Wylie Church Embraces Pokemon To Reach Young People
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WYLIE (CBS11) - Whatever you think of the Pokemon Go craze, you might be surprised to hear some crediting the new video game with the road to salvation.
Players have become recognizable in public walking around wherever their phones lead them. But First Baptist Wylie's porch just happens to be a spot where players come to stop and recharge their game, and that has presented a golden opportunity for church leaders.
A game that sends grown adults alongside children chasing fictional Pokemon characters might be hard for some to take seriously. But for Michelle McCarthy, a break from serious is what she needed.
"I was staying at home doing nothing. Literally I wouldn't watch TV. I didn't do anything. I would just sit down and not do anything, and now I want to go out," McCarthy said.
McCarthy and her boyfriend, Robert Chase have spent the last several months recovering from a terrible car accident that still haunts them.
"He mainly suffered the physical damage, and I had all the mental damage," McCarthy said.
Michelle and Robert are just two of the countless players Pastor Jonathan Carpenter has met since he realized last week his church's event center just happened to be a magnet for Pokemon Go activity.
"We've had people dealing with alcoholism and drug addictions at least in the past, and they're here, and they're playing this game, and so we're here, and we're playing this game," Pastor Carpenter said.
The church started giving out free bottles of water and free food to players and offering them a place to charge their phones. The game has also opened the door for dialogue.
"Honestly it was something I'd given up looking for awhile 'cause it's something people want, but it's so hard to find genuine people," Chase said.
Now talks that started with Pokemon strategy have led Michelle and Robert to counseling at the church and the hope that a game may have started them on a path to healing.
"It's pretty crazy. I never would have thought that the game would really bring a lot of different people together," McCarthy said.
The pastor tells CBS11 the game is one of the best things to happen to them with weekend services seeing new members who discovered the church by chasing Pokemon characters.
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