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Sunday, October 29, 2006

Halloween Facts



Some of the folks from church and I are doing a Halloween Candy Distribution, weather permitting. But we're also going to hand out a flyer that will probably be different than anything else produced around here. (Or anywhere I've seen perhaps).

Other churches commenting on the day around here are likely in attack mode because of the problems associated with the day. That's complicated by their lack of historical foundation.

I actually read a "Christian" website calling "Halloween" a "Druid holiday". Yes, the festival or holiday Halloween replaced was pagan. Halloween was most definitely implemented as a part of the CHRISTIAN day - the evening prior to All Saint's Day.

You can read more on this at the Christian Research Institute's page on "Halloween: Oppression or Opportunity" which I found after writing this flyer. This one by the Passantino's is good too. (Both open in a new window as pdf files.)

Here's how we're taking advantage of the situation... the same way any missionary would upon going to a new culture and noticing a holiday they could use to reach out to folks they didn't know.

We're going to hand out bags of candy with this flyer called "Halloween Facts". I plan to dress up in my monk's robe and have given a press release to our 2 radio stations announcing that "Friar Chuck and the Gang" from church will be handing out "Free Candy". Our corner get's a steady stream of kid traffic anyway, but we want to give out 200 flyers which invite them to our Wednesday night supper and Bible Study the next night (at least this year it's the next night!)

Feel free to adapt "Halloween Facts" for any NON COMMERCIAL MINISTRY USE. Otherwise it's protected by my copyright 2006.

If you do end up using it and would like to send a donation in any amount to help with outreach here, it would be much appreciated. Send a check to:

1st Presbyterian Church

252 Admiral Circle

Lawrenceburg TN 38464

The heading is, "Halloween Facts".

The text is...

  • "Halloween" means "Holy Evening" or "Hallowed E'en"... It's the evening before November 1st, All Saints Day.
  • Long before there was "Halloween" our Ancestors feared this night thinking the spirits of the dead wandered the Earth and had to be pacified with "treats" or else they'd play "tricks".
  • When the Good News of Jesus Christ came to our ancestors, they realized that Jesus Christ cast out demons and conquered the spirits they feared. Jesus triumphed over them in His resurrection from the dead after He paid for humanity's sins by His death. (see Mark 5: 1 - 15 and Colossians 2: 15)
  • So they transformed the ancient festival of fear into a day of remembering their Christian Brothers and Sisters who'd died during the previous year. They called it All Saints Day.
  • Today, Halloween is slowly reverting to its pagan origins.
  • We enjoy handing out candy because it's fine to have a good time and we want you to be safe.
  • But we also want you to know that Jesus Christ is not only the reason for the Christmas season, He's the one who transformed the ancient festival of fear into a "Hallowed" or "Holy evening" where joy could rule instead of fear.
  • So if you happen to tell somebody "Happy Halloween", it CAN be happy because Jesus Christ is the King who brings Joy where fear once ruled.
  • We'd like to tell you more about Jesus Christ. 5:30 pm Wednesday at First Pres, we study more about Jesus and pray after sharing supper together. We'd love to see you!

Pumpkin artwork courtesy Funnies.com (no other copyright or photograher information was available on the page.)