Can Pokemon Go Fill Your Church's Pews?

By Rod Anderson, CP Cartoonist Friday, July 22, 2016

Pokémon Go is the latest mobile game craze and Christian public relations expert Hunter Frederick says as thousands try to virtually catch their favorite Pokemon, many churches are capitalizing on the floods of people who are traveling to their parking lots to find Pokemon.

The value of Nintendo's business has doubled since the release of Pokémon Go and according to Frederick, so has the traffic in church parking lots throughout America. The aim of Pokémon Go is to catch a virtual Pokémon that has been superimposed into the real-world. As users move around a virtual map on their smart phone while they walk through the real world, they can capture creatures and then train the Pokemon and battle them against others at Poké Gyms.

Poké Gyms are actual landmarks where players congregate and play around each other. Frederick told The Christian Post that given the number of people who've been randomly showing up around churches throughout the country, he believes church staff should use it as a ministry moment to share Jesus through acts of kindness and hospitality.

Available in more than 30 countries, including Canada and now Japan, Pokémon Go has made it into even one of the largest churches in America, Pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, said Frederick.

Frederick told CP that he's spoken to staff at many large churches around the country and all of them have noticed an increase of traffic in their parking lots. The congregation he's a member of actually put a cooler of bottled water outside with a sign saying: "Get your Pokémon and a free bottle of water."