When Aaron received an email from a parent earlier this year, it made him pause. A young person had stumbled across one of Youth for Christ’s live gaming streams, just a casual drop‑in, nothing planned, and heard Aaron sharing about his own journey of growing up as a Christian. The young viewer began asking questions in the chat: “Do you think it’s harder for people who grew up in a Christian family to make a decision for Jesus?”
As Aaron gently talked with him, the conversation opened up. The young person shared that he struggled to make faith his own, and didn’t understand why he “didn’t feel anything.” Aaron and the team walked with him through those questions in real time.
A few days later, the boy’s mum emailed to share that he was asking to watch the streams regularly. She wrote that he had “never cared about church before, but he was much more excited to explore faith because you simply engaged with his question.”
For Aaron, this was a moment of clarity. “It was the first testimony we’d really gotten back,” he says. “You don’t always know the impact you’re having. So to hear that story so early on, it was really cool.”
“I always had a longing to talk about my faith online, but there was never a safe place to do it.”
Aaron has been gaming since childhood, but it became a lifeline during a difficult season. Online gaming became a place where he could connect with others. But one thing was missing: “I always had a longing to be able to talk about my faith online,” he says. “There wasn’t really a safe place to do that.”
Today, that gap is exactly what Respawn is stepping into.
“Jesus isn’t limited by space. Young people spend their time online, so that’s where we need to be.”
Young people spend more time online than ever before. Aaron quotes a statistic that “boys aged 15- 17 spend more time gaming online than they do in school lessons.” It’s a mission field of staggering scale, one we cannot afford to ignore.
WHAT RESPAWN LOOKS LIKE
Respawn streams live on Twitch four days a week. Each day has a different rhythm, Bible studies, guest conversations, open Q&A, and plenty of gameplay. The chat is moderated by trained volunteers and supported by safety tools to ensure a welcoming environment.
The conversations range from the profound to the delightfully unexpected. “Kids ask everything,” Aaron laughs. “From ‘What’s your favourite worship song?’ to ‘What’s your biblical opinion on veganism?’”
TAKING GAMING OFFLINE: NEW IN‑PERSON EVENTS
Alongside the online ministry, Youth for Christ is launching in‑person gaming competitions. Our first is in
support of Albion Street Church in Brierley Hill this May. It’s designed as a community‑wide outreach and provides the church with a launchpad for their new youth group.
HOW SUPPORTERS CAN HELP
Aaron asks supporters to pray “that people would continue to be reached… and that we keep God at the centre of it all.”
Aaron needs tech‑savvy volunteers, moderators, and content creators as the ministry expands. And financial support will help fund equipment, events, and the growing online presence.
“God Is Meeting the Next Generation”
If Aaron had to summarise what God is doing through Respawn, he puts it simply: “He’s meeting young people where they already are.”
And for a generation living, learning, and searching online, that might be exactly where the Church needs to be too.