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Coronavirus: Leicester Church Uses Minecraft to Teach Bible to Teens

Coronavirus: Leicester church uses Minecraft to teach Bible to teens



17 May 2020



During the lockdown, a church turned to Minecraft to teach its children about Christianity.



The server is being used to recreate Leicester's St John the Baptist Church to ensure that the youth group can use the space for Bible lessons.



Josh Young, the organiser, said it was a means of meeting younger people "where they are" and engaging with them in a world that they are used to.



Virtual reality has also been able to be creative with their lessons.



Mr Young, for example has created an underwater whale to teach them about Jonah's story. He also urged the teens to build boats to learn more about Jesus"calming a storm.



The youth worker, 27, said: "Having a community for these young people is really important and I wanted to keep that in mind during the lockdown.



They don't have friends , and there are some who struggle at the moment. They can chat and play with each other on Minecraft without ever physically there. It is a tool for engagement and building communities.



"Young people are living in an online world , and the Bible teaches us to meet people wherever they are, in their community.



"Jesus challenged the boundaries of what people thought was normal worship, he would be happy that the church is moving forward."



Every Wednesday, around 20 children between 11 and 17 spend two-and-a half hours on the server.



During that time, they are free to explore the world or pursue their own interests however, for 30 minutes, they're transported to a common area to complete a Bible-themed challenge.



Mr Young stated that they had made sure that the adults were able to control the children's behavior and avoid any bad language.



Rosie, 15 years old, is one of the teenagers who regularly play at the club. "I enjoy it because I can talk to my friends while playing, I enjoy it just the same as meeting for our normal youth club," she said.



"I thought it was great that Josh teleported everyone to one place. We also had a contest to build a boat from Matthew Chapter 8, where Jesus stopped an incoming storm. My team was the winner because we built lightning storm clouds."



A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?



Avoid contact: The rules on self-isolation as well as exercise



LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area



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