When I first heard about ReachConf, it sounded almost too on-the-nose for what I care about: a conference for Christian gamers, streamers, cosplayers, and content creators, hosted in a church, built around the gospel, and unapologetically nerdy.

Thanks to an absurd amount of generosity from my community, I actually got to go and was able to take SnackGirl with me! This post is my report back to everyone who has invested in digital missions by supporting me.

If you want to watch me walk through photos and tell these stories out loud, the VOD is here:

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So… what is ReachConf?

ReachConf is a Christian content-creator convention held at Aloma Church in Winter Park, Florida. It’s built for gamers, streamers, YouTubers, musicians, cosplayers, and church/tech/ministry leaders who live in the intersection of faith and digital culture. (ReachConf Website)

The heart behind it comes from Romans10v9 (yes, that’s his gamer tag), who started Reach as the finish line of an evangelism push where dozens of streamers ran Alpha content on their channels and had real conversations about Jesus with their communities. That campaign snowballed into ReachConf becoming an annual “gather the tribe” moment for Christian nerd culture.

ReachConf is built to help creators:

• Celebrate gaming and nerd culture without checking their faith at the door
• Get practical training from industry voices and respected people in the creator world (TikTok, animation, esports, game devs, etc.).
• Be equipped and inspired to serve one of the most neglected mission fields on earth: digital communities

The Vibe: Dance Party, Arcade, Bible Conference, and Family Reunion

The schedule was super packed with multiple things happening at once:

• Console, PC, VR, and retro setups running non-stop
• Massive D&D one-shots
• Game shows with real prizes (including a new PC and an actual car)
• Cosplay, photo ops, live music, and main-stage sessions packed into three days

There was no way to see it all. At any given moment, four things were happening at once. A tournament over here, a VTuber/production workshop over there, karaoke party, a panel on the main stage, and some side-room session on ministry or mental health. You literally had to choose what to miss.

One fun highlight was the creator meet and greet icebreaker. They did “Two Truths and a Lie” on stage. My three statements were:

1. I once ate 120 wings in one sitting.
2. I hold an obscure speedrunning record.
3. I own (and have worn) a pretty purple tiara.
   I got caught in the lie and had to eat a mysterious “punishment snack” that looked like cat poo, tasted like fruit-meat-cinnamon chaos, and turned out to be a dried banana thing. Definitely not the worst fate. Reach Talk

My “Lore” Talk

My main talk was a creator session built around the theme: Meaningful content comes from knowing who God created you to be (read it here). In it, I went through a big chunk of Chpater 3 of my book and then laid out five “roles” that tend to show up in Christian content creation:

• Fighter – the visionary leader who charges ahead, carries responsibility, and takes the hits for the team
• Bard – the communicator who sets the tone, carries the “vibe,” and connects emotionally through story and personality
• Cleric – the pastoral soul-carer who quietly holds everyone together and keeps the mission rooted in real people
• Wizard – the tech and systems brain, building software, websites, and setting up systems to help the party.
• Ranger – the agile strategist, good at experimentation, marketing, and meeting people who will support the mission.

The point was simple: no one can be all five so party up!

Most small creators feel “not okay” all the time. They’re trying to lead, do tech, care for people, make content, promote everywhere, and keep their life together – and then wonder why they’re exhausted and discouraged. My argument in that room was that God wires people differently on purpose. The church understands this when we talk about spiritual gifts but the nature of Christian content creation tends to lead to a lot of siloing and lonliness.

So on the back of everyone’s badge, we added a little “class icon” from my talk and challenged people to:

1. Pick the role that best fits how God seems to use them right now, and
2. Go find at least one person from each of the other classes to form a “party” they could stay in touch with after the conference.

It was really exciting to be able to answer questions and then watch as a crowd of people came forward to get their badges. I’m planning some follow up content to keep the ball rolling too.

TACO’s Unique Role at ReachConf

Getting to ReachConf was an answered prayer. Travel isn’t cheap, and my family situation is complicated. So when we started talking about going, the TACO community stepped up in a big way. Folks gave, shared, and brainstormed incentives.

It was fun, but also a very literal reminder that I was down there because a community of creators cared about me and believed digital missions were worth sacrificing for.

[If you want more pics, come join the TACO Discord!]

The Worship, the Prayer Line, and a Phrase I Needed to Hear

One of the moments that stayed with me had nothing to do with games.

During the big worship night, I had been asked, along with a few other pastors, to come down to the front and pray for anyone who wanted it. I stood at the front, pretty stiff and stoic, and various creators came asking for prayer for some very desperate and heartfelt needs.

I’d been feeling worn down, and honestly, at times I’d wondered if my quieter, more introverted style was a liability. People who know my stage presence or streams assume that I’m a pretty energetic and extroverted person. It’s a surprise to many that IRL I’m actually super reserved. Apparently, my “resting grumpy face” had even brought the TACO team to ask my daughter if I was having a bad time. She assured them that I was having a blast and that was just how my face looks.

That night, unprompted, Aki, one of the lead organizers, sent me a text saying, “Your talk last night was amazing and your steady presence has been a blessing!” The words “steady presence” were a lifeline to me and an unbelievable encouragement. It gave me permission to be the kind of person and pastor I actually am, instead of feeling bad for not being more charismatic and extroverted.

What Now?

Coming home was a little comedic whiplash. Florida palm trees in the morning, and trudging through snowy Montreal and Ottawa in flip-flops and shorts that afternoon. Then discovering my furnace had quit. Welcome back to Canada. Oh, and Anita’s home now and, for reasons I still don’t understand, the family got a new puppy.

Even with the chaos of coming home, Reach left me with a few clear gifts:

• Renewed energy to create some content I’m really proud of to help the creators I care so much about.
• Fresh connections with creators and Christian org leaders who share a heart for digital missions.
• Follow-up talks and training ideas already taking shape.
• TACO is planning a Discord revision and a new version of the TACO Training Course in January.

Please keep praying:

• That I can use this momentum to breathe new life into my work as XtianNinja and as TACO’s Exec Director.
• That the seeds planted at Reach bear fruit long-term in creators’ lives and communities, and that I follow up with them well.
• That more doors open for speaking and training opportunities in the months ahead.

Thank you again to everyone who made this trip possible. I’m genuinely grateful!