p>Coronavirus: Leicester church uses Minecraft to teach Bible to teenagers
/p>
p>17 May 2020
/p>
p>A church has resorted to Minecraft to teach its youngsters about Christianity during the lockdown.
/p>
p>The server was used to recreate Leicester's St John the Baptist Church so that the youth group can have a place for Bible lessons.
/p>
p>Josh Young, the organizer said that it was an opportunity to meet young people "whereever they are" and interact with them in a space that is familiar.
/p>
p>Virtual reality means that they have also been able creative with their lessons.
/p>
p>For example Mr Young created an underwater whale to ensure that the children could learn about the Jonah story. Jonah and challenged the teens to build boats to study the story of when Jesus stopped the storm.
/p>
p>The 27-year-old youth worker added: "Having a community for these youth is extremely important and I wanted to keep that in mind in the lockdown.
/p>
p>They don't have any friends and some are struggling right now. https://igralni.com/ On Minecraft they can connect, chat and play games without physically being present. It's a tool to engage and build communities.
/p>
p>"Young people" live in an online world , and the Bible encourages us to meet people wherever they are, within their communities.
/p>
p>"Jesus challenged the boundaries of what people thought was typical worship, he would be happy with the idea that the church is moving forward."
/p>
p>Every Wednesday, around 20 children aged between 11-17 spend two and a half hours on the server.
/p>
p>During that time, they are free to explore the world or pursue their own ideas however, for 30 minutes they are transported to a shared area to complete a Bible-themed mission.
/p>
p>Mr. Young stated that they'd ensured that the adults could manage the children's participation and prevent any bad language.
/p>
p>Rosie, 15 years old, is one of the teens who regularly joins. She told us, "I love it because it lets me talk to my friends while playing, it's just as enjoyable as getting together at our regular youth group."
/p>
p>"I thought it was great that Josh transported everyone to one location. We also held a contest to build a boat using Matthew Chapter 8, when Jesus stopped the storm. My team won because we made lightning storm clouds."
/p>
p>A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?
/p>
p>AVOIDING CONTACT
/p>
p>LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area
/p>
p>Maps and charts: Visual guide to the outbreak
/p>
p>Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.
/p>
p>End of the year churches might not be back on course.
/p>
p>10 May 2020
/p>
p>Lockdown nightclub is recreated in Minecraft
/p>
p>26 April 2020
/p>
p>Muslims prepare for Ramadan under lockdown
/p>
p>23 April 2020
/p>
p>Coronavirus (COVID-19). The - Government
/p>
p>Coronavirus (COVID-19). -- NHS
/p>
![[PukiWiki]](image/pukiwiki.png "[PukiWiki]")
