It’s game night at the church house!
A historic Virginia church has created “VERSES,” a Bible-based trivia card game.
The historical Alfred Street Baptist Church, located in Alexandria, Virginia, which traces its history back to the early 1800s, has now entered into the world of gaming. The game was inspired by Pastor Howard-John Wesley, who alongside his ministerial team and creative producer, were looking for a way to make creating Bible study lessons easier while Wesley was in his PhD program during the pandemic. That’s when they decided to create a Bible based trivia game show entitled “VERSES.”
“We started the online game show in July of 2021 and it lasted for 8 weeks. The viewers were so engaged and requested to have the questions available to them in some way. Initially it was thought to create a study guide or coffee table book but Brooke Watson, our Creative Production & Online Engagement Manager had the idea to turn it into a physical card game,” the team told Because Of Them We Can.
Photo Courtesy of Alfred Street Baptist Church
This past October, the team began researching manufacturers for the first game prototype and by Cyber Monday, the game was available for sale. The team switched up the colors and made the game a little bit more palatable branding wise for a larger audience – but in essence, it’s the same game they started playing right inside the church. With so many people out of the physical church during the pandemic, they just thought this was a fun and easier way to keep people engaged.
“We hope this game will create a zeal and excitement for people to study their word. It has been very easy to become disengaged with church and Bible study during the pandemic so we hope this game creates a spark to get back into it…This game is necessary because oftentimes we hear sermons and sit in bible study but don’t retain much. This fun style of trivia has so many fun and little known facts that will entice people to go back and read up on stories in the Bible,” they said.
The “VERSES” card game features 148 cards filled with biblical trivia questions. The card decks range from easy to hard and players can split into teams of two or play with larger groups. Each team has 30 seconds to answer a question and the first team to 150 points wins the game.
The church plans to bring back their online game show each summer with a new edition of the card game coming in the fall. They are also working on a digital app version of the game for players to download. Ultimately, they just want people to be able to have fun while learning more about the Bible.
“We’re super excited to be launching this card game especially because there don’t seem to be many like it on the market. It’s a fun, engaging way for friends and family to learn more about God’s word,” they explained.
To purchase your “VERSES” trivia card game, click here.
Photo Courtesy of Alfred Street Baptist Church