A unique holiday club blending gaming and faith brought young people together in Meon Vale at the end of July. Organised by Jay Niblett, Rector of Rivervale Churches (Benefice of Quinton, Welford, Weston, Marston Sicca and Meon Vale), the two-day event offered children and teenagers a chance to explore both competitive gaming and Christian faith in a safe, structured environment.
“I am a keen gamer, and I initially became inspired to do a holiday club during the pandemic. I was streaming and playing more, and I saw how games created safe spaces for conversations. It became obvious to me that gaming could be a natural way to bring people together,” Jay said.
Held at Meon Vale village hall, the holiday club ran morning sessions for primary school children and afternoon sessions for secondary school children. They got to play games such as FIFA, Grand Turismo, and Mario Kart, with challenges and competitions designed to encourage teamwork, creativity and problem solving.
They also explored a custom-built Minecraft world, which allowed the children to encounter Jesus.
“They entered the cave as a team, encountering dangerous creatures and obstacles. The world was designed to be challenging, so teamwork was essential. Then Jesus arrived in the game, who intervened to help them succeed. It illustrated the idea that God gives us what we need when we need it in life,” Jay said.
The custom-built Minecraft world was created through ‘Eden Forge Gaming‘, a platform that is run by Josiah Holloway and Revd Jay, and supported by ‘Land of Promise‘, a Singapore based project that specialises in building biblical narratives inside Minecraft.
Jay said: “Through gaming, I connected with others who were experimenting with weaving Christian stories into virtual worlds, including Land of Promise. I tested Land of Promise with my children during lockdown – we wandered through the desert experiencing the story of Moses. It was so much fun and it really captured their imaginations.”
After working with Land of Promise, Josiah and Revd Jay launched Eden Forge Gaming to help churches engage with gaming communities. Together they are developing resources for discipleship, fellowship and creative mission in digital spaces.
“Our vision is twofold. For me, it’s about discipleship – creating safe spaces where people can ask questions and grow in faith. For Josiah, it’s about transforming the gaming world itself, even one day putting competitive Christian teams into e-sports. Together, Eden Forge can provide resources for churches and help with events like the holiday club, but it can also make its mark in the gaming world too.”
The holiday club was free of charge thanks to a diocesan mission grant, ensuring that no child would be excluded due to cost.
Jay said: “The Church could use gaming more as a way to connect with people. Gaming is a powerful platform for building relationships and discussion. For children, particularly children who maybe aren’t connected to churches or places where it’s a bit more rural, they can connect with other young people in the online world and use Minecraft to learn about the Bible and faith.”
Jay hopes to run a four-day summer gaming camp next year that combines online play with real-world activities: “Mornings might focus on exploring faith through Minecraft, with afternoons spent on hands-on construction challenges or sports,” he said.
He has a vision of using Eden Forge to start regular online gatherings for young people, and occasional events for adults. These would encourage discipleship and fellowship, and eventually would evolve into structured resources for churches to run short faith courses within a game.
“You could use Eden Forge to go through a six-week course or a seven week course, but through gaming. The average age for a gamer is 30 years old – many adults are gaming, why not meet them there? It seems like now’s the time to find any angle where we can connect and see people, and become the Church of the future for the next generation. Gaming can help do that.”
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