Halloween – The Most Missional Day of the Year?
(Guest post by Pastor ChristianAnn Larson)
Think about it: what other day of the year do families from all over your neighborhood come up to your door ready to interact?
It’s a pretty sweet deal (pun intended), and a really fun way to love our community in the name of Jesus. What if the purpose of Halloween for our missional communities was simply this: to deepen our relationships with neighbors. This Halloween we want to ask, “what is God doing on Halloween night?”
HERE IS A FUN CHALLENGE:
Create a hospitable environment on your lawn or home. HOW? Give Neighbors an excuse to linger… Offer hot cider or hot cocoa or bring a back yard fire pit out front and make s’mores!
Here is a Halloween Experiment break-down:
- Set up a table offering apple cider/coffee/tea to people walking the neighborhood on Halloween night.
- OR bring out fire pit and s’more supplies.
- Stand out front of your house and greet trick or treaters before they get to your door.
- Make it your goal to learn 3 new names of neighbors and a significant story from someone that stops at your house. The story could be about how long they have lived in the neighborhood, what their kids are involved in, or something they spend their time doing.
- HAVE FUN!
Make sure you have a feedback loop, this way you won’t miss what you learned: Find a time to talk to your roommates, spouse or kids or 2-3 other people in your community about what it was like to try and approach Halloween this way. What did you learn about your neighborhood or your neighbors? How did people react? How did it feel to try this? Did you sense God leading you in any of your interactions?
Don’t miss such a great opportunity when the neighborhood comes to you!
(Guest post by Pastor ChristianAnn Larson)
Think about it: what other day of the year do families from all over your neighborhood come up to your door ready to interact?
It’s a pretty sweet deal (pun intended), and a really fun way to love our community in the name of Jesus. What if the purpose of Halloween for our missional communities was simply this: to deepen our relationships with neighbors. This Halloween we want to ask, “what is God doing on Halloween night?”
HERE IS A FUN CHALLENGE:
Create a hospitable environment on your lawn or home. HOW? Give Neighbors an excuse to linger… Offer hot cider or hot cocoa or bring a back yard fire pit out front and make s’mores!
Here is a Halloween Experiment break-down:
- Set up a table offering apple cider/coffee/tea to people walking the neighborhood on Halloween night.
- OR bring out fire pit and s’more supplies.
- Stand out front of your house and greet trick or treaters before they get to your door.
- Make it your goal to learn 3 new names of neighbors and a significant story from someone that stops at your house. The story could be about how long they have lived in the neighborhood, what their kids are involved in, or something they spend their time doing.
- HAVE FUN!
Make sure you have a feedback loop, this way you won’t miss what you learned: Find a time to talk to your roommates, spouse or kids or 2-3 other people in your community about what it was like to try and approach Halloween this way. What did you learn about your neighborhood or your neighbors? How did people react? How did it feel to try this? Did you sense God leading you in any of your interactions?
Don’t miss such a great opportunity when the neighborhood comes to you!
In my town – the churches come together every Halloween to host a “bright and light party” – there is food, entertainment for kids – and the kids form church put on a dance and share the gospel. It is a great community event and an opportunity for the gospel. At the end of it – the kids are too tired to go trick or treating – the church provides the Light alternative to a festival of darkness. Indeed churches all over England do similar things and insist it is a great opportunity to share the gospel – they don’t pander to Halloween – but offer an awesome, irresistible alternative- the result of church unity. Perhaps you should consider this?
The last few years in North Mpls, I had big candy bars, and also small Gospels of John in the basket with the candy. Some kids would take them, some wouldn’t, I would just talk and offer the basket, and as people would ask questions, we would talk. One kid saw the books, asked what they were, and when he heard they were a part of the Bible, he told his other jr. high aged friends, “Boys, you gotta take one of these, it’ll be good for you.” I laughed, but seriously what a great opportunity! Just like JD preached a few weeks ago, about why Sheridan should say that Jesus is the reason you do that, we also should be sure to say that Jesus is the reason we do what we do on Halloween! I hope you have a great night in the neighborhood and I’ll be praying for lots of opportunities to share & interact!