There are varying opinions and thoughts concerning Christians and Halloween. Some have very strong beliefs about this holiday and the participation of professing believers in church activities surrounding Halloween. While some churches will have fall festivals and gatherings for children, others decline to participate in such functions, associating it with the celebration of a pagan holiday.
Given individual concerns, our main focus as Christians should be on taking the opportunity to minister the light of Christ in any situation and on any day, including October 31.
Autumn is a time of year when the weather changes and the air gets cooler. However, the temperature can seem to increase when professing believers in Christ discuss personal views on Halloween.
While some are indifferent about participating in this holiday in any way, others are passionate about the subject and may even choose to turn off their front porch light so as to discourage potential children from trick or treating.
The idea of participating in a church function geared toward children may also be a source of personal conviction or even contention and perceived compromise for some individuals.
There are a number of valid arguments one could make for such actions. At the same time, one facet of this debate seemingly overlooked is the great opportunity in ministering the Gospel of Jesus Christ to young children and their parents. Rather than turning off our front porch light, as I, myself, have done in years past, what if we let our light shine while sharing the good news?
This Is the Lord’s Day
Though Halloween is a pagan holiday the day itself is not inherently evil. Psalm 118:24 reminds us, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (ESV).
God has created the days, and we can and should praise God on this day and every day, regardless of pagan tradition or beliefs. The ministry of Living Waters refers to Halloween as “National Evangelism Day.” This is a great way to think about this holiday because it helps us to be eternally minded toward others.
Their ministry mentions doing things such as handing out tracts along with candy to kids who come to your door, inviting people to church by way of a sticker on the candy, or doing reverse trick-or-treating in neighborhoods and handing out evangelistic tracts. In other words, we are to engage with others and share Jesus Christ.
Participating in a fall festival with your church is another way to share the gospel with the community as children can come to a safe environment to engage in activities and to hear about Christ.
We should also not forget our own children during this holiday and minister the gospel to them. They need to understand the importance of the gospel and what Christ did on the cross and to know that Halloween is not a day to celebrate death, but it is another day to celebrate the promise of eternal life found only in faith in Jesus Christ.
I recently purchased a book called The Pumpkin Patch Parable as our oldest expressed interest in carving a pumpkin. After looking into this book, the decision was made to carve pumpkins together while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through this parable, highlighting how the pumpkin is cleaned inwardly and given a light to shine outwardly.
This book features Scripture to better understand the correlation for children to understand. We have a mission field within our home in need of seeing and hearing the gospel during this season. As this holiday can be used for perpetuating darkness, believers in Christ are to shine and to glorify the Lord.
Let Your Light Shine Before Men
In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Colossians 1:12-13 assures us that we are qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. We have been delivered from the domain of darkness, and we are part of Christ’s kingdom. We are to let our light shine and to walk as children of light and walking in such a way brings us to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This should bring us great joy to know that we have this beautiful opportunity to testify of Jesus Christ before men, women, and children on Halloween and every day. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation according to 2 Corinthians 5, and God uses us to be His ambassadors of the gospel to where we bring good news to those held captive by sin. If we hide our light, we deny those who need to hear the good news.
Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” We are those who are to bring the good news of Jesus Christ, salvation that can be found in no one else but in Christ alone.
Why Does This Matter?
As Christians, we are reminded to not do anything giving the appearance of evil. We can stand out from among the world and pagan celebrations by loving God, loving others enough to proclaim the truth to them, and obeying the commands of God.
We can combat evil by sharing the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We have been commanded in the Word of God to share this good news and to make disciples (Matthew 28:18). This is not reserved for specific days. This is to be proclaimed and shared every day. Halloween is no exception.
For further reading:
Why Was Evil Celebrated on Halloween?
4 Evangelism Ideas for Halloween
Why Do We Celebrate Fear at Halloween?
What Does the Bible Say about Halloween?
Should Christians Really Celebrate Halloween?
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Dawn Hill is a Christian blogger known as The Lovesick Scribe and the host of The Lovesick Scribe Podcast. She is passionate about sharing the truth and pointing others back to Jesus Christ through the written Word as the standard of authority for Christian living and instruction while being led by the Holy Spirit into maturity. She is the author of NonProphet Woke: The Reformation of a Modern-Day Disciple. She is a wife to Nicholas and a mother to Anabel and Ephraim. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram.