Pastor Al "XtianNinja" Descheneau

I Went to the Most Important Creator Event in the World (ReachConf Recap 2025: What Happened and Why It Mattered So Much) 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.

I Went to the Most Important Creator Event in the World (ReachConf Recap 2025: What Happened and Why It Mattered So Much)

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,…

Public Message About Ending Dragon Roast Partnership I want to give a quick update for transparency’s sake. You might’ve noticed that I’ve quietly stepped away from my partnership with Dragon Roast Coffee. This wasn’t due to any drama or disagreement — the folks at Dragon Roast have been absolutely fantastic to work with. They’re kind, generous, and passionate about what they do. I still think their coffee is great!

Public Message About Ending Dragon Roast Partnership

I want to give a quick update for transparency’s sake. You might’ve noticed that I’ve quietly stepped away from my partnership with Dragon Roast Coffee. This wasn’t due to any drama or disagreement — the folks at Dragon Roast have been…

Reach Lore Talk Merging who God created you to be with who God called you serve,through the content God wants you to create MotherGoose Opens & Introduces Topic Briefly XN STORY: I remember when I first started as a pastor, straight out of seminary, I had no idea what I was doing. And that’s not an exaggeration, I really didn’t. Seminary basically only taught me how to study the Bible and do pastoral counselling – the rest of it, like how to baptize people, how to serve communion, what Board meetings are for, why Roberts rules exist, what a constitution is...

Reach Lore Talk

Headed to Florida for ReachConf 2025! Wow, it’s finally time! We’ve been talking about this for months now and I’m finally packed and ready to get on the plane. Reach is going to be amazing! For those who don’t k ow, ReachConf is meant to celebrate and inspire Christian creators, focused on fun experiences, relational connection, learning, and kingdom impact. I’m heading there as both a speaker and servant.

Headed to Florida for ReachConf 2025!

Family Update: Thanksgiving & Life 37 Days In For those who haven’t been following along, Anita entered a residential treatment program a little over a month ago to work through some serious mental health challenges. It’s been 37 days as of today, and she’s really been getting a lot out of the program—especially the individual counselling. I'm going to keep this update brief and to the point, but I've written more of the story previously.

So many of you have prayed and supported us—thank you. Anita’s been in treatment for 37 days, and the progress is real. We had a hopeful Thanksgiving together. I’ve shared an update here for those walking with us:

Personal Update: Reflections on My Sabbatical & a Brief Delay I’m writing this personal update with those who’ve been walking with me for a while - leadership team, supporters, donors, volunteers, viewers - but a lot of people have discovered me through this crisis. If you’re new here and wondering who I am and what this is all about, check out my Digital Missions Overview (what is a “digital pastor”) and my…

I’ve decided to push my return to streaming back to Oct 6.
These past weeks have been… a lot. I’ve been reflecting on the season I’m in, the lessons I’m learning, and what it means to keep building even when it feels like the wind keeps getting knocked out of me.

An Important Update About My Work with TACO and XtianNinja Online Missions To my donors, friends, prayer partners, subscribers, and the whole of TACO and the XtianNinja FamSquad: Right now Anita is in a highly structured residential setting receiving focused, specialist care. It’s the kind of environment hospital models haven’t been able to provide, and it is giving her a real chance to stabilise with dignity. It's an incredible miracle (and we're very close to our 60 day goal, so…

An Important Update About My Work with TACO and XtianNinja Online Missions

To my donors, friends, prayer partners, subscribers, and the whole of TACO and the XtianNinja FamSquad: Right now Anita is in a highly structured residential setting receiving focused, specialist care. It’s the kind of…

Family Update: Processing the Goodbye If you’d rather watch than read, I shared this update in two places: a shorter 17-minute edited video on YouTube (link) and a longer 34-minute version on Twitch (link). Both cover the same heart I’ll share here, but if you prefer to listen, those are ready for you. The Story So Far For four years I’ve split my world in two: life inside and outside of my stream room.

We dropped Anita off at treatment yesterday. It all happened so fast—six minutes from pulling up to saying goodbye. I’m still processing the mix of grief, hope, fear, and relief. If you want the full story, I wrote it here:

Descheneau Family Update: A Miracle Provision and the Next Step in Anita’s Care Over the weekend, God provided in ways I can hardly believe. In just three days, we raised over $17,000 of the $27,000 needed for Anita’s treatment. That's nothing short of miraculous. It means we're able to secure her place at Valiant and she moves in tomorrow. An unfortunate surprise came when I was told the final cost for a 30-day stay came to…

In just 3 days, God provided over $17k of the $27k needed for Anita’s care. Tomorrow she enters Valiant for 30 days of focused treatment. The need isn’t over—we’re still working toward 60 days. Please pray, give, and share:

My Family Is Breaking: We Need Urgent Help - XtianNinja You’ve seen my struggles on stream. What you haven’t seen is the hidden battle my wife Anita has been fighting for years. Now her doctors say there’s one chance left for real healing. We need urgent help: https://www.givesendgo.com/GJNMD

You’ve seen my struggles on stream. What you haven’t seen is the hidden battle my wife Anita has been fighting for years. The doctors have offered treatment, but it's far beyond our means.
xtianninja.com/2025/09/04/m...

#givesendgo #mentalhealth

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French streamer Jean “JP” Pormanove died live after days of abuse and a 10-day marathon. His story exposes how online culture exploits the…

https://xtianninja.com/2025/08/21/torture-for-views-the-death-of-jean-pormanove-and-what-it-teaches-us-about-streaming-exploitation-and-digital-missions/

TACO Training Returns: A Free 8-Week Course for Christian Content Creators (Aug 9 – Oct 4, 2025) Are you a Christian streamer, gamer, artist, podcaster, or online creator who wants to share Jesus through your content—but you’re not sure where to start or how to stay faithful while doing it? TACO Training is for you. From August 9 to October 4, 2025, join us for this completely free, 8-week, virtual course designed to help Christian creators gain clarity, community, and Christ-centered purpose in their content creation.

TACO Training Returns: A Free 8-Week Course for Christian Content Creators (Aug 9 – Oct 4, 2025)

Are you a Christian streamer, gamer, artist, podcaster, or online creator who wants to share Jesus through your content—but you’re not sure where to start or how to stay faithful while doing it? TACO…

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🎉 Two years ago, TACO became a non-profit. Today, it's a global network of Christian creators reaching the lost, lonely, and overlooked through digital missions.
I wrote a…

https://xtianninja.com/2025/06/20/celebrating-two-years-of-taco-a-journey-of-faith-and-community-claire-obscure-giveaway/

YouTube video by XtianNinja When We Pursue What is Necessary, God Adds the Unnecessary as a Gift

I thought if I just built the perfect system, I'd finally feel peace. But God isn't waiting for my plans — He’s offering something better.
youtu.be/PAD2Y8zMNTY

#ChristianMotivation #ChristianLife #BibleStudy #BurnoutRecovery #TrustGod

Celebrating 4 Years of Digital Ministry: XN’s 4th Streamiversary Subathon! A Milestone Worth Celebrating – And You're Invited! Four years of digital ministry – now it’s time to celebrate! On March 16th at 10:00 AM (EST), I’m hosting a Subathon packed with giveaways, challenges, and community-driven rewards. Every gifted sub unlocks new milestones, making this a celebration shaped by you! What’s a Subathon?A special stream where every sub extends the fun and unlocks…

Celebrating 4 Years of Digital Ministry: XN’s 4th Streamiversary Subathon!

A Milestone Worth Celebrating – And You're Invited! Four years of digital ministry – now it’s time to celebrate! On March 16th at 10:00 AM (EST), I’m hosting a Subathon packed with giveaways, challenges, and…

“They Told My Friend to 💀 Themselves” Ministry isn’t just happening in counselling offices and churches anymore—it’s happening live, online, in real time. During one of my livestreams, a viewer came into chat, shaken and angry. They had just witnessed something heartbreaking—a classmate had told their friend to end their life. They had spent 20 minutes trembling in fear and frustration, trying desperately to talk their friend into staying.

“They Told My Friend to 💀 Themselves”

Ministry isn’t just happening in counselling offices and churches anymore—it’s happening live, online, in real time. During one of my livestreams, a viewer came into chat, shaken and angry. They had just witnessed something heartbreaking—a classmate had told…

Notes from today’s Wellness Wednesday Talk: Where is God When Things Don’t Get Better?

#christianity #hope #faith #God

Content Strategy and The Twitch in 2025: Reaction to Harris Heller’s Video What is TACO & Why This Discussion Matters TACO (The Alliance for Creative Outreach) is a network dedicated to helping Christian content creators thrive in digital spaces. Whether it’s through streaming, videos, or community-building, our goal is to equip and support creators who want to make a meaningful impact. Part of that mission is staying on top of industry trends so we can help creators adapt without burning out or losing their purpose.

Twitch & YouTube are shifting in 2025—what does it mean for content creators? I reacted to Harris Heller’s latest strategy, covering multi-streaming, monetization, short-form content & community growth. Should Christian creators follow these trends? #contentcreation #Twitch #HarrisHeller

A little bit of Dragon Roast Coffee ASMR to perk up your morning. Today’s roast is “Oathbreaker”.

Use this link for 10% off the best coffee this nerd has ever had:
dragonroast.coffee/discount/Xti...

#asmr #coffee

TikTok Ban: A Christian Creator’s Perspective The growing concerns surrounding TikTok—its extensive data collection, its ties to ByteDance in China, and government actions worldwide—have left many creators uncertain about the platform’s future. These developments present unique challenges for creators who use TikTok to connect with their audiences. More importantly, they raise serious questions about how we, as Christians, handle influence, responsibility, and integrity in the digital space.

TikTok is under fire, and creators everywhere are wondering what’s next. As Christian influencers, how should we respond?

Overworking and Burnout: What Are the Signs? (Plus Practical Steps and Biblical Wisdom) Burnout. It’s a word we hear often but don’t fully understand until it hits us. For me, this subject is deeply personal. In 2009, I hit a wall—a wall I didn’t even see coming. I was pastoring at a church that could only be described as abusive. Weekly meetings stretched into the early hours of the morning, leaving no time for sleep or recovery.

Feeling overworked or burnt out? Learn to recognize the signs, understand the causes, and take steps to find balance and peace. Check out the full article and join the conversation:

Got some new click-clacks for my upcoming campaign! It’ll be live on my channel - and sponsored by a coffee company - so watch out for announcements!

I played a lot of games this year.
Here's my 2024 Tier List!

#pcgaming #twitch #horizonforbiddenwest #nierautomata #finalfantasyvii #wutheringwaves #infinitynikki

A Look Back at 2024 Romans 8:28 (“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good...”) speaks not only to the blessings we experience but gives us hope that the difficult parts are under His control too. As I look back on 2024, it's plain to see God guiding every moment—the victories and challenges, joys and trials. I'm sure each of us has experienced our share of both and yet, through your encouragement, faithful support, and prayers, you've helped make this year memorable and gave me incredible opportunities to share God’s love with the world.

2024 was a year of victories and challenges, joys and trials. From publishing The Art of Digital Influence to conference speaking, meaningful livestreams, podcasts, and growing community impact, I’m so grateful for your support. Here's my 2024 recap:

The Mission Field Your Church Is Overlooking: Reaching Digital Communities (Video) Summary In this post, I want to share highlights from a recent conversation I had with the Sunday School at Markham Chinese Alliance Church, hosted by Pastor Nathan Kwan. I was invited to discuss the heart of my ministry: reaching the lost and disenfranchised through digital platforms like Twitch. This post addresses key questions churches and pastors might have about digital missions, inspired by that discussion.

I just had the privilege of speaking with the Sunday School at Markham Chinese Alliance Church about the untapped mission field of digital communities. Discover how the church can engage online culture and support digital ministry.
#DigitalMissions

Get My Books on Amazon! If you want easier access to the Kindle version or a hard copy, I'm happy to offer my works on Amazon too.

Get My Books on Amazon!

If you want easier access to the Kindle version or a hard copy, I'm happy to offer my works on Amazon too.

I’m trying to find some more folks to follow so this app doesn’t feel like a ghost town second banana app full of strangers.

The Art of Being Interesting: 6 Steps to Build Real Connections Many creators share a common fear: I’m not interesting. This self-doubt can be paralyzing, hindering their ability to connect with their audience and build meaningful online communities. During a recent stream, a simple joke about feeling uninteresting sparked a powerful conversation, revealing how widespread this insecurity is. Many creators expressed similar feelings of inadequacy, questioning their worth and wondering if they could connect meaningfully with their streaming audience.

Want to know the secret to being interesting? It’s not talent—it’s a skill you can build! Learn how to connect authentically, share compelling stories, and engage your audience with practical tips.

#ContentCreatorTips #GrowYourCommunity #Streaming

Anyone else excited about @streamelements.bsky.social release of multi-streaming? How many of you will be spending some hours setting it up this weekend?