Make It Real Oct 2010

I wanted to take the time this month to make a suggestion to everyone who reads this article. We could join together and start a trend that would result in turning the most unholy night on the American calendar, October 31st, into the most evangelized night of the year. Honestly this is so simple and inexpensive that we could change the face of Halloween once and for all. The key to this movement to “Take Back the Night with the Light of Jesus Christ” is for every Christian to be slightly inconvenienced by participating. This is not a mind boggling complicated strategy to take back October 31st, it is so simple that we will all wonder why we haven’t done this before.

Here we go with the plan to win countless souls every October 31st:

• Decorate your walk way and porch with bright colorful lighting
• Have a table set up outside your front door covered with a decorative bright and colorful tablecloth (no orange or black please)
• Use decorations that are happy and bright completely void of any symbolism of the traditional Halloween
• Stay outside with your display so as to provide a deterrent to anyone who may want to use this night to harm children
• Play Christian music that children would enjoy
• Pray for your neighborhood and the salvation for those who live there
• Do not preach at your visitors or push the gospel (of course be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and obey Him- for He knows who is ready to find salvation and who needs to see the love of God at work, some plant, some water and some reap)
• Have goodie bags in bright colors and fill them with the best of candies or treats
• Add a Christian tract to each bag (these can be hand made, made by your church youth or purchased on-line or at Christian Bookstores)
• Have your church provide flyers of upcoming events and children’s programs
• If your local church wants to encourage these young people to come for a visit then have them sponsor a special event night (movie nights are fun but make sure that your church gets licensed to show the movies).
• Our youth group sets up displays complete with goodie bags, games and music, at the neighborhoods in close proximity to our church (make sure to have the proper permission when necessary)
• Our church family brings in bags of candy prior to the event as to assist the youth with this outreach

This event will have the largest impact if individuals participate at their own homes as well as setting up teams of church members to go to neighborhood community centers close to their churches.
Catch the vision of hundreds of homes in each neighborhood praying and shining for Jesus and tangible blessing hundreds of children with the gospel tracts and candy bags. I believe the Holy Spirit will impress many of us to lead people to Christ. Healings and prophetic words of encouragement happening as people actually come knocking on our doors. I still think that churches holding carnivals and harvest events as an alternative to trick or treating is a great idea (my children were never permitted to participate in trick or treat) however it is time for us to “Take Back the Night with the Light of Jesus Christ” in a bold and refreshing way. Light up your neighborhood and shine this October 31st. Go to our website www.beautyforashes.org for printable flyers to give out.