Every fall, First Christian Church helps our neighborhood welcome families for trick-or-treating.  We canvas the neighbors during October to learn who will be offering treats, and then we create a map for families to use on Halloween night.  Neighbors are encouraged to post our bright orange pumpkin signs so families can tell they are offering treats.  (Our neighborhood goes from 12th Street to 16th Street, between Woodstock and Leighton.)

Families are invited to park at our church and walk through the neighborhood, or just stop by as they begin trick-or-treating. When you come, we'll give you a keychain flashlight/whistle, the neighborhood map and bags for collecting candy if you need them.  We offer non-sugary snacks and drinks.  In years when it's cold, we have hot cider to warm you up afterwards!  You can also register to win a door prize.

We are exploring the possibilities of having a bonfire for marshmallow roasting this year.  Check back to see if that will be happening.

Our NHP Volunteers walk the blocks, with flashlights, reflective vests and cell phones, to add to the overall security of the evening.  It is our goal to make this the friendliest neighborhood for trick-or-treating in town!

 

Why Do We Do This?
Other churches approach Halloween very differently.  We'd like to give you some background so that you know where we're coming from and why we host the Neighborhood Halloween Project.

At First Christian Church, we do not believe that Halloween is a holiday from the devil.  We believe that God’s power is almighty and is not threatened by harmless play.  We believe that Halloween can be a time for children to have fun dressing up and getting to know their community.  We believe that people in our neighborhood can enjoy seeing the children in costume and being generous and caring towards them.

 

We believe that it the responsibility of parents, churches, schools and all adults to help children come to understand the difference between real and pretend, and between right and wrong.  We do not see Halloween as a threat to this process.  Rather, it is a time for children to exercise their imaginations, and see neighbors, who might otherwise be strangers, as people who are generous and trust-worthy.  The holiday can also be a chance for children to learn about our shared cultural history, by hearing about how various traditions developed.

 

While we respect the “Trunk-or-Treat” approach to Halloween, we prefer to use the tradition of encouraging families to go door-to-door.  We believe that this is one part of re-claiming our neighborhoods for our families.  We believe it strengthens the bonds of community.  We see this project as something we can to do to be good neighbors to those who live around our church and families throughout our community.

 

We do not believe it is appropriate for the church to use this holiday as an opportunity to scare children or adolescents with dramatic portrayals of what will happen to them if they don’t follow a particular prescribed path to salvation.  While we respect all Christians’ freedom of belief and practice, for us this approach to faith is too narrow and fear-focused to be helpful for positive spiritual growth.