Maxine Harrison explores how God is using Christian influencers to reach people in places the Church has often overlooked. From Twitch livestreams to social media platforms, this is a powerful reminder that the mission field is bigger than we sometimes imagine.
When it comes to evangelism, there is often a traditional image that people have in mind: street evangelism, where you hand out pamphlets about Jesus or an upcoming church event. However, evangelism comes in many forms, and while not everyone may be called to be a street preacher, every Christian has a duty to evangelise, as the Great Commission outlines in Matthew 28:19–20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
But the call to make disciples can look vastly different depending on your mission field. In this day and age, there are ever-increasing methods of evangelism that have extended into the digital space.
Ysabella Grace is one example of this. A UK game streamer on Twitch, she describes herself simply as “a gamer who loves Jesus”, as her X profile reads. Having won the “Most Honourable Award” at Streamer University on 20 July, an annual six-day, live-streamed content creator bootcamp on Twitch, her experience is an example of how God can use his people in some of the least likely spaces to share the gospel.
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For context, Streamer University 2026 peaked at more than 711,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch and over 400,000 on YouTube, meaning hundreds of thousands of people saw Ysabella’s faith displayed in real time. Ysabella first rose to prominence in 2020 as a female gamer in a male-dominated space. Initially known for livestreaming games such as Call of Duty: Warzone, she has since branched out into lifestyle and variety content. She has also worked as a streamer hosting live online broadcasts for beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury.
Grace’s background as a gamer predates her Christian faith.
Grace’s background as a gamer predates her Christian faith. In a testimony she shared while livestreaming, she said: “I’ve always been a gamer. Even before Christ, during Christ, I was a gamer. But during COVID my friend encouraged me to stream and from there, when you have a relationship with God it kinda overflows from you… You just keep speaking about God because it’s literally who you are.”
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After coming to Christ, she married a Christian man. Ysabella has bravely shared the story of her divorce and what she endured during her marriage, including domestic abuse.
On her Twitch streams, which have a largely secular audience, she is unapologetic about her faith.
On her Twitch streams, which have a largely secular audience, she is unapologetic about her faith. She has prayed for her audience live on stream, and she carried that same boldness into Streamer University 2026. There, she rubbed shoulders with high-profile streamers such as Kai Cenat, founder of Streamer University, and A-list celebrities including Lizzo at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where the event took place this year. Having appeared on major stages and collaborated with high-profile brands, Ysabella remains committed to using every opportunity to speak about Jesus. She also hosts Bible studies on her livestreaming platform, covering topics such as avoiding rage-baiting, biblical genealogies and more.
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But Ysabella Grace is just one example of how God is using influencers in the secular marketplace to glorify his name. Paige Lewin, for example, originally built her platform as a natural hair influencer, encouraging Black women to embrace their natural hair. Although her content is not explicitly faith-based, she is open about her Christian faith and finds ways to reflect it throughout her content.
When we look at God’s heart, we see his desire to reach the lost. While we should be discerning about the environments we place ourselves in, we should not automatically rule out a space or underestimate what God can do through us there if he calls us to it. After all, how will the lost be reached if no Christians are willing to enter the secular spaces where they are? Paul also reasoned in the marketplace as part of his evangelistic ministry in Athens (Acts 17:17).
Ysabella Grace is a reminder of what God can do in whatever environment he chooses. Let’s not limit the ways in which God can work.
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