Utilizing Cultural Events for Ministry

In case you’ve been hiding in a cave somewhere the past 2 weeks, Pokémon Go has taken over the world.  Actually even if you were in a cave, you might have heard about Pokémon Go because you may have run into someone exploring a cave looking for Pokémon.

Pokémon Go has caused a major stir in the world as people are running around all over looking for Pokémon on their phones. Is Pokémon Go a fad or will it last? I honestly don’t know. I do know that Nintendo has big plans for this game and marketers all over are looking for ways to use it for their businesses.

That is where the question of the day lies.  How can churches and ministries utilize cultural events like the Pokémon Go phenomena to share the gospel to others?

The great news about what is happening right now is that churches and ministries are using this “cultural event” to figure out a way to minister to people who are playing this game. They are setting up lures and trying to make their church a Pokestop, etc. And then when people come playing the game they are giving away waters and snacks and trying to start up a conversation.

It is really cool to see so many churches and ministries think creatively in how to reach out to the people who are playing Pokémon Go. As great as this is for churches and ministries, they have to be careful as they exam how to get involved in future cultural events.  For instance…

• You don’t know which will be a hit or which will be a fad. It’s hard to predict which one will last longer than a week and which won’t. The good news is that even if you reach 1 person for Christ for a passing fad, your efforts would have been worth while (in my humble opinion). But the question of should you spend time or money on a this will and should be asked and discussed.
• You don’t want to come across as insincere in your efforts. You don’t want to be accused of capitalizing on this cultural event and make people feel that you are “tricking” them into something.  There is so much skepticism in the world towards churches these day, you have to be very careful on how you communicate what you are doing.  However, if you do nothing you might miss a great opportunity to share about Christ to people who wouldn’t normally want to hear about him.

The reality is we probably don’t know for sure what will be the next cultural event to take the world by storm. However, if we fail to act and honestly seek to find a way to meet people that will ultimately lead them into a relationship with Christ, we will have wasted a great opportunity. That is why the next time something does happen, be sincere in your efforts, seek the Lord for wisdom and give it a whirl. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to use that cultural event to bring more people to Christ.

What do you think? What else can you be doing when the next cultural phenomenon hits? How can you reach out and minister to them? 

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