{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F7fa075ec-7eee-4aed-8f6b-4506db828f95","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"Bearded Blevins Streams His Faith","description":"Jonathan Blevins tried video game streaming at his internet star brother's suggestion; now, he evangelizes with it\r\n\n\n0:02: Jonathan Blevins, a video game streamer on the popular gaming site Twitch, engages in a discussion about faith with his followers. It\u2019s an unlikely place for such a discussion, but Blevins, a lifelong Catholic with thousands of followers, sees this as his unique mission field.\r\n\n\n1:40: Blevins, CEO of Little Flower Media Company, talks about his background growing up in a Catholic family in Metro Detroit. While he and his two brothers played video games, it was considered a special treat \u2014 not something to do every day. He remembers playing Mario and Pok\u00e9mon, and games like Halo and Call of Duty when he was older.\r\n\n\n4:02: As Jonathan grew up, video games took a back seat, and he became more serious about his faith. He studied theology and began to work in his parish as a youth minister. However, in 2017, when the mega-popular video game Fortnite was released, Jonathan\u2019s curiosity got the better of him.\r\n\n\n5:25: Meanwhile, Jonathan\u2019s younger brother, Tyler \u2014 better known by his screenname, \u201cNinja\u201d \u2014 was quickly becoming an internet mega-star in his own right, streaming video games on a lesser-known platform called Twitch. Today, Tyler is the most popular streamer in the world, with more than 18 million followers. At Tyler\u2019s suggestion, Jonathan decided to try streaming for himself.\r\n\n\n7:01: A youth minister by day and Twitch-streaming Fortnite player by dusk, Jonathan\u2019s audience steadily began to grow. Quickly, he realized that his streams didn\u2019t have to just be about video games. Always himself, Jonathan began chatting with his followers about the things that were important to him \u2014 football, bourbon, popular culture and his Catholic faith.\r\n\n\n8:07: Finding success in his newfound niche, Jonathan decided to try streaming full time, and turned his hobby into a business, the Little Flower Media Company. Through 30-40 hours per week streaming, three podcasts, two talk shows and more media efforts in the works, he\u2019s developed a community of tens of thousands of followers who engage with him daily online.\r\n\n\n10:08: Jonathan\u2019s refusal to put his Catholic faith to the side has meant plenty of difficult conversations with strangers online. He discusses the similarities between youth ministry and streaming \u2014 starting with the need to calmly and lovingly talk about controversial subjects \u2014 especially as they relate to God and the Church.\r\n\n\n11:12: Jonathan recalls one stream in particular, on the day of the Supreme Court\u2019s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, in which he engaged with a follower who was particularly angry and vitriolic. Another time, he recalled engaging with a fellow streamer whose vulgarity led to a moment of honest self-reflection. In both cases, Jonathan says, it was important to recognize the God-given humanity behind the internet wall.\r\n\n\n15:03: Despite the torrent of filth that can exist online, Jonathan believes in the power of love to reach the darkest places. Always the optimist, it\u2019s his characteristic sign-off tagline that reverberates after every stream: \u201cI love you; God loves you. Let\u2019s change the world,\u201d he says.\r\n\n\nReporting by Gabriella Patti; narration by Emily Mentock; script by Casey McCorry; production by Ron Pangborn\r\n\n\nThis episode is brought to you by Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services. Pre-planning is a gift of love for your family. To start this important end-of-life conversation, visit cfcsdetroit.org.\r\n\n\nListen to \u2018Detroit Stories\u2019 on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Fireside. Podcasts also will be posted biweekly on DetroitCatholic.com.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/2960b785-5813-437c-8967-20b52ca9d581/cover.jpg"}