On the David Phelps message board, a bunch of us have been having a discussion about Trick or Treat night and just Halloween in general. We're sharing positive ways to involve ourselves with the holiday as a Christian should. One of the ladies was telling us about her experience and I wanted to share it with Sunshine. I think this would be a great thing to look into doing for the coming years.
Tell me what you think after you read it.
Jennifer
CherylK wrote:
For several years I had about 200 kids coming to my house on Halloween and it had always been fun. They were the same kids every year and I loved watching them grow up and always had a little chat with all the ones I recognized. But two years ago I had a bunch of adult sized teens start showing up. They were awful! The very last group that came up all looked like football players. The biggest one looked me right in the face and in a very adult deep voice said "gimme some candy!" and shoved the bag in my face. That was the very last time I handed out candy on Halloween at my house. Now I go to my church and participate in our "trunk or treat" festival. The kids trick or treat through the parking lot where the vehicles are all decorated, then come into the church for games, slides and face painting among other events. Its open to the public, we hand out bags full of candy, coupons, and childrens bible stories at the registraton desk. Its all free and they love it. We have a chili cook off, and after the judging, all guest can eat chili and hotdogs. I might have to miss my favorite kids, but its safer, and God is in the house!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Future Halloween Plans??
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3 comments:
Jason, Jamie and I were talking about this as we were walking around with the girls. We thought that we could do the same thing in our parking lot. Have everyone who wants to pass out candy be there at say 5:00pm. Make sure that you are there and no more cars allowed to drive in the lot after 5:30(safety reasons). Then at 5:30 all the people with kids can either park along Barklow or up at the airport's lot? You would start at the entrance and then weave your way through the cars and end up at the exit. We all agreed that it would be a great way to involve the community and would be safer for our kids. I think over time it would grow. I left the conversation thinking that it is definitely something we will try to do if OK with the elders and if there is positive interest from everyone else.
The chili is optional, although I would not be oppossed to trying different chilis. Spicier the better.
jennifer -- as doc said already, we were talking about this while we were walking around eating our daughters candy -- I mean holding their candy buckets. I think it could serve as a great opportunity to get to know our community a little better.
I'm thrilled to find out that you guys were also talking about these changes! I have felt for a very long time that Christians need to take positive action on a night like Halloween. I don't want the church to do what everyone else does. I feel we should stand out and be different in the world. That's what we are called to do....be different.
I feel that something like this would definately open up communication between the church and the surrounding community.
I'm not interested in Sunshine showing the community how well we can "worship death" like everyone else and thereby getting people to think we're cool enough for them to start coming to our congregation. I am, interested in showing our community how the church at Sunshine is different from the rest of the world and knows how to have a good time....while at the same time, teaching everyone about God and what it really looks like to meet people who are salt and light to a dark and lost world.
I look forward to great and wonderful things happening at Sunshine in the future concerning such a controversial subject as Halloween is. Sunshine needs to shine on Halloween!
I have alot of ideas for what I'd like to happen and would love to be involved in the planning of all this with others who see this as a wonderful teaching opportunity.
I want nothing to do with Halloween by itself, but if I can shed some light on the situation and create a Godly atmosphere where Satan is not welcome, then count me in. There just has to be more to it than stuffing our faces and dressing up. This is such a tremendous teaching opportunity and we just simply cannot let this pass us by.
VERY excellent things are happening at Sunshine! ;)
Jennifer
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