Christian parents need to engage with Roblox not simply fear it

Around 61 percent of children play games online and one of the most popular, Roblox, has around 85 million daily users, almost half of whom are under 13. Despite the popularity, many Christian parents and church leaders feel that online gaming is at odds with faith and find themselves unsure how to respond. Platforms like Roblox sit at the centre of this tension.

Roblox is a free, online interactive gaming platform where users can make and play a wide variety of games, from racing gamesand obstacle courses to role-playing and simulations. Users can chat to each other, use the in-game currency, Robux, as well as trade with items created in the games.

These benefits do not remove the risks, but they remind us why thoughtful engagement matters

The Church therefore faces an important question, will we simply warn against these spaces, or will we learn how to walk wisely within them?

The benefits of platforms like Roblox

Roblox can foster confidence, creativity and interpersonal skills by providing a digital environment where children build, code and share virtual worlds.

The collaborative nature of the platform encourages team-based play, helping young people practise communication, leadership, negotiation and resilience. For some children these spaces offer a rare opportunity to flourish. These benefits do not remove the risks, but they remind us why thoughtful engagement matters.

Understanding the risks of Roblox

Because the content is user generated, rather than by a game design company, there are additional safeguarding challenges.

Games are animated and designed in child-friendly colours and styles meaning harmful content can slip under the radar. This means children and young people are at risk of exposure to inappropriate language and concepts, unwanted contact with other users including older children and adults through chat features, pressure to share personal information and the potential for grooming or exploitation. Many parents and leaders are unaware of such threats until they appear in news headlines, which is often too late.

online spaces can become part of discipleship, where faith is caught as much as it is taught

Many parents and church leaders feel under-equipped to understand gaming platforms, and questions around data protection, privacy and breaches of personal information add further complexity. Both have a responsibility to protect children and young people, and the growing awareness that digital spaces are shaping identity, relationships and worldviews cannot be ignored - doing so risks widening the gap between church life and everyday life.

Recent safeguarding developments on Roblox

Roblox introduced significant safety changes during 2025 and 2026. Mandatory age verification now limits access to certain features through facial age estimation or official identification. Chat restrictions are tighter and private messaging is restricted. Content maturity labels now classify games as Minimal, Mild, Moderate or Restricted.

Sensitive social and political topics are now filtered for under-thirteens, and unstructured social hangout spaces are restricted to older users. Parents can also link their own accounts to monitor screen time, friend lists and access content remotely.

Read more:

Why I won’t be signing a smartphone free childhood pledge

5 tips for Christian parents to manage kids’ screen time

4 ways to prepare your teenager for a social media ban

The digital age of consent and data awareness

In the UK, the digital age of consent is 13 which means any programme or platform requiring a person to register with their own details must not be used independently by those under this age without parental consent. And because data breaches continue to be a risk helping young people understand why personal data matters is now an essential part of safeguarding, not an optional extra. Churches and youth organisations delivering digital programmes must ensure best safeguarding best practice and compliance with GDPR legislation.

online games are not separate from spiritual formation

Seeing digital spaces like Roblox as missional spaces

At Missional Generation, our Digital Discipleship and Mission approach recognises that online games are not separate from spiritual formation but that these spaces can be a form of modern pilgrimage - where faith is discussed, modelled and explored. We have seen this in practice within children’s and youth groups when using games from the App Store, such as Mekorama, to explore themes of safety and spiritual sanctuary. This puzzle game, similar to Roblox, invites players to solve problems and explore a world in order to guide a robot through a maze to a place of safety.

This experience naturally opens up conversations about care, support and spiritual direction, helping young people reflect on the everyday mazes of life within a discipleship group setting.

Practical steps for parents and church leaders

With strong safeguarding, informed parents and a Church willing to step forward, platforms like Roblox can become places of play purpose, conversation and hope.

• Safety begins with relationship - parents and leaders should explore alongside young people where possible.
• Use the available tools - enable parental controls, review privacy settings and link parent accounts where platforms allow. I have found that children and young people respond well to boundaries when they understand the rationale behind them.
• Create regular spaces for conversation - facilitate an ongoing dialogue about healthy digital life. Churches can support this by equipping parents and volunteers; resources such as Care for the Family, Parenting for Faith, Youthscape which all offer Christian resources that help parents and volunteers build confident, ongoing conversations about faith, identity and wise digital living with children and young people.
• Ground digital engagement in faith - when we treat digital spaces as part of discipleship rather than a distraction from it, we help young people grow in both confidence and character.
• Encourage use of devices in communal spaces - isolation can also make young people more vulnerable if something concerning begins to unfold unnoticed.
• Safe use away from home - give your young person guidance about how to use their device safely when out and about or with friends, particularly with those who have different boundaries.

A hopeful way forward

This advice reflects a deeply Christian understanding of care, where we walk alongside rather than watch over from a distance. When presence is modelled, non-judgemental conversations can evolve naturally and children are more likely to talk about what they are experiencing, ask questions and seek support when something does not feel right. Parents and church leaders can then share their own reflections, values and faith, not as harsh rules to be followed blindly but as a lived way of seeing the world.

In this way, online spaces can become part of discipleship, where faith is caught as much as it is taught, and where children learn that God is present not only in church, but in every part of life, including the digital world.