Halloween: The best evangelism opportunity of the year!

Halloween conjures up all sorts of thoughts feelings and fears for people. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has sat at home, willing my doorbell not to ring on 31st October. Every year children of all age groups are dressed up in costumes which are scary even for adults, and then knock on the doors of total strangers and ask for sweets or a trick will be played on them.

My concern as a mum was that my children would see these graphic masks and struggle to sleep with these images in their mind. I would usher my children away from the door and tell them not to look out of the window so they didn't see the costumes people were wearing.

Then God stopped me in my tracks..... 'These people are coming to your door, wanting something from you, why don't you give them Me?'

Of course, I realised, I was missing out on the best evangelism opportunity of the year. All these children and families who were innocently coming to my door not really understanding what they were celebrating needed to be pointed back to Jesus.

Halloween was taken from All Hallows' Eve which falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself. A few centuries on, this was twisted into something more sinister.

So off I went to the shops to stock up with sweets. I also ordered some bags of hope from UCB. Each bag contains a full colour Bible-based booklet, The Bible App for Kids Book of Hope It’s a great way to bring the light of God’s love into an evening which traditionally draws attention to darkness.

Then we sat back and waited.

With each person who came to the door we greeted them with a huge smile and told them as well as some sweets we wanted to pray for them. Was there anything they would like us to pray for? We then went into the house came back with the Bag of Hope, asking, "Have you decided what you would like us to pray for?"

We had many prayer requests that night which ranged from world peace, more sweeties and their mummy and daddy getting back together.

God did something in that night in my heart. As a Christian we should always be thinking of how we can share him to others, but Halloween is a gift to us as the lost turn up on our doorstep wanting something sweet.

Lets give them Jesus!