A Harvest of Blessings
This time of year can be a struggle for Christian parents. Halloween seems like such a fun holiday for kids. You dress up and visit the neighbors, shouting “Trick or Treat” when they answer the door. They toss a bunch of candy in your bag and you count your haul once you get home.
However, celebrating the night the Celts believed the ghosts of the dead returned to earth, may not be high on a parent’s to-do list–no matter how cute those jack-o-lanterns look on the everyone’s front steps.
Churches often acknowledge this challenge by holding their own type of celebration. Ours was called “A Harvest of Blessings.” All the activities and games centered around the kids, Bobbing for apples, bean bag tosses, Twister, etc. were set up at stations where each kid who participated received candy. Each station also had a Bible memory verse. The children were allowed to dress up in appropriate costumes, but usually they got tossed aside as they immersed themselves in the fun. Not once did we hear a child complain they felt left out of trick-or-treating.
As the children in our church grew, we were able to combine the activities and games with a potluck supper, so that all church members could enjoy the fellowship before the busyness of the approaching holidays.
What alternative harvest time events does your church coordinate? Does “A Harvest of Blessings” give you some ideas for your church? Have you ever struggled with explaining why you don’t celebrate Halloween with your kids? How did you explain it?
Wishing everyone a beautiful and blessed season.
They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest; he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish. (Psalm 107:37-38)
A “Fall Celebration” is a great idea. Carving pumpkins, making decorations out of leaves and sharing the Word of God is a fun time. 🙂
So true, Melissa. When the focus is right everything comes together.
My former church did Trunk or Treat. Church membmers park around the church parking lot and literally open and decorate their trunks. Kids from the church and the surrounding neighborhood did their trick-or-treating in the lot. Christian music played over loud speakers, church information was given to everyone, chili supper for a dollar. Etc. Very highly attended.
One of our local churches did that this year for the first time. Over 150 attended. Chili supper for $1 is a nice addition. I’ll have to share that one with the woman who organizes it. Thanks for the idea, Jean.
I love your post. Sorry to be catching it late, but I agree fully with you. The last church I was a member of before I moved to my present location celebrated Reformation Day. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a sheet of paper with his 95 Theses on the University of Wittenberg’s chapel door. So we celebrated the event by dressing up as Bible characters that night – adults and children – and enjoyed an entertaining evening of fun and fellowship.
That sounds like fun, Janice. No worries about being late. I’m finally responding to comments now. 🙂