My question is about murder mysteries. Some in our church really like this genre. Our campus ministry, planning one of these, invited our teens to a locally written murder mystery party/event. The teens’ ages range from the low teens to the high teens. Is this really appropriate?
I can see how you would want to protect teens from crime shows. In the same vein, many parents won’t let their kids go to Halloween parties, because they believe they are satanic. Yet I am afraid that, despite the good intentions, in time this will backfire. And even if it doesn’t, consider this fact.
The Bible contains many murders. (Would you keep your kids from learning about Cain and Abel until they were adults?) It also contains adultery. And sorcery. And dragons. And... (Am I overdoing it ? 😉
Children (and adults) love to play. Pretending to be the good guys or the bad guys, is something many of us did while growing up. Of course this can be overdone. Yet I would be more concerned if the teen ministry is relying on such events to keep the kids’ interest. Teen ministries need lots of great Bible teaching, heavy doses of Christian evidences, and regular opportunities for question-asking (in a safe setting). As long as these important areas are not being neglected, there is a place for fun and games.
