The Dungeon Pastors

28/10/2024

My plane ticket for Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo is now purchased. Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. This is the life of a

I really appreciate Ron Meischker's invitation. I briefly met him in person at Gamehole Con, and it was an excellent encounter.

I'll be running the Shadowdark Sci-Fi Hack that Than Gibson and I have been working on (along with input from Nate Sims) and having a Time of Reflection on Sunday. Of course, I'm sure there will be other events as well.

If you're looking for another great convention, I highly recommend you come out and see all the fantastic special guests they'll have!

26/09/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EFUqCqRBn/?mibextid=J7ZoRX

10/09/2024

Someone contacted me about a blog post from a decade ago on The Theology of Monsters. During that time, I did a sermon series on The Theology of Monsters, and this person plans to do a similar one. I've always wanted to revisit that topic but haven't done so.

If you want to hear a sermon from over a decade ago, you can check it out here. It's a difficult one to listen to.

The Theology of Frankenstein is the second in a series of messages on The Theology of Monsters.

05/09/2024

Hey friends! Do you want to check out a great new convention? Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo has invited me to be a special guest alongside many of the early creators and contributors to the tabletop role-playing game industry.

If you're looking for a wonderful time, come check it out:

PAGE 2 will feature the finest in table top roleplaying games, board game and miniature gaming events, a dealer's area, guests from the gaming industry, a used game flea market/swap meet for non-commercial entities, an auction, seminars and so much more.

23/08/2024

Well, friends, I have a tip you should know. If you decide to run an ad on Facebook, scammers will immediately target you. I had a few extra credits, so I tried it since I hadn't run an ad in over two years, and new consulting work would be helpful right now. Heading into the fall, things begin to slow down.

Honestly, the ROI needs to be there for me to place an ad; I haven't seen it before. I get more consulting jobs through word of mouth rather than ads anyway.

I got an email, supposedly from Facebook, saying that my post violated copywriter guidelines. They even faked the URL pretty well and almost convinced me until it asked for my password. That always puts me off, so I went to Facebook and saw the ad was still running.

Be careful out there my friends.

21/07/2024

I'm about to head to bed. Tomorrow starts a new season of TTRPGs at Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville. I'll be doing something I've not done before: running a sci-fi campaign and tentatively titling "Blue Collar Space."

This season, I will also be working more extensively on collaborative storytelling, as my focus over the next 12 months will be helping people tell better stories. My working premise is that if we can tell better fictional stories as a group, this will help folks learn to tell their personal stories and journeys better.

08/07/2024

Over the weekend, I finished writing a foreword to a theological book on Theology and Dungeons & Dragons.

It still blows my mind that a nerdy, geeky boy from Louisiana's backwoods has been honored this way. My only sadness is that neither of my parents lived long enough to see everything their son had accomplished.

01/07/2024

I've been working on this Sci-Fi RPG because it takes me back to my roots. Science fiction has some of the most prophetic writing in our society. Today, I start another part of that journey by returning to Frederick Pohl in The Space Merchants to see how it holds up. It's a story of how the world is taken over by advertising agencies and by corporations.

The words of the prophets aren't written on the subway walls...they're written in the pages of Science Fiction.

31/05/2024

I went to bed frustrated and sad last night and woke up this morning to find that our GoFundMe for Origins Game Fair has hit the 75% mark. Thank you so much for your continued support.

I want to give a few shoutouts to those unfamiliar with my sources of support for the I do so that you can better understand where I'm at.

First and foremost, my wife, Jennifer. She's a teacher, so we all know she doesn't rake in the big bucks, but her job provides us with decent health insurance and pays the mortgage.

My Patreon supporters. In all transparency, my Patreon supporters allow me to pay the light bill each month and set aside a little bit to help pay for some supplies throughout the year.

Luke Gygax and the Gary Con Gaming Convention who are kind enough to provide me with a room each year and continued encouragement. They are the best. On that note, Carl Black should also get some serious thanks due to his willingness to drive me up there for the past few years and his kindness in buying a fellow gamer some meals. Carl is one of the kindest and most caring people I've ever met and embodies the Gospel in ways many could never imagine.

William Fenton-Jones and I work with the East Ohio Conference UMC at Origins Game Fair. Our work with them is definitely a Fresh Expression of what our faith can look like in a very different context. I still have to take care of much of my travel, but this ministry is worth it.

My GoFundMe fundraisers. These are how I often pay for travel and SWAG I like to give out. This year's fundraiser for Origins is helping to pay for the dice blessings I'm giving out, along with some wonderful open and affirming SWAG. (This Open and Affirming SWAG is being donated by the East Ohio Conference and is reflected in our fundraiser. If you want more details, please review the link in the comments.)

There are also folks like the fantastic Rory Philstrom, who goes above and beyond in his work and ministry through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is doing more than I could ever have dreamed or imagined.

Last but definitely not least, Glendale United Methodist Church - Nashville, which has continually supported me with prayers and encouraged me to run these discipleship groups using tabletop role-playing games. Glendale is a small, open and affirming United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN, and I'm so thankful for our pastor, Stephanie Dodge, as well as Steven Kyle Adair.

There are, of course, many others who continue to pray for and encourage me. People like Mike Perna of Innroads Ministries. Jolly and Barbara Mack Blackburn who are amazing friends. People like Skeeter Green and Craig Zipske who listen to my wild ideas. I know there are many more of you out there and I'm sorry for leaving you out.

I do much of this ministry on a budget of less than 10K a year. However, that doesn't leave anything for retirement, emergencies, or out-of-pocket medical expenses for my family or me.

Again, if you'd like to help out, please check the links in my comments.

25/05/2024

Here is the teaser I'll be putting out for our fall TTRPG series at Glendale United Methodist Church - Nashville

Join the Adventure in SPACE SCAVENGERS!
The Year is 2525...
Humanity has survived countless wars on Earth and has now expanded into the solar system. Mars has been terraformed, while Earth has become a sprawling junkyard dominated by powerful corporations. The system is controlled by three major corporations, the unified Earth government, and the Martian Territorial Dominion (MTD).

Your Mission
Become a space scavenger, exploring the cosmos to salvage old satellites and reclaim valuable resources. Or, dive into the perilous life of an asteroid belt miner, scraping by in a world where corporations reign supreme.

Choose Your Character
Play as Androids, Beast People, Cyborgs, Mutants, or Standard Humans. Each character type brings unique abilities and perspectives to the table.

Ready to Dive In?
Join us for an epic tabletop roleplaying game where survival, ingenuity, and adventure await in the vast expanse of space. Will you thrive under corporate rule or carve out your own destiny among the stars?

Grab your gear, and let's embark on this thrilling journey together!

24/05/2024

When I was pastoring full-time, people often thought I was crazy for suggesting using games like D&D in a United Methodist Church. In fact, our "system" told me quite frequently that they had no idea where to appoint someone like me who was doing this "outrageous" and "weird" ministry. It's one of several reasons I took family leave.

Now, of course, articles like this one below are becoming more and more commonplace.

By Rev. Stephanie Smith Rev. Matt Stout, pastor of Garden City UMC, has started a new ministry: Game Church. Born out of his love for Dungeons & ...

21/05/2024

As you know, we will be handing out at Origins Game Fair, but we also want to give something out to encourage people and chaplains of other faith backgrounds.

Donating to our GoFundMe will help provide vinyl stickers such as these.

https://gofund.me/e9495e32

19/05/2024

On Pentecost, Christians believe God created the church as the Body of Christ in a new way. For many, we still believe that God is continually doing new things in the life of the Church and the life of God's people.

If you'd like to support what I believe is a new thing, you can do so by supporting our work at Origins Game Fair. There, we will share the all-inclusive love of God with our fellow gamers by handing out lots of cool SWAG (including some amazing dice blessings.)

The link is below in the comments.

08/05/2024

Thoughts, prayers, and positive vibes are needed! June is quickly approaching, and I will be spending a week at Christ the King Lutheran Church while my friend and colleague in this thing we call , Rory Philstrom, is on a much-needed sabbatical.

Then, the next week, I'll briefly stop by the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the UMC annual conference to say hello to my friends and colleagues in my home conference. Then I pack up the car and drive to Columbus, OH, for Origins Game Fair to work with the East Ohio Conference UMC and others to promote gaming chaplaincy.

I'm excited that during this celebration of , so many churches and faith-based groups are interested in this game filled with stories. These games were attacked and vilified during the 80s, and finally, the church is seeing how they can be used for character development and the telling of fresh and hope-filled stories. It's incredible to see how much acceptance tabletop story-telling games have now, and I'm so happy about it.

23/04/2024

While I've been sick, the Facebook algorithm has not been kind to me. It would be really great if you could help us purchase some SWAG to give away at our booth at Origins Game Fair this year and have volunteers sign up to help with the booth.

You can find out more at my linktr.ee/thegeekpreacher

06/04/2024

Well, my events for Origins Game Fair have been approved. I'll be holding our service on Sunday, and what may interest folks is that I'll also be screening our documentary on The Satanic Panic and having a Q&A afterward.

Hope you're able to come.

27/03/2024

The phrase, “We MUST make America pray again” should make the heart of every person of faith cringe with shame and horror. The idea of forcing anyone to pray is antithetical to the Christian faith. In fact, performative prayer goes against the very teachings of Jesus.

Matthew 6:5-6

Jesus said,

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in public, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

10/03/2024

March starts off an especially busy year as a , as I'll be heading to back-to-back conventions in Lake Geneva, WI, this week. March 15, 16, and 17th is Founders and Legends, where we will begin the celebration. The celebration will continue the next week at the Gary Con Gaming Convention from the 20th to the 24th. (For those of us who are working at both conventions, there will be some time to visit and prepare between them.)

At Founders, I'll be running games and having a St. Patrick's Day Breakfast followed by the Eucharist on Sunday and then at Gary Con there will be dice blessings, games, an Interfaith Memorial Service on Sunday followed by a brief Palm Sunday liturgy for those interested.

I'm hoping to be at Chaosium Inc. Con in April and then in May, I'll be in Florida screening the Satanic Panic documentary at a church (more details to come on that one) and talking about 50 years of .

In June, I'll be heading to Minnesota to work with another church for a week and after getting back I'll make a brief stop at the Tennesee Western Kentucky Annual Conference and then get on a plane at head to Origins Game Fair.

I couldn't do all of this without the support and encouragement of my spouse, Jennifer and her mom Nancy Mallory Johnson. Nancy graciously watches our son when I'm out of town and it means so much to all of us.

Last, but not least, my Patreon supporters help this ministry work out as well. You folks help me with expenses that aren't covered as well as when things just come up short. Like all ministries such as these, the budget gets really tight yet I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to do such things.

Keep me in your prayers during this time. My health is pretty good but arthritis, that thorn (and it's a big one!) in my side, has been hitting me pretty rough.

Grace and Peace to all y'all,

Derek W. White
Your Friendly, neighborhood Geekpreacher

27/12/2023

This is a little late this year but it’s the third day of so there is still time to post it

The point is, it's Christmas (or actually Advent, but since no one seems to understand the difference between Christmas and Advent, whatevs, call it Christmas if you want, sure)!

17/12/2023

06/12/2023

As the D&D community grows in the local church, I’m realizing there is a need for more DMs and Gamemasters for this type of work.

It’s times like these I wish I had a personal assistant and/or someone to help me organize some trainings where I can show others how to do this.

As I’ve worked on a book, I’ve come to realize that whatever I write down is better learned hands on.

One can dream.

29/03/2022

At .con a number of new faces asked how they could support a and Well, here you go.

02/01/2022

Join me today as I start off the New Year with some thoughts on moving from darkness into the light from the Gospel of John.

24/07/2021

Official Post from The Geekpreacher

06/07/2021

We are forward-thinking old-school gamers who work to promote a community of support and inclusion. All are welcome at our table.