Some pastors throughout the country have started using other methods to draw teenagers in to church, including video game events, featuring games like the highly popular “Halo 3.”

For churches in Ames, there are differing views on the subject.

“I personally would not be comfortable with it,” said Misty Heinen, campus minister for St. Thomas Aquinas Church Catholic Student Center, 2210 Lincoln Way. “I think it’s better to try and promote things that are healthy and life-giving, that are going to be able to give back instead of promote violence.”

Heinen said the church would not sponsor events such as “Halo” night, that she would not be comfortable with students planning those events for the church with any games that were violent.

“Halo 3” is a first-person shooter game that has players running around collecting weapons and shooting other players in multiplayer contests. The game has been rated “M” for blood and gore, mild language and violence.

“I can see the concerns that people would have especially using it with high school or junior high youth,” said David Beagley, assistant pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church and Student Center, 2228 Lincoln Way. “I think that for college students, the concerns about the violence of the game isn’t as big as it would be for high school students.”

Beagley said “Halo 3” has more sci-fi violence and was not as bad as some other games on the market.

He said his church had no intentions to start using “Halo 3.” Nobody had approached them with the idea and they would not have the budget for that type of operation. Any future plans were more restricted by budget than anything else, Beagley said.

ISU students had different views on the subject.

“It’s not related at all,” said Pei Tong, junior in civil engineering. “‘Halo 3’ is violence and I don’t know why they’d bring it to church.”

Tong said he would go play, but that wouldn’t make him join the church.

Austin Sullivan, sophomore in industrial engineering, said “Halo 3” brings people together. He called it tame for an M-rated game.

“I don’t mind it. Church people are just like everyone else,” Sullivan said. “If this is what they enjoy, why not?”

Justin Mai, freshman in electrical engineering, said he didn’t think churches should use video games and he probably would not go to an event that did. He does not own “Halo 3,” but said he had friends who owned it.

“I think it would be a good way to get people involved in church, get people to come,” said Kevin Maurer, sophomore in art in design.

St. Thomas Aquinas has activities to attract students, such as movie nights, free food, dances, a trip to a corn maze and service activities.

Memorial Lutheran Church tries to get students connected to their community with activities such as singing in choir, teaching Sunday School classes and working with international students.