How to Celebrate Halloween at Church

Jesus Pumpkin Pattern

Church and Halloween are usually completely separate. However, Halloween can actually be viewed as a religious holiday. Halloween celebrates the dead--not death, but the memories of those who have passed. In a religious context, Halloween can be seen as a day to rejoice that our dear departed loved ones are in a better place. Also, children love Halloween. The best way to counteract any pagan beliefs is to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve at church.

Things You'll Need

• Candy

Instructions

1. Elect an event planner from among your congregation and decide upon a date for the celebration. Some churches plan their event on Halloween itself, while others tend to plan it for the nearest Friday or Saturday.

2. Solicit volunteers from the church and community to bring supplies, run the games, hand out candy, decorate, clean up and even aid in the planning.

3. During the party itself, gather parents, volunteers and children to discuss how religion can be applied to the holiday. You can create a game out of this by asking trivia questions and rewarding correct answers with small toys, candy or even door prizes for adults.

4. Create a donation corner. You could call it the Lost Spirits corner, or something similar. Use the party as a way to gather items for a needy family. They can include Thanksgiving supplies, everyday supplies or even Christmas items.

5. Have a costume contest. The winner can receive a Bible and a special type of candy.

Tips & Warnings

• Name games with a religious connotation. For example, a bowling game could be called Celestial Bowling.

• Having Halloween at church is a safe alternative to other parties and trick-or-treating.

• Use the party as a community get-together.

Resources

• Youth Group Stories of Halloween at Church
• Alternative Halloween Party Ideas