Before we go any further in these nuggets, we want to reiterate something. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."Romans 8:1
If you have been convicted by the Holy Spirit that Halloween is evil and something that your family should not participate in, do not be burdened with guilt or condemnation. Just ask Jesus to forgive you and show you His will for your family.
If you have been convicted by the Holy Spirit that Halloween is evil and something that your family should not participate in, do not be burdened with guilt or condemnation. Just ask Jesus to forgive you and show you His will for your family.
And remember that pumpkins, black cats, apples, the colors orange and black, bonfires, etc. are not evil in themselves. It is what we do with them. God does not call Christians to be legalistic or self-righteous. Listed below are several ideas on alternatives to the common way of celebrating Halloween. For me personally, I believe the most effective means of counteracting the darkness of Halloween is to share the light of the gospel. So whatever I do on Halloween will be some form of witnessing, not just having some kind of fun. Of course, I think sharing the gospel in unique and powerful ways is FUN!
Harvest Festivals
"Harvest Festivals" are carnivals with booths for food, face painting and skill games. Participants receive candy after they have tested their skill. The festivals are free or have a nominal charge. They are geared to meet the needs of young children. Many traditional Halloween activities continue in these festivities: Bobbingfor apples, costumes, giving candy away to children, pumpkin carving contests, etc. Biblical costumes are promoted. Occult and death theme costumes are frowned upon. Children wearing such garb are lectured or turned away. Conversely, the kids in occult costumes should be most welcome-they really need Jesus. Harvest Festivals are a great way for providing an alternative for the community and young children. However we believe some of the other activities listed below are a better alternative for Christian families. Harvest Festivals can be an effective means to 'wean' children off Halloween. It is not too late this Halloween to stop the trick or treating. Take your kids to a Harvest Festival as a special treat and they won't even be upset they did not go out trick or treating. And next year do something else special.
Family Night
Parents are replacing Halloween with family night activities. Take the family out for a special dinner. Or make it a really big event.Why not start a NEW family tradition for October 31st in your family? You can have a family meeting and make the plans for the special evening. Choose some FUN & CREATIVE things to do as a family. Maybe even have a Board Game Marathon. Give each member of the family a special responsibility. Each one of you can do something to plan, prepare and take part in, for your special evening. Family times are too often rare or non existent. Bake some cookies and make some popcorn the old fashioned way. Have some FAMILY FUN. Next year you can have the 2nd Annual Family Fun Night. You can't have the "first annual" because if you think about it, it really has to be the second time to be "annual". What a great way to counteract the attacks on the family. Take the devil's holiday and bring healing into your family.
Parents are replacing Halloween with family night activities. Take the family out for a special dinner. Or make it a really big event.Why not start a NEW family tradition for October 31st in your family? You can have a family meeting and make the plans for the special evening. Choose some FUN & CREATIVE things to do as a family. Maybe even have a Board Game Marathon. Give each member of the family a special responsibility. Each one of you can do something to plan, prepare and take part in, for your special evening. Family times are too often rare or non existent. Bake some cookies and make some popcorn the old fashioned way. Have some FAMILY FUN. Next year you can have the 2nd Annual Family Fun Night. You can't have the "first annual" because if you think about it, it really has to be the second time to be "annual". What a great way to counteract the attacks on the family. Take the devil's holiday and bring healing into your family.
Glory Gatherings
"Glory Gatherings" is where all references to Halloween are removed and wholesome games are played, Christian songs are sung and Christian videos are shown. Children can invite their friends over and even have a sleep in if Halloween falls on Friday or Saturday.Do you know kids in the neighborhood that are open to the gospel? What a great way to reach them!
"Glory Gatherings" is where all references to Halloween are removed and wholesome games are played, Christian songs are sung and Christian videos are shown. Children can invite their friends over and even have a sleep in if Halloween falls on Friday or Saturday.Do you know kids in the neighborhood that are open to the gospel? What a great way to reach them!
Decorate yard and hand out candy and tracts.
Why would you hand out candy, if your opposed to Halloween? You see, if we just refuse to hand out candy, we are sending a message to those in the community that don't have our convictions, that we are a strange unfriendly family who doesn't care about their children. But, if we hand out candy and include an upbeat message about Jesus, then we are looked at as strange friendly people! As a result, we are redeeming the night with a message of light. You can decorate your yard with some catchy Halloween sayings like: "Let Jesus fill the Hollow" or "No Trick, God's Treat is Jesus"'. Have tombstones with Bible verses. For the kids in your home, have them dress up in Biblical costumes and handout candy. You can even dress up. Have some fun! Be sure and pray that God will use the tracts you hand out to bring someone to Jesus. You can even be as bold to ask people if they need prayer.
Why would you hand out candy, if your opposed to Halloween? You see, if we just refuse to hand out candy, we are sending a message to those in the community that don't have our convictions, that we are a strange unfriendly family who doesn't care about their children. But, if we hand out candy and include an upbeat message about Jesus, then we are looked at as strange friendly people! As a result, we are redeeming the night with a message of light. You can decorate your yard with some catchy Halloween sayings like: "Let Jesus fill the Hollow" or "No Trick, God's Treat is Jesus"'. Have tombstones with Bible verses. For the kids in your home, have them dress up in Biblical costumes and handout candy. You can even dress up. Have some fun! Be sure and pray that God will use the tracts you hand out to bring someone to Jesus. You can even be as bold to ask people if they need prayer.
Judgment House or Christian Haunted House
Some of you are thinking, "I thought you were against haunted houses and anything that creates fear in children". We are. But there is a godly fear. A fear that can motivate us to serve God instead of the devil and sin. A fear that causes us to look at our life and want to change. Judgment Houses are sponsored by churches. There are various scenes that present the deeds of darkness and there is a short gospel presentation at the end.
I strongly support this as an alternative to haunted houses. Some may feel that the scenes are too graphic. I have heard parents complain about it. But these same parents allow their children to play evil video games and watch violent movies. WAKE UP! Sin is ugly, destructive, and ugly to see. But it is a wake up call for "innocent Christian kids". I went to one Judgment House and there were some non-Christians in line who had been drinking and were joking about what a silly 'Haunted House' this was going to be. Guess what? As they went through each scene there was no joking. They were quiet and solemn. PRAISE GOD! Do you have a rebellious teenager, take them to a Judgment House. I would suggest only teenagers and older for this type of activity. Be prepared to wait in line for 1-3 hours.
Some of you are thinking, "I thought you were against haunted houses and anything that creates fear in children". We are. But there is a godly fear. A fear that can motivate us to serve God instead of the devil and sin. A fear that causes us to look at our life and want to change. Judgment Houses are sponsored by churches. There are various scenes that present the deeds of darkness and there is a short gospel presentation at the end.
I strongly support this as an alternative to haunted houses. Some may feel that the scenes are too graphic. I have heard parents complain about it. But these same parents allow their children to play evil video games and watch violent movies. WAKE UP! Sin is ugly, destructive, and ugly to see. But it is a wake up call for "innocent Christian kids". I went to one Judgment House and there were some non-Christians in line who had been drinking and were joking about what a silly 'Haunted House' this was going to be. Guess what? As they went through each scene there was no joking. They were quiet and solemn. PRAISE GOD! Do you have a rebellious teenager, take them to a Judgment House. I would suggest only teenagers and older for this type of activity. Be prepared to wait in line for 1-3 hours.
Hide
Lock the doors, turn off your lights, put your kids to bed real early, and tell them Halloween is wicked and you do not celebrate it. This is foolishness. We are to be a LIGHT, not to hide from darkness. REDEEM theday. Lift up Jesus. He is the Lord of even October 31. He is King of Kingsand Lord of Lords.
Lock the doors, turn off your lights, put your kids to bed real early, and tell them Halloween is wicked and you do not celebrate it. This is foolishness. We are to be a LIGHT, not to hide from darkness. REDEEM theday. Lift up Jesus. He is the Lord of even October 31. He is King of Kingsand Lord of Lords.
7 comments:
I LOVE HALLOWEEN AND I CELEBRATE EVERY YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You people take this anti Halloween way too far and hate what you don't understand. Your loss.
The sad thing is that the one commenting above truly is at the loss. He/She is the one who does not understand what it is they are taking a part in.
We pass out candy and tracts. Our kids know and understand why we don't celebrate Halloween. They enjoy giving to others. There have also been Halloweens where we went out as a family. It depends. Honestly, this year we are not spending the money on candy or going out to eat. We will probably stay in and play games.
Our biggest battle with our children and Halloween is they are the only ones in our church and Christian school who do not go. They are confused of why the others celebrate something that is steeped in such evil. Then the thoughts come of maybe it really is not bad if the others do it. They don't dress in bad costumes.
Anyway, I think that it is a shame that parents don't heed to the truth of this holiday just because they are afraid to upset their children. It is worth the battle. Plus, like you said, there are alternatives.
Those are excellent ideas, Amy! At our church on October 31st, we have our annual "Give God the Glory Night". I'm not sure how many years they've been doing it. To give you some idea, I used to go when I was a kid! We used to dress up in Bible character costumes, but they no longer do that (not that they turn anyone away who might). This year we will have a moon bounce among many other games and fun things for the kids to do. There is also a time of Bible teaching. And of course, each child will go home with a huge bag of teeth deteriorators, oh I mean candy, that was donated by members of the church. My children have never celebrated Halloween, but we do have fun on October 31st. As for "anonymous" up there, I feel sad that you would give place to the devil and celebrate the evil Halloween - often called the devil's day. I am proud to be "anti-Halloween" and I always will be. My children don't miss out on anything!
As a child we celebrated Reformation Day. It was a great way to learn about our Baptist heritage. We would read excerpts from some of the works of the reformers. Ocassionaly we would dress up like one of the reformers and pass out candy and tracts. When people would ask about the costume it provided a great opportunity to share the gospel.
We usually just get away and go out and eat. But some wise young lady taught her mother a lesson who then suggested to her husband that it is a great time to share the gospel. For many years we have been running away from Halloween. Now we are going to use this opportunity to pass out tracts (plus candy) to the little ones (and their parents) who need Jesus. God bless that young lady named Amy who God has used to touch our hearts in many ways. Thank you, sweetie, for reminding us that the time is short and we must take every opportunity to reach the world.
I appreciate your comments. To the first annonymous, my heart breaks that you do not see the danger and evil in halloween. Maybe you do not know Jesus CHrist as your Saviour and if that is the case, my heart breaks even more. I want you to know that Jesus loves you and died so you don't have to be seperated forever from Him. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." I pray you will accept Jesus as your personal Saviour before it is eternally too late.
Rachel- you are doing the right thing by standing up for what is right and abstaining from what is wrong! Keep up the good work.
Pam - I am also very proud to be ANTI-HALLOWEEN!!!
Anonymous #2 - That sounds like a very neat idea too!!
Mom- You brought tears to my eyes! Im glad I was a positive influence to you and dad. I love you guys so much! You brought us up right and for that I am eternally grateful!
Amy, I posted something on my blog and put a link to your blog about the Halloween alternatives. I hope that was okay! - Pam
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