“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:14-16
Sharing the Gospel on Halloween can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. The basic idea is to turn on your light and share the Gospel message along with your treats.
Want to go bigger? Here are some ideas:
• Dress up your goodies. Buy plastic bags, plain or decorated. Add a small toy or something fun. This can draw more attention to your treat and the message inside.
• Provide hot chocolate for your guests. Kids and adults love this. It can lead to time spent together and potential for deeper discussion.
• Set up a fire pit and roast marshmallows or make s’mores. Same effect as above.
• Have a box of Bibles to give away in case anyone is interested. You can order outreach priced Bibles at desiringgod.org.
• Buy or make separate, solid tracts to give specifically to adults.
• If you’re feeling generous give small New Testaments or full Bibles along with or instead of tracts.
• Do something big at your house to draw attention. Set up spotlights, games, fun scenes, whatever. People tend to remember these houses, and what you gave them.
• Use your skills, or those of a friend, and do magic tricks, balloon animals, music or something else fun.
• Invite the neighbors to your house for a “getting to know you” party early in the evening. Pass out fliers door to door that week to let them know.
• Invite friends to help out, especially if they have fewer children in their neighborhood. That way, you can double your efforts.
• Alternately, if you don’t have many children in your neighborhood, actively find someone who does and work with them.
• Pray, both before and after the evening, for the people you will meet and for a true love for your neighbors.
Whatever you do, don’t keep your doors closed! The world is coming to us. Let’s give them something “sweeter than honey.” (Psalm 119:103)
Sharing the Gospel on Halloween (or any time)
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to (many).” -1 Corinthians 15:1-5a
The Gospel can be simple, as Paul shows above. It’s about Jesus, what He has done and is doing. Here Paul’s talking to believers, or those who claim to be. So don’t forget, the Gospel is for everyone all the time, not just a one-time event in which we think someone responds and we move on. It’s what our salvation is based on, and we need to remind ourselves and each other of that even daily.
In its simplest form, we might say:
We all sin, failing God’s perfect standard, and deserve to be separated from Him forever.
Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t, died for sinners like us and rose again, proving He is God.
God calls us to turn from sin, which focuses on us, and turn to Him, believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Through faith in Jesus alone we can have eternal life.
When sharing, we need to remember we aren’t doing the saving work, nor is the person saving himself with a response. God is Savior, and He knows who He has enabled to respond and when they will. We should encourage others to repent and believe Jesus, but we shouldn’t force anyone to "seal the deal" with an on-the-spot prayer. This can create confusion and/or false assurance, especially if we can’t follow up with that individual. We are simply to make disciples by sharing who Jesus is and what He’s done, encouraging others to repent and believe, and to further encourage love of and joy in Christ for those who are responsive to Him.
Never forget the importance of listening and relating. If someone feels they can trust you, they will often tell you a lot about themselves. Be ready to pray for them while they are present. Many people are touched by this act alone. Pray for the Lord to give you a heart of compassion for anyone you meet.If you have a conversation with someone who claims to be a believer but you feel unsure, ask them to explain the Gospel to you. Then you can commend or gently correct as necessary.
If a person truly is ready to receive Christ and feels led to pray in repentance to the Lord, let them pick the words and see how He leads them. Ask for their information as they are comfortable so they can be further discipled.
Even simple discussions with neighbors just letting them know you are a believer could easily lead to a neighborhood Bible study born on Halloween night. Be ready to follow up with your neighbors in any way necessary to show them the love of Christ throughout the whole year.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
-2 Timothy 1:7
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