The Open Door: When missions comes to you

Pokémon Go is quite the sensation. The first I knew about it was just a few days ago when people started showing up on our Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry property, going to our world globe fountain with their cell phone in hand, and walking about on the property in various places. The security officer approached our first visitor and found that he was from Spalding County and had driven to our site as he participated with the Pokémon Go game on his cell phone.

Tracts and cold bottled water welcomed those looking for Pokemon on the Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center grounds.

Following that first visitor, we had several others who showed up on the property including two young men that I encountered as I was the last one driving off the property late that afternoon. I engaged the two young men in conversation, found that they also were participating in the Pokémon Go game, had arrived in two separate vehicles, and had met one another walking about on the property.

One of the young men had a cross around his neck which gave me an opportunity to ask him if he was a follower of Jesus Christ. He then began to share his testimony about his relationship with the Lord and we had a good conversation with the three of us about the work of Georgia Baptists, who Jesus Christ is, and the importance of having a personal relationship with Him.

That evening as Janice and I were watching the news one of the national news broadcasts had a special feature on the Pokémon Go game that was taking the country by storm. The next day I was more observant and noticed young people everywhere walking around with their cell phones trying to identify where the game was taking them. Apparently our world globe out in front of the Missions and Ministry Center was a primary site selected by Google and folks began to show up on our property.

An opportunity you can't miss

It occurred to several of us simultaneously that this was an opportunity we should not miss. Could it be that God was sending people onto our property that might not attend a church anywhere and might never have an opportunity to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ? The answer to that, of course, is absolutely. As a result we prepared some evangelistic tracts, an ice chest with iced-down bottles of water, and alerted our state missionaries to be prepared to share the Gospel with any of the Pokémon Go gamers who happened onto our property.

It is my understanding that one of the intentions behind the creation of the game was to get young folks out more into the community, walking about and discovering new places. Wouldn’t it be wonderful in that process if they not only discovered new places, but also discovered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Don’t miss the fact that the younger generation is a wide open generation willing to talk about most anything. Engaging them in conversation about their spiritual life and their need for Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior is not a difficult transition.

I have been told that Google has placed many of these Pokémon symbols on church properties as well. If you begin to have surprise guests on your property I encourage you to take the opportunity to share Jesus Christ with them. We are living in a remarkable time in which we have no idea what opportunities might be presented to us to share Jesus Christ with others.