To read Drue's article about whether we should celebrate Halloween, click on the attached PDF file below titled, "Halloween Origins."
Halloween is one of the best days of the year to meet and connect with neighbors! There's no other time during the year that neighbors are out walking the neighhborhood, knocking on doors, and interacting the way that happens at Halloween. From a gospel / relationship-building perspective, it's worth brainstorming ways to meet and connect with neighbors.
HALLOWEENIE ROAST
Whenever Halloween is on a school night, it's always a challenging turn around for parents to get home from work, feed the kids, and then get them ready to go trick-or-treating. A great "felt need" solution is to invite families over for a quick and easy dinner. Our neighborhood has a "Halloweenie Roast" such that families can bring their kids, have a hot dog, chips, and a drink. If you're looking for a way to connect with neighbors, that's an idea!
FIRE BOWL HANG OUT
For us (Drue & Laura), we usually set out a fire bowl, tailgate chairs, music, beverages (apple cider in a crockpot is a nice treat on a cold night), and a table for our neighbors to set their candy bowls on for a "one stop" candy pick up for the trick or treating kids. It enables us to sit and hang out with neighbors, and because we're outside, it's much easier to actually meet neighbors, have a brief conversation, and even get to know their names. If you're interested and available to do something like this, it's also a good idea to have a few extra chairs, water bottles, beverages, etc. for weary parents who would love to sit down for a few minutes!
CANDY
Grace and kindness gets people's attention, so separate yourselves from the crowd and make yourselves memorable by having the best candy around! You could even splurge by giving out full size candy bars! Make it such that all the kids (and parents) in your neighborhood are so blown away by grace and kindness (and awesome candy) that they remember your house and want to come back next year!
PUMPKIN BEER TASTING
This year, we're also going to have a "Pumpkin Beer Tasting." We have about a half dozen pumpkin beers, and will offer small samples to any interested adults.
PUMPKIN CARVING (2-4 weeks before Halloween)
A great opportunity to connect with neighbors is to extend an invitation to come carve pumpkins. The easier you make it for neighbors, the more likely they'll come, so purchase the pumpkins and awesome pumpkin carving tools. You'll be suprised at how many people will show up! This is a good one!
COASTERS
Be sure to pick up some of the new Good News Church GA beverage coasters to give away (in case the topic of church happens to come up).
NAMES
Introduce yourself and ask people their names, where they live in the neighborhood, and how long they've been there. In less than 30 seconds, you can get some valuable information that can be foundational in possibly establishing future relationships.
PRAYER
Start praying for the neighbors you met. Pray that God would soften hearts and create a hunger for the gospel, and that He would provide future opportunities for you to connect with those you met. You can even say a short prayer as you walk or drive by these neighbors' homes. :)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
As you think about Halloween (and other upcoming opportunities to connect with neighbors during the holidays), you may enjoy an "Evangelism Resource" webpage that we've put together. To access the page, CLICK HERE.
COME JOIN US!
If you're not in a neighborhood conducive to trick or treating, you're welcome to come hang out with us! If you're interested, feel free to contact Drue (404-906-9117) or Laura (770-364-4143).