October 31 is the one-day a year when our neighbors come to our doors. God has given us an opportunity in our culture to naturally build relationships with people who live around us. Instead of scheduling another event or staying inside all night, what if we took time to be hospitable to the families with kids who visit our house to trick or treat? What if, instead of staying behind our doors we spent a few hours welcoming families, passing out candy and saying a friendly hello to our neighbors?
Here are some suggestions for how to make this a great time of connection in your neighborhood:
- Setup at the end of your driveway to be easily accessible for families. Bring out chairs and some music and just plan on spending a few hours sitting and talking.
- Have a fire pit for making s’mores or setup a grill and have hot dogs. Have hot chocolate if it’s cold out or sweet tea/lemonade if not. Offer these to families that stop by.
- Have good candy to pass out.
- Setup extra chairs so parents can sit for a bit if they’d like.
- Put out extra lights if possible so the area is well lit.
For the past few years, I have been amazed at the opportunities to build relationships with my neighbors on Halloween. This is a great opportunity, provided by the culture we live in, to show love and hospitality. Yes, this will require a bit of strategy on your part as well as the possibility of some work. But the mission of Jesus calls us to live intentionally, forming strategy in order to reach those in the community around us.
For some of you, this simply isn’t strategic. Some neighborhoods practice street-wide blackouts of front porch lights in order to discourage trick or treating. This is why your community groups can serve as a valuable resource. Maybe you can gather as a group at the home of a group member who lives in a neighborhood that will be beaming with activity? We should encourage each other to spread out at our individual homes as much as possible – no big group party at one place! Let’s love our neighborhood this Halloween!
Reminders:
- You are redeemed in order to take redemption to others.
- You are not alone. Gain strength from the community in the Village to step ourside of your comfort zone and engage your neighborhood.
- Just pass out candy with a smile, engage people in conversation, and love them with the hope of building relationships that will lead to redemption.
- Be creative. Understand the rhythm of your neighborhood and adjust accordingly.
- Live the mission of Jesus in worship of Jesus!