Alternative Ideas for Halloween"

[UniqueDesire]

Please come in........
We won't slam the door on you!

Fall is already here. The seasons change and we can see God's Majesty and Power.
We see the leaves change and fall from the trees. Birds have started to fly
south for the winter and yes the northerner are coming right behind them.

Halloween comes in the fall. If you have children you will have to make a
decision on how you will spend that evening.How you will spend October 31st?
There are a number of options for you to consider.

Hear are just a few ideas:

• Decorate your home for "Fall"
• Find a local Church that is having an alternative celebration and attend.
• Some Churches have a Bible Character Dress Up Contest. Wanda shared some of the costume ideas she has used for her daughter. "My Church has gone to a "Fall Festival" theme and my children dress in "Christian" costumes.  And oh how they enjoy trying to be creative.  Here are some of their past ideas.....the parable of the woman who lost one piece of silver.  (my daughter had a long dress on, broom, candle, and coin purse).  Another was Sarah when she was old and pregnant.  (she had gray hair, a big belly).  Pharaoh's Daughter (dressed in purple, with lots of shine, she had a basket with a baby, and lots of make-up).  These are some of the ones I can remember."
• Volunteer to help with the games and activities at the church
• Turn off all your lights and hide - not recommended
• Buy some Christian Tracts and candy and share your faith with others.
• You could also give out small New Testaments or a "Daily Bread" free devotional booklet with your candy. Christian Bookstores have great bookmarks and pencils just to name a few items you could hand out IF you choose to leave your lights on.
• 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".
• Have a celebration with a theme. How about Christian Heroes and Martyrs? It was on October 31, 1517 that young Martin Luther nailed the Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church and lit the fire of the Reformation. How about a Bible Quiz or charades game. Or bring out the Bible Board games like a Bible Trivia game.
• How about a missionary evening? Choose the country where you have a Missionary that your church supports. Then use the country to help you choose the food you make and the decorations. You can even have people wear clothing or a hat to go with your theme. Why not make it a potluck dinner? You make the entree and others can bring dessert and side dishes. You are only limited by your own imagination. Why not contact the missionaries by email? Ask them to send you some information or links.
• Pray for others! Pray for the Lord to bring in the Harvest. Have a Bible Study and Prayer time with others or by yourself.
• Use & share the history of Halloween information with others
• Here is a current email about what one Christian Family is doing:
  "Annie, I happened across your page while doing research for our annual "Jesus is Lord of halloween too" party...we are a family who celebrated halloween for many years until God changed our lives.  For the past 3 years we have chosen to celebrate Jesus instead.  I would like to share with you some of the things we do at our "party".  The children spend the afternoon attaching candy to tracts or bookmarks (whatever we can afford that year) to hand out the trick or treaters.  After the tracts are done, we carve pumpkins with crosses or the name of Jesus or any other Christian symbol.  We do dunk for apples, we also play all sorts of silly games, some include "finish the bible verse" and "bible trivia." My kids have told me that they have more fun praising Jesus on that night than they ever had "trick or treating" God bless you and your pages! Mrs. F"
• From a recent visitor: Our church, East Brent Baptist (not that it matters because there are NO denominations in Heaven), in Pensacola, with about 5,000+ members, has Judgment House for the two weekends around Halloween.  That is where Tour guides (me!) and a group of people (usually limited to 15-18) move from room to room where, in each room, actors/actresses stay and reenact the same scene for each group.  There is always a message about choices and their consequences and there is always a message about Jesus and loving Him.  We always end up in Heaven with Jesus delivering His message through the actor. Isn't it nice to be able to go to "heaven" so many times during the season??!! We have a ball!  My whole family is involved in some way.  Our sons are actors and my husband is in technical, and we thoroughly enjoy participating.  It's amazing what can come from a Judgment House because just recently, some people made it their business to "find" me to tell me that (not really) because of me taking them through, not once but twice, TWO years ago, they came to East Brent because it was a "walking" church, not just a "talking" church and they were saved!  Praise GOD!  Of course, it was NOT me, but the Lord at work in their hearts! I was just the instrument. 

[babyboomer1977]

Oct. 18, 2009 at 9:14 AM

Wow! I really like this idea!

[charlann]

Oct. 27, 2009 at 6:44 AM

our youngest daughter and her family go to a church that doesn't celebrate Halloween; instead, they showcase the talents of all their age groups in a talent night.  another local church, here we go to a weekly Blible study, has a Hallaluya party, featuring a bonfire, over which they cook hotdogs that are served along with other sidedishes.  this is an outdoor party, weather permitting.  they also plan some games and other itneresting activies for the children.