It’s late October, which means Halloween is right around the corner. You may be asking yourself if-or-how you should celebrate the holiday.
Merriam Webster defines Halloween as, “October 31 observed especially with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o’-lanterns during the evening.”
Admittedly, it is fun to dress up and have an excuse to eat excessive amounts of sweets with friends, but where does celebrating this holiday fall in the discussion of compromising your Christian beliefs?
Some of the controversy surrounding Halloween and the church include celebrating the dead, evil spirits, ghosts, goblins, ghouls and even demons. We’ve heard it all before.
My answer is not should we celebrate Halloween, but how can we celebrate Halloween to where we are not sticking our nose up at a largely celebrated holiday by the secular world?
Celebrating Halloween does not have to include the above mentioned evil things.
At my church, First Moore, we celebrate with Halloween House Parties.
With food, fun and games for all ages as well as silly costumes, we embrace the fun parts of Halloween and fellowship with our neighbors and friends.
There are parties around the city of Moore hosted by different family groups in order to reach as many people as possible in an environment with which they are comfortable.
What I like most about the Halloween House Parties is they provide a fun environment conducive to meeting the people in your neighborhood, making it possible to get to know each other and establish a relationship.
The best way I know how to share my faith is by first building a relationship and trust with whomever the Lord has put on my heart.
By denouncing a holiday like Halloween, saying it’s the devil’s holiday or adding any other negative connotation, we are missing out on a tremendous opportunity for ministry where we live.
In order to reach those who are lost, we have to get out of our comfort zones and show that we care enough about others to share the Lord’s love for them. What better way to do this than gathering with food, fun and the silliness of Halloween?
If you have an opportunity to celebrate the holiday, I encourage you to be open to how the Lord might use you in your neighborhood.
Make friends with neighbors and invite them to church. We have seen lives changed through Halloween House Parties, and it all started with someone willing to open their home, garages or yard to the families in their neighborhood.