We've all heard about the teenagers stuck in their bedrooms playing video games, as rare in the outdoors as Pikachu and MewTwo.
Now these teens are everywhere to be seen – walking around towns, cities, parks and beaches worldwide, collecting and battling pokémon at pokéstops and gyms throughout the nation.
And one place these young people are to be found most of all is at church.
This is because the mapping algorithms behind the game have put thousands of pokéstops and gyms in churches, drawing hundreds of thousands of kids playing Pokémon Go to institutions that might have thought they had lost them forever.
The churches have responded by reaching out to this sought after generation, finding fun and imaginative ways to "compel them to come in".
The Church of Engand even issued guidance on how to catch 'em all.
Christian Today brings you some of the best signs so far, thanks to Twitter Moments.
City Road Methodist Church in Birmingham was first to throw the Pokémon mission ball:
Church of England makes churches Pokestops to attract #PokemonGoUK players https://t.co/0uR6wv4tKt pic.twitter.com/hWds0Q1BjD
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) July 15, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Rachel Duvall tweeted her incredulity:
Did I really just see this church sign?" data-caption="null" data-credit="null">
Angie spotted:
an actual church sign spotted in south milwaukee pic.twitter.com/lWO86tJI9T
— angie (@aeieo) July 14, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">For Gloria Jackson, it was church as usual:
Just your usual church sign pic.twitter.com/J0wqfRyefL
— Gloria Jackson (@GloriaJackson2) July 16, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">It's not quite clear what Kenwood church is trying to say:
So my church is a stop for Pokemon Go and this is what our sign says pic.twitter.com/drORhuf159
— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcooperr) July 11, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">St Andrew's "quotes" the legendary, MewTwo:
Welcoming our new neighbors: 2 pokestops and nearby gym! #PokemonGO #pokemon #yeg #118ave #churchsign #yeg pic.twitter.com/WsIye6wOES
— Mark Chiang (@mdrchiang) July 14, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">The West End Christian Community offers Pokémon outside, Jesus inside:
the church sign by devins house is my fave pic.twitter.com/vJJOcEvfjD
— hales (@haleighbohn) July 17, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">And there's this compelling sign:
The sign at our church pic.twitter.com/aV9s8GXswg
— Andy Feliksiak (@andyfeliksiak) July 15, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Naples church has added a little more theology than most:
so the church by my house updated their sign pic.twitter.com/iTEQTZVlF3
— gabby r. (@DeJesusGabby) July 15, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Wade Pond signals first-hand knowledge with how fast the game drains phone batteries by offering phone charging outside – and a spiritual charge within:
#PokemonGO The newest church sign #churchsigns pic.twitter.com/0BND43p3Xw
— Wade Pond (@RevWadePond) July 13, 2016 " data-caption="null" data-credit="null">Others are giving away New Testaments, offering to "make your pokéstop a Jesus stop".
