We can be a blessing and show the love of Christ to our neighbors through trick-or-treating. My family and I do this in four different ways.The first way is easy; we pass out the best candy we can find to the trick-or-treaters. We try to get candy that we know will be the favorite, like Reese’s and Kit Kats and pretty much anything by Hershey’s or Willie Wonka. And we start buying the candy in August (we usually need a lot of candy!) so that we will have a good variety and a good quantity of it.
The next way we show Christ’s love is by handing out Adventures in Odyssey CDs. Adventures in Odyssey is a Christian children’s radio show that is produced by Focus on the Family. The kids are always excited to get the CDs, and we know that God’s Word will be brought into their homes in a neat and fun way.
Another way we try to be a blessing is through hot chocolate. About a half hour before trick-or-treating begins we make a large batch of homemade hot chocolate. Then we put it in a crock pot so that it stays warm. Mostly, we give the hot chocolate to the parents. They have always expressed how nice it is to have something to keep them warm against the cold October wind. (And it is nice to have a cup or two while we’re sitting there ourselves!)
The last and most important way we try to be a blessing is through prayer. I’ve come up with a habit of trying to pray for each family that goes by. I just simply ask God to bless the trick-or-treaters and their families, and if they got an Adventures in Odyssey CD, that He would open their hearts to the message on that CD. Prayer can have a huge impact on the lives of our neighbors!
Trick-or-treating has become one of my favorite events of the year—from seeing the gratitude of the people around us, to just having fun serving with my family! Bringing Grace to the Neighborhood can be as easy as participating in this yearly neighborhood event.
5 comments:
Great ideas Jesse! Thanks for the encouragement on a way to share God's light in what some see as a dark holiday! God is Everywhere and in Everything, we need to be reminded of that often!
Jesse, what an awesome way to show Christ's love! Thanks for sharing how you use what could be "just another year of trick-or-treating" to reach people, year after year!
You've given me something new to do next year!
that is so cool! I wish I could've been a trick-or-treater to visit your house! :) Adventures in Odyssey never gets old either...I still listen to it sometimes and I've graduated from college. Good choice for something to give to your neighbors!
Jesse, that's awesome! Our neighborhood trick or treat is a GREAT time and so many people come to our house...glad the Sansom's are ready bless them!
Next year I'm bringing Aidan to your road so I can get some hot chocolate!
You guys are awesome, Jesse! Thanks for sharing some fun ways to be a blessing!
Post a Comment