Redeeming Halloween

Next Saturday people around the world will celebrate Halloween. Christians have responded to this holiday in different ways. Some church-going parents allow their kids to go trick-or-treating not seeing anything wrong with that. Others ignore the day completely as to avoid “every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22) Then there are parents who send their kids to a “Hallelujah party” or some other alternative event. I’ve even heard of believers having “hell houses” (instead of haunted houses) to show people what eternity will be like if they die without knowing the Lord.

Since becoming a Christian in 1991, there were a few Halloween nights when I went out street evangelizing. Another time I attempted to give out tracts instead of candy to kids who showed up at my door. I quickly realized this wasn’t an effective way to reach children for Jesus. I remember trick-or-treating as a kid and would have been disappointed if an adult offered me a tract without any candy.

Six years ago a friend of mine planned to hand out bags of candy along with mini-Bibles but had a prior commitment. We prayed about what to do and a creative idea came to us. I volunteered to take her place dressed up as Jesus. I grew a beard for the occasion and wore a white toga plus fake blood marking the spots where the Roman spikes went into the Lord’s hands and feet. In front of the house, I placed a lighted pumpkin with a cross carved in it and also had a replica of the Ten Commandments instead of a tombstone.

Trick-or-treaters started showing up around 6:45 p.m. I offered bonus snacks to kids who could tell me who I was supposed to be. Many of them didn’t know. To my surprise, a lot of them didn’t know who Jesus was. It was mostly a night of seed planting since the kids were in a hurry to get to the next house. Fortunately, one girl prayed with me to get saved after she stopped to feel one of my fake wounds. Later two more salvations occurred...teenagers who were with two younger kids. Another young man asked me if it's wrong to celebrate Halloween. I replied, “There's a better way to do it.” That’s to glorify not the dead but the God of the Living.

Sharing the gospel with trick-or-treaters is a way of doing door-to-door evangelism without leaving your own house. Ask the Lord what He may want you to do this Saturday night.

“redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:16

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