It’s been a number of days since Pokémon GO has been released in the United States. Small businesses, parks, and places of worship are discovering new ways to take advantage of this augmented reality app’s popularity. New ideas are being formed as it’s introduced to other regions of the world.
There are a number of us here at ACS Technologies who walk outside and enjoy this app together. It gives us an opportunity to communicate with people within our company that we might not speak with on a regular basis. Finding that commonality with others is what could give your church a way to draw players, especially millennials, to your door.
How can your church take part in the phenomenon?
First, I would encourage you to download the app to discover why this game is so popular and why it’s inviting Pokémon enthusiasts to your church’s front stoop. You’ll learn quickly that blue beacons that litter the GPS-like map are called PokéStops. These allow players to collect items every five minutes and keep them from spending real money to receive the same goods.
While not all churches are marked as PokéStops, many are! If your church happens to be one of the chosen, it could prove beneficial. Here is a handful of ways your church can take advantage and participate.
Plan Pokémon GO events! Activating lure modules at your church’s PokéStop during an event could entice players from all around to find interest in what you’re doing. Planning events around Pokémon GO might draw some extra attention if it’s advertised well enough. A walk around a park, a cookout, anything that would allow visitors to participate in a church activity is welcome.
Invite your friends! Youth and college groups are excellent places to experiment as there are likely students already attending that have downloaded the app. It could be a great opportunity to ask them to invite their friends to a place they feel they can have fun and belong.
Grow your membership…? Once they attend, they’ll be exposed to God’s word. They’ll be surrounded by people who have welcomed and encouraged them to stay by using an app they have in common. A positive first impression is crucial to gaining new members.
So get out there! A new way to grow your church is here. Now that you know just a little about what the app can do, try it for yourself! Let us know what you come up with!
I own the app and I’d have to agree to this. I’ve walked by the local church a few times since it’s a Pokestop and I wouldn’t mind the church hosting events to try and bring more people in. I don’t go to church myself but I’d like to see more people go because of interactive stuff such as Pokemon Go.
I completely agree with everything said in this article. The popularity of the app and the placement of all the pokestops being churches could be an opportunity to improve membership. i know if my church featured a picnic or another event based around the app, and combined it with fellowship, volunteer work, or a bible study of some sort i would definitely attend.
I completely agree with everything said in this article. The popularity of the app and the placement of all the pokestops being churches could be an opportunity to improve membership. i know if my church featured a picnic or another event based around the app, and combined it with fellowship, volunteer work, or a bible study of some sort i would definitely attend.