Taking up the challenge set by Bishop Stephen at his inauguration address to use our talents to bless others, the Revd Matt Renyard, Curate of Radipole and Melcombe Regis, Weymouth, recently undertook a 24-hour gaming marathon. He was raising money, and sharing the love of God at the same time.
Taking the £10 gifted by +Stephen, Matt set himself the challenge to turn it into £100 within 24 hours. He is an avid gamer, who goes by the name of @g3mingcleric on a platform called Twitch, where fellow gamers can tune in and watch livestreams of others playing games.
Matt used this platform so others could watch and chat with him during the marathon. He not only managed to play games for 24 hours, but also raised a total of £350 for the work of The Children’s Society, with whom Salisbury Diocese are closely linked.
The Revd Matt shared his thoughts about the experience:
"I was blown away by the support shown by total strangers online. Live streaming the challenge and having the ability to chat with those that came to watch led to me having conversations with people from all over the world, including the USA, Canada, and South Africa. People with faith and those with none - all intrigued why a priest would be playing computer games, let alone for 24 hours! It led to some great chats and a chance to share the love that God has for each of us."
