By Jongho Lee —
Every Thursday evening, about 20 people gather for a devotional – not in a traditional church, but in Minecraft.
This is how Florian Homberger, 43, is a Reformed pastor in Müllheim, in the Swiss canton of Thurgau, evangelizes.
Surrounded by blocks, virtual buildings and digital landscapes, Florian interacts with other players all around the world – and he introduces them to Jesus.
At his online “church service,” about half of the participants had no previous connection to the church.
“The traditional church is unfamiliar territory for many people,” Florian Homberger says. “But Minecraft is their living room, where they feel at home.”
Since the summer of 2025, he has been holding weekly Christian devotionals in Minecraft with other members.
The meetings last about 30 minutes and connect biblical teachings with activities in the game.
Participants collect items related to the week’s theme or build structures that illustrate passages from the Bible.
“I felt surprisingly strongly connected to God,” Floria says in German.
Homberger became interested in Minecraft after officiating at the funeral of a parishioner who had enjoyed playing the game.
When he conducted the funeral, members of the man’s online gaming community came in person to say goodbye.
Seeing this, Homberger realized that relationships formed through online games could be much deeper than he had expected.
At first, Florian was not good at the game. On his first night, his character died ten times.
He did not give up. He kept playing and eventually built a virtual city called Convento.
He noticed that churches already existed throughout the game world. Then he wondered, Why not hold a service there?
In the summer of 2025, they decided to try holding Christian devotionals in Minecraft.
What began as a new idea later developed into a regular gathering held every Thursday evening. About 20 people participate in each session.
When discussing the verse about passing through fire without being burned, participants built obstacle courses over pools of lava in Minecraft.
At the end of each meeting, participants gather in a circle inside the game to pray.
When they pray, they launch a firework rocket into the Minecraft sky.
“The rockets are like prayers rising to heaven,” Florian says.
He sees Minecraft not simply as a game, but as a social space where people can build real relationships.
“Anyone who claims this is anonymous or superficial has never experienced how intensely connected you can feel,” Homberger said.
For him, the relationships formed in Minecraft can be just as meaningful as relationships formed in physical spaces.
“Many people feel hesitant about church and faith. In Minecraft, part of that barrier disappears,” Florian says.
