Halloween is a popular holiday in America, both from a celebratory and economic benefit standpoint. According to the Statista Research Division, approximately 65% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year. Despite the ongoing pandemic, families and individuals will continue to celebrate this day that emphasizes trick-or-treating and general spookiness. While some Christians choose not to celebrate Halloween due to their pagan roots, others enjoy the festivities and family-friendly Halloween activities.
Regardless of your stance on Halloween, believers can use this holiday to share the gospel with others and spread the light of Jesus on a day when the world is consumed by darkness (John 1:5). From traditional to creative ways to share the gospel, the following list includes four evangelism ideas for Halloween.
1. Distribute gospel tracts with grace
One traditional way to evangelize on Halloween is to hand out gospel booklets containing candy to trick-or-treating children. For many years, Christians have used the opportunity to have children and families come into their homes to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
However, tracts are only effective with proper preparation. With so many different tract options available, there are important considerations to keep in mind when deciding which type of tract to use.
First, Christians should avoid “fear tactics” booklets that depict scary images of Satan and hell. Satan and hell are real, but the gospel is not about fear. Instead, Jesus came to lovingly die for the sins of all mankind and rise in victory over death (2 Corinthians 5:15).
By believing in Jesus, one can be freed from the bondage of sin and the fear of death. As stated in Hebrews 2:14-15, Jesus “shared his humanity in order to defeat the power of death, the power of the devil, by his death, and to free those who had been held in lifelong bondage by the fear of death” (NIV).
Believers should refrain from using fear as a motivator for children to trust Christ, as Jesus’ death and resurrection should be the focus of all the Gospels.
Second, believers would be wise to read this booklet before distributing it on Halloween. You can ask a variety of questions to ensure that your gospel tracts are relevant and clearly communicate the good news. You should ask whether the contents of this booklet explain the message of salvation in a way that is simple enough for children to understand.
Vague ideas like “receiving Jesus into my heart” are too vague for children who think concretely. Also, Biblical terms need to be explained using plain language, such as when talking about sin and faith.
You may even need to consider using a booklet that covers the entire story of salvation, starting with Creation and the Fall of Man (Genesis 1:1; 3:1-19) to provide the necessary background. Another important question is whether this booklet includes all the elements of the gospel message, including Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Finally, when using the Gospel tracts, you should also remember to hand out candy. Although it may be tempting to just hand out booklets, remember that children expect candy on Halloween. Also, handing out poor quality candy can reduce the effectiveness of the gospel message. Therefore, hand out good candy along with gospel tracts.
2. Use candy to share the gospel.
Candy is one of the main reasons kids love Halloween. They enjoy getting a variety of treats, especially their favorite treats. An often overlooked Halloween evangelism tactic is the use of candy. Christians can use candy on Halloween to share the gospel with children using prepared and creative methods.
There are candy brands that print Bibles on candy and individual popcorn bags that can be used for Halloween, but individuals can also use common children’s ministry methods to share the gospel by using candy wrappers in specific colors.
Sunday school teachers and children’s ministers are usually familiar with “wordless books,” which include colored pages and movable cutouts. Each color in this book represents a different aspect of the gospel message.
By replacing the pages with candy wrappers, Christians can easily assemble candy treat bags with note cards explaining the meaning of each candy color.
Wordless Book comes in several variations, but most come in five colors: gold, black, red, white, and green. You can use this basic color layout to create treat bags with candy of each color. The golden candies refer to heaven, the place where people desire to be with God.
Using dark-colored wrapped candy, children learn that this color represents sin, which separates all people from God (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23). Second, the red candy symbolizes Jesus, who died on the cross for the sins of all people (Romans 3:24).
Through white wrapped candy, children are shown the opportunity to be saved by believing in Jesus. Because their sins are covered by Jesus’ death and resurrection (Isaiah 1:18, Romans 10:9-11, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Finally, the color green represents growth in the Christian life (2 Peter 3:18). Enclosing small notes or cards with color descriptions gives children a chance to hear about the gospel through Halloween candy.
3. Capitalize on Halloween’s focus on death
Another idea for evangelism is to take advantage of Halloween’s focus on death. Decorations, costumes, and movies usually include death themes such as tombstones, skeletons, and ghosts. Many secular people see Halloween celebrations as a way to poke fun at death. But Christians can use the focus on death on Halloween as a starting point to talk about the gospel.
When speaking with friends and neighbors before Halloween and on Halloween, believers can ask questions based on decorations and the general theme of Halloween. For example, you can ask your neighbor, “What do you believe about life after death?”
Another question might be, “What do you think happens to humans after they die?” Unlike the dominant secularism of modern society, Christianity provides clear answers to questions about death and the afterlife.
The Bible teaches that humans were originally created to live forever, but Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought death into the world (Genesis 3:19). Due to the fall of mankind, all people will experience death (1 Corinthians 15:21). Contrary to the secular worldview, death is not natural.
Instead, the Bible clearly teaches that death will destroy us (Revelation 20:14). The gift of eternal life is available to all who put their trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 11:25-26).
Although the world may think it is mocking death on Halloween, believers know that only Jesus can give victory over death and save a person from the fate of eternal death in hell (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
4. Offer an alternative celebration
A final evangelism idea for Halloween is to offer an alternative celebration to your family and neighbors. Some people love fall festivities, pumpkins, and candy, but not the spooky Halloween celebrations.
Churches and individual Bible study groups can host fall parties for children and families with pumpkins, festive lights, and candy without the scary and gory decorations and costumes.
Christians can invite neighbors and friends to such gatherings with the goal of building relationships that lead to opportunities to share Christ. Even those who are not used to a church environment may feel more comfortable and open to making new connections with people through the informal setting of parties and gatherings.
Therefore, believers will intentionally act as ambassadors for Christ by providing a festive alternative option for those who wish to avoid the scary elements of Halloween (2 Corinthians 5:20).
bring light to darkness
Christians can incorporate evangelism into their Halloween celebrations. Even if some believers choose not to celebrate this holiday themselves, they can still use some of the evangelism ideas to share the gospel on Halloween.
With proper planning, Christians and churches can reach children, youth, and adults through traditional Halloween festivities such as trick-or-treating and decorations, or through alternative parties that have all the elements of fun without being scary.
On a night when death and the afterlife are emphasized, believers can shine as beacons of light that offer the hope of eternal life through Christ (Matthew 5:16).
To read further:
Why is evil celebrated on Halloween?
Why do we celebrate fear on Halloween?
What does the Bible say about Halloween?
Should Christians Really Celebrate Halloween?
Related Resources: Is Halloween Evil?
Is Halloween evil? What about other mystical and pagan practices? Should Christians participate? In this episode of the Salty Saints Podcast, Zach and Randy discuss how cultures around the world celebrate Halloween and what scripture says about these customs.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/svetikd
Sophia Bricker is a writer. Her mission is to help people grow in their relationship with Jesus through thoughtful articles, devotions, and stories. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Christian Ministry, which included extensive study in the Bible and theology, as well as a master’s degree in creative writing. You can read her thoughts on literature and faith below. cross, pen, and page Visit Substack or Disciple-based Sites cultivatewhere she writes with her sister.
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