How do you attract millennials to a church? Get them to download Pokémon Go.
The increasingly popular augmented reality gaming app from the Pokémon media franchise is free to play and has become the most downloaded app in the U.S within the first three days of its release.
READ MORE: WHY ARE MILLENNIALS LEAVING THE CHURCH?
What’s even more surprising is that Pokémon Go is now bringing people to church, as players keep turning up spontaneously at houses of worship.
In the game, players go to “gyms” and “Pokéstops” to try to capture Pokémon – those Japanese cartoon characters that became all the rage back in the 90s. Players look at their phones and see the landscape around them, with the Pokémon characters imposed on the surroundings.
Pokéstops and gyms are stationed around the world, mostly at landmarks such as statues, public buildings, and other locations, like places of worship.
In the United States, churches are adapting to this rapid change in audience quite quickly. According to the Christian Post, a San Diego Presbyterian church organized a free meal with a Pokémon “Lure Module” event. (Lures help players attract more Pokémon to a certain area.)
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Griffith First Christian church in Indiana initially noticed the spike of people showing up glued to their smart phones before they realized the church was part of the game. The church reached out to players on Facebook, and even put out a cooler of water to help gamers stay hydrated while battling the rising summer heat.
Churches like San Diego Prebyterian and Griffith are connecting to communities they might not reach otherwise through a franchise that has been around for decades. Many are viewing the sudden rise in popularity of the game as an opportunity to share the Gospel with one popular faith-based blog even offering tips for catering to gamers.
“Pastors and church leaders can make fun of Pokémon Go and the players walking right outside their doors,” The Wardrobe Blogger writes. “Or, they can take Paul’s advice and become a gamer to reach the gamers for the sake of the Gospel.”
