How to Make the Most of Halloween

Leverage Halloween to Love Your Neighbors

Halloween gives Christians a unique opportunity to welcome our neighbors

I know several Christians who detest Halloween. A 2015 Lifeway Research study shows that 21% of American Christians avoid Halloween completely. I’ll be the first to admit that Halloween is not my favorite holiday; I’m both jumpy and squeamish, and to this day I cannot stand with my feet beside my bed for too long thanks to watching Stephen King’s Pet Semetary 20 years ago. But Halloween gives Christians a unique opportunity to creatively serve, love, and welcome our neighbors.

Acts 17:26 tells us that God has placed us specifically and strategically in our “places” (our neighborhoods) to know him, and to demonstrate his love, his generosity, and his care for the people around us. We are called to live our lives on ‘assignment’ and to take seriously the responsibility that we have to pray for our neighbors, engage in relationship with them, and speak the truth of the gospel to them.

Just because we’re on assignment doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. In fact, I would argue that fun and whimsy are a great way to tighten relational strings! Here are a few ‘do’s and don’ts’ to help us leverage Halloween as a way to connect with and invest in our neighbors. Read More

Three Reasons You Should Go Trick or Treating

Halloween can be a time to be on mission and build relationships that will deepen throughout the year.

Maybe you’ve been too distracted by the excitement surrounding this year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation to even notice but newsflash: Halloween is tomorrow.

This holiday has sparked quite a bit of controversy in Christian circles over the years. Halloween, as most know, has a mix of origin stories, some of them Christian, some pagan, and some occult. Its dark history certainly should concern us as believers and factor into our decision regarding how we and our families plan to engage in the festivities on the night of October 31st.

And it’s just that—your family’s decision. My family does not promote holiday myths (as in, our kids did not believe in Santa Claus), but we do participate in trick or treating.

Let me explain why. Read More

Halloween, or All Hallows Eve,is the eve of a Christian feast day, Hallowmas, or All Hallows Day.  Hallow is derived from an Old English word, halig, which means saint. Hallow and saint are synonyms. Hallowtide, or All Hallowstide, consists of All Saints' Eve (October 31), All Saints' Day (November 1), and All Souls' Day (November 2). On these days we commemorate not only the saints but all of the faithful departed. In south Louisiana it is customary to clean the graves of the departed, decorate them with fresh flowers, and to illuminate the graveyard at night with lighted candles.