In Depth:  Halloween

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Plan now for Halloween

Plan now for Halloween
Nay Dawson & Ed Drew
Nay Dawson & Ed Drew

At Christmas, we will celebrate Jesus being a light to the nations and we will boldly invite every neighbour to hear the saving story of the one who came as a light into our world (John 1v9). Just a few months earlier, Halloween is the one time of the year when the children of those neighbours come knocking on our doors in the darkness wanting something from us. Will we turn off the lights, close the curtains and pretend we’re not at home?

A Halloween opportunity

It was September 2020, my family had been enduring the impact of Covid for six months and the prospect of being locked indoors was depressing. I (Nay) prayed, “God, you want us to be salt and light to our friends, but we can’t even leave the house.”

Choose you this day whom ye will serve

Choose you this day whom ye will serve
Pooyan Mehrshahi
Pooyan Mehrshahi

Every year, when the end of October comes, the Western world dresses itself in darkness. Streets fill with images of death, devils, and horror. Even many who name the name of Christ shrug and say it is “harmless fun.” But the Christian must not reason as the world reasons.

“What does the Bible say?” is our standard (Romans 4v3). The Bible, not popular opinion, must govern your conscience. Halloween is not innocent. It is unbiblical in its meaning, pagan in its roots, and contrary to the holiness God requires of His people.

'Halloween isn't for Christians' - or is it?
scattering seeds of hope

'Halloween isn't for Christians' - or is it?
Angela McDonald
Angela McDonald

My view of Halloween was turned upside down after an evangelism training day at my church.

I do like Halloween - as an opportunity to be welcoming to my local community, showing kindness through giving the children who knock at my door their choice of sweet treat - but oddly, I never saw it as an opportunity to declare the light of Christ.

The gospel according to TK Maxx?

The gospel according to TK Maxx?
James Cary
James Cary

I’m a regular at retail store TK Maxx. I get all my shirts there, so I go in regularly to rummage.

In early August, I was startled to see Halloween gear already on display. Doesn’t Halloween come earlier every year? No surprise really: it’s now reckoned to be the UK’s biggest festival after Christmas. That’s strange for a Gen-Xer like me. In the 1980s, Bonfire Night was far more exciting; sparklers, fireworks, a giant bonfire plus the thrill of burning “the guy,” usually made from second-hand clothes stuffed with straw or newspaper. Written down, it sounds a bit Wicker Man, doesn’t it?

Norfolk Church takes on Halloween

Norfolk Church takes on Halloween
Anna Price
Anna Price

A church in Norfolk has ‘engaged directly with the forces of darkness’ at Halloween - to show the power of Christ.

At St Mary Magdalene Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, hundreds of queuing trick-or-treaters were challenged to enter a ‘battle zone’ to discover ‘Light on a Dark Night’. Around 400 of them climbed into the pitch black, smoke-filled church building and took on a series of battles against the darkness.

Are you still hiding from Halloween?
women in mission

Are you still hiding from Halloween?
Ruth Evans
Ruth Evans

As a family, for years, we avoided Halloween almost entirely. We made the deliberate choice not to get involved with things like Light Parties and, when we moved to our small village, our young children were very content to either just let me answer the door to the many trick or treaters (given the size of our village we have a disproportionately large number) or we would leave treats at the door and go out.

Although most children dressed up cute, we had some local teens who enjoyed dressing up as scarily as they could and my children became quite 'anti' everything Halloween.

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