Do you remember the Pokémon Go craze? Sure it’s still around and fairly popular, but when it first came out in 2016 it took over the world. People all over were running around searching random spots, sporting events and places all over Pokémon on their phones. Pokémon Go was what’s trending for quite a while as young kids and adults were all playing.
Almost every day something different is trending. 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 this is that churches and ministries can use trending topics and events for ministry purposes. Back when Pokemon Go was trending, Churches and ministries were exploring all different options 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 was a phenomenal time as the Church really sprung into action.
The Dilemma
As great as this is for churches and ministries to get involved in this way, they have to be careful as they exam how to get involved in what’s trending. 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 one person for Christ for a passing fad and what’s trending at that moment, your efforts would have been worth while (in my humble opinion). But the question will always be that of should you spend your time or money on a this or not.
- 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 during a what’s trending type of event.
Conclusion
You probably don’t know for sure what will be the next cultural event to take the world by storm. However, you can rest assure, there will be other Pokémon Gos that happen. If the Church fails to act and honestly seek to find a way to meet people that will ultimately lead them into a relationship with Christ, it will have been a wasted 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 use what’s trending now to reach people for Christ?
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