This month the Northern Division is holding the latest in a series of new regional Salvation Army Gamers Assemble (SAGA) events at the Duluth, Minn., Corps.
An earlier SAGA event took place in January at the Left Click Lounge in Minneapolis. Another is planned for August at North Dakota State University’s Esports Lab in Fargo, N.D.
The video-game events are designed for teens through young adults (ages 13-29), according to Captain Ross Anderson, Northern divisional youth secretary.
“Kids are using these virtual platforms to make friendships. We try to reach that community and bring it into a corps environment. There we have Salvationists, kids on the fringe, and those outside of The Salvation Army who can meet and mingle. We have an officer do devotions; we have a time of prayer. We encourage participation in camping, as well as being connected to a corps,” said Captain Ross.
Mason Colestock, youth outreach coordinator for the Northern Division, said competitions for Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers game series and the Fortnite game platform have been added. The top two finalists for each region will qualify to compete at the gaming camp finals, February 21-23, 2025, at Northwoods Camp in Finlayson, Minn.
“A lot of people like the competition, especially in Fortnite,” Mason said.
“Bringing the competitive aspect has made people more excited to come to these events. We encourage them to bring their friends. At the last event, we had 5-10 new people who don’t go to a corps.”
Captain Josh Polanco, general secretary for the Northern Division, shared a devotional at the start of the January SAGA event.
“The Salvation Army providing these types of events is a win-win,” Captain Josh said. “We invite people out of their isolation and bring them together. We eat together, interact, connect different corps and connect youth leaders. There is a time of fellowship, we share a devotional, and then we let them play. They are getting what they like, and we are encouraging community.”
“It’s nice to see corps people and non-corps people sharing the same interest and getting a little bit of the gospel,” Mason added. “We want to bring people together who have the shared interest in gaming and also fulfill our mission to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The SAGA events are just new and creative ways of reaching people, according to Captain Josh.
“William Booth was an innovator. He tried all sorts of different things that might have been cutting edge with the sole purpose of reaching a generation,” he said. “These events are bringing people in the door.”
