Notes from the Nerd Pastor (May 2023)
A Look Back and a Look Ahead
Welcome back to the To The Point Newsletter!
And welcome 13 new subscribers from last month. We’re glad you’re here.
I’m your Nerd Pastor Nate, here to greet you at the start of another exciting month at Checkpoint.
Our theme for April was Press Continue, and we had an excellent month of new and exciting things.
My goal for this article will be to fill you in on the past month and prepare you for the one ahead, so buckle up and let’s just get right into it.
ICYMI - Last Month’s Highlights
With Resident Evil 4 hitting store shelves (again), KungFuKarl took some time to compare the work of game developers to our walks as Christians. What are the differences between a remake, a reboot, and a remaster? And which should we strive for? Read his piece to find out.
I’ll take any opportunity to consider the classic yet horrifying Bob Hoskins interpretation of Mario from the 90s. Perispectus walks us through the original flop of a movie and juxtaposes it wonderfully with the new hit version of the iconic plumber-centric franchise.
In this contemplative piece on mental health and continuing forward, Duck sat down with two folks: one connected with the exceptional organization To Write Love On Her Arms. This is an inspirational message we could always afford to hear again.
We Raised $700 For Gaming Ministry Campers
Our quarterly charity stream this season supported the awesome Crossfire: Faith + Gaming gaming ministry camp in Denver, Colorado, this summer. We came together over eight hours and hit our goal of $700 - the total payment to sponsor two kids to attend the event.
Ludogood Has Revitalized Their Focus
We might have an article on this coming out soon, but our game development branch of Checkpoint - Ludogood - has begun to rekindle the flame on their second video game. The team is just starting to revise and regroup. If you want to learn more about developing video games with us, contact me, and I’ll gladly connect you.
We Launched a New Stream Schedule
Nights are back! We announced our new streaming schedule at our Check-A-Thon. Mondays will remain the same, with the stream happening from 1 pm until 4 pm EST. Tuesdays are shifting into the nighttime hours and will now be from 8 pm until 11 pm EST. And Thursdays are making a tiny time shift, moving from 10 am until 1 pm EST. I’m excited about the new routine and having some Late Night times again!
I Went To Colorado
I was away for an entire week at the National Developers and Planters Conference of the United Methodist Church. It was awesome, as most conferences are. I wrote a short piece on digital ministry takeaways on my ministry blog if you’d like to learn more.
Other Can’t-Miss Content
Sermons on Tchia, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Dredge, and Hell’s Paradise
So, that’s where we’ve been. But where are we headed going forward?
For May, it’s my pleasure to announce our new theme:
Shift+
This theme hit me whenever I started considering all of the ways in which Checkpoint is shifting this month. Our new stream schedule, Ludogood’s new focus, folks shifting into summer and out of school… a lot is going on.
However, in geekery, we also have a literal “Shift” key on the keyboard. It serves as an enhancement key. It makes lowercase letters into capitalized ones. It takes “Ctrl” commands and doubles the possibilities.
But, on its own, it’s primarily useless… unless you accidentally spam it and activate Sticky Keys.
All this has my gears turning about where we’re headed going forward, but I’ll let our excellent byline writers take it from here. Prepare to be shifted to a new space by the exciting things in store.
What to Expect in May
A 411 on Media to Keep Your Eye On
Much more excellent work from our team!
So excited we hit that $700 goal last Friday! Can’t wait to hear how folks enjoy the camp experience this summer! :)