Jesus commanded His followers to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). For one evangelical ministry, that mission now includes places previous generations could scarcely imagine: virtual reality.
According to a report by Religion News Service, missionaries with Cru have spent the past three years entering VRChat, a social platform where millions of users interact through digital avatars, seeking to build relationships and share the Gospel with people who may never set foot inside a church.
Meeting People Where They Are
Before entering virtual worlds together each week, the missionaries pray for God to guide them.
“Father God, just thank you for this opportunity to go and reach out to people who need You,” missionary Curt Curtis prayed. “Guide us and direct us to people who have a need in their heart.”
Order Travis Johnson’s New Book, “[Un]Embarrassed” on Amazon.com!
Rather than beginning with a sermon, the missionaries strike up ordinary conversations before discussing faith.
“At first we were like, what is it like here? Who comes here? Why are they here?” Frank Kuligowski, Cru’s digital strategist, said. “How can we bless them and, you know, love them and listen to them?”
The approach reflects a simple missionary principle: go where people are and faithfully share the hope of Christ.
A New Mission Field
For Geoffrey Powell, years spent in VRChat revealed a community filled with people carrying deep emotional and spiritual burdens.
“As I got to know the community more, I really started to feel the hurt,” Powell said. “I knew that the people in VRChat were real people that God wanted me to reach.”
The ministry’s work has already led some users beyond virtual conversations and into deeper discipleship. Stewart Freeman said regular Bible studies with a pastor inside VRChat transformed his life.
“As crazy as it sounds, God used virtual reality to call someone into that space to lay out the gospel in its fullness,” Freeman said. “It was the first time where I believed the gospel.”
Freeman later joined Cru’s Jesus Film Project to help reach others in virtual reality.
The Mission Never Changes
Technology continues to reshape how people communicate, build friendships and spend their time. While the methods may evolve, the calling remains the same.
The question may no longer be whether the digital world is real enough for ministry. If real people are searching for hope there, then it may also be a place where the light of the Gospel should shine.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
