, glorify God through gaming.
May the Lord bless Tribe of Judah as richly in the 10 years ahead as he has these 10 years passed.
I will def. be praying for you and ember!