As Halloween approached this year, I found myself wondering again if Christians should participate at all in the “Holiday” and what, if anything, would be appropriate?

I then decided to do some research and also turn to social media to get some opinions from my Christian friends. What did I find out? Well, as we already know, Halloween among Christians is a VERY controversial issue! Some of my friends have chosen to abstain altogether from all Halloween activities, while others are okay with the church type of celebrations, such as harvest festivals and “trunk or treat”.

I specifically asked some ministers that I have great respect for and the most common answer I got from them was that it is a great opportunity for Christians to bring light into the darkness. I happen to agree.

Do we dress up as witches, ghosts, and goblins, going to haunted houses and joining in with the darkness? Absolutely not! However, I do think this is a great opportunity to get out into the community and use it as an outreach. Spread as much light as possible on what is spiritually thought to be the darkest night of the year.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

I remember a few years back going out on the streets with a ministry team and handing out flashlights to the kids along with a Christian book. This was a neighborhood that literally had no street lights, so not only did we give them a physical light to help promote safety while they were trick or treating, but we also gave out books that would teach them and their families about the Lord. I’m pretty sure we also threw a little candy in the bag to sweeten the deal. (smile)

I love this quote from an article by Riley Stephenson from Kenneth Copeland Ministries. He said, “As Christians, we walk every day in the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God (see Isaiah 10:27). If we close our door on our neighbors at Halloween, if we ‘turn our lights off,’ we miss a big opportunity to remove burdens and destroy yokes from other people’s lives.”

There are so many creative ways that we as Christians can use this day as an outreach, rather than judging those who participate and closing our doors to hide out on this night! How can we use this day to the glory and honor of God? Here are a few examples I read online today while doing my research:

1. Pass out Christian goodies to the trick or treaters, perhaps attaching a Bible verse to their candy.
2. Dress up as Bible Characters as you pass out candy. This may not lead someone to the Lord, but it is a good conversation starter!
3. If your church is hosting an event, you could invite new families to attend and perhaps even invite them to come back for Sunday service.

The ideas and opportunities are endless! I think sometimes we tend to focus on the negative aspect of something and miss out on the good that could come out of the situation.

Lastly, I think we should all be very responsible in teaching our children about the dark aspects of Halloween. Then, if we do decide to let them participate, we must be very careful what we let them wear and where we let them go. I believe this is something each family should consider carefully with prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to guide them into what is the right thing to do.

As for my twin babies who are not yet 2 years old, we chose to abstain from dressing them up and taking them anywhere this year. They are really too young to know what it is right now. My husband and I will prayerfully consider if we will allow them, later on, to participate in any way, and what that will look like for our family. I know God will lead us to the right decision.

I also want to share this video that I found inspiring as it poetically goes into a little history of All Hallows Eve, and how the light of Jesus always overcomes the darkness! https://vimeo.com/75045602

Stay safe, spread light and be blessed!

Written by: Ginger Brown

Published on: October 31, 2017