In our neighborhood, several Christian families have decided to join together to present the Gospel in a unique way to trick-or-treaters. Below are some of the ideas that we are planning to do. Feel free use these ideas to do similar things with the Christians in your neighborhood, your family, or your church to connect with the families near you. With slight modification you could even do this just for your own family.
Step 1 - Training
I am hosting a one-hour training session on a basic presentation of the Gospel for the Christian parents and kids who are wanting to participate in leading the outreach. We will be learning about the Gospel using 5 colors--gold, dark (black), red, clean (white), and green. This will be the foundation for what is shared at each house or station, as each station will represent one of the Gospel colors. You can see a basic outline HERE.
CONTACT USif you would like help preparing your evangelistic stations or are interested in having a live training for your group of Christian neighbors or church family to learn these basic Gospel points; or see training resources below. You could make it a family activity of learning and sharing the Gospel with these eager children and accompanying parents.
Practice sharing the different Gospel points for each color. If you are doing this with a group of Christians in your neighborhood or church, practice your portion of the Gospel to each other to get feedback and to make sure that you are comfortable in sharing your part.
You can use the resources already provided above in STEP 1 to create your own script or you can use this script provided by In the Gap and missionary Maggie G. for each of the colors: CLICK HERE FOR SCRIPT
Step 3 - Decorations
Each participating home on the block will feature one (or more depending on the number of families involved) aspects of the Gospel. If your family is the only one participating in this outreach, you could have different stations around your yard featuring the different objects or teaching points for the children to learn about the different parts of the Gospel at each station.
While it is recommended that the children do the houses in order and complete their 5 colors journey this might not always be possible if the houses are on different blocks. That is why it is recommended that tracts and other important items be given out at each station (see Step 4 for a list of items).
For general tools to share the Gospel using the 5 colors visit these two links:
Suggested decorations and costumes for each Gospel color are below. (Don’t forget to give the important truths of the Gospel at each station in addition to displaying the fun decorations. Your explanation of the Gospel will often come from the objects you have at the station or based on the different costumes).
House #1 - Who God is - Gold Color
Have a big globe, by the candy table, with a light on it. Write out and display John 3:16 so that you can share about God’s love for the world (and specifically for them) with your “visitors.” You could have John 3:16 on a regular piece of paper, make a poster board to hang on your candy table, or cover a garage sale sign with poster board to display the verse. You could also hand out card with John 3:16 written or printed on them that kids could take with them. (See template to the right.)
Arrange lights with labels or signs on things God has made (like a bush, tree, grass, etc.)
Kids, passing out candy, could be dressed up as things He has made (like a pumpkin, animals, flower, themselves, etc.)
House #2 - Who Man is and Our Sin Problem - Dark/Black Color
Those that wish to dress up could be dressed up illustrating examples of sin such as fighting, death, or sickness. Examples could include a prisoner in jail, someone crying, a tombstone, or people dressed as doctor, nurse, or police officer (those who deal with the results of sin).
At this stop, you tell the kids that you are sorry that you don’t have any candy to give them because someone stole the candy (show an empty bowl) and that stealing is a result of sin in the world (in addition to the other truths about sin). Tell them you are sad; ask if they are sad too.
House # 3 - Who Christ is and what He did - Red Color
Design a nativity scene and a cross with an empty tomb nearby. You could have soldiers standing with an arrested Jesus next to the cross and then by the tomb you could have people dressed as angels saying, “He is not here!” You could also have people dressed as disciples going around saying. “He’s alive; we saw Him!”
It might be helpful to label the scenes depicted here, as some children may not be familiar with them. You might even print out a picture diagram of what you have in the yard as a self guided tour and to help them remember the different scenes when they go home.
You could have Christmas music playing softly near the nativity scene.
If you have a projector you could also project scenes on your garage door or a white sheet in your lawn from an internet clip of a drama depicting Jesus’ life or from a Jesus movie. Or you could have your laptop out on a table playing one of these videos.
House # 4 - What will you do with the cross? Invitation (their response) - Clean/White Color
Big wrapped present.
Judge in robe.
The judge could share about the clean page from one of the Gospel presentations already mentioned in step 1 or 2 or CLICK HERE FOR AN ALTERNATIVE JUDGE SCRIPTthat could be used.
If you wanted to offer the children something more special than candy for their free gift, you could offer a copy of The Story of Jesus for Children DVD. (See purpose of this special gift in the Judge Script)
House # 5 - What the Future Holds - Dark or Green Without God - dead in sin In a dark area on the side or behind the house, so that the little ones would not be focused on this and be scared by it, have someone crying or a recording of someone crying. If you choose to have people in white robes at this station, the purpose of this is described in more details below, you could have them make a short comment about how those that do not believe in Jesus as their Savior will experience eternal separation from God after death and it will be a place of sorrow and suffering which is represented by the crying sound. They can remind the “visitors” that if they have not believed in Jesus to forgive them that they can do so at any time, even now.
With God - growing
Bright spotlight.
People in white robes smiling and being loving to those who enter. (A few comments about the New Heaven and New earth could be made by these people. Here is an article that might be of some help: What are the New Heavens and the New Earth? by Got Questions)
At this last station give out the best treat like a dessert. It could be something homemade as these treats are extra special now days.
Another option for this station is to have people dressed as famous Christians in history and have these people share a quote about their belief in God or a testimony of how they have served God with their life.
This is a website of a few quotes from some of the founders of America and their personal relationship with God -- WallBuilders
Here are some short missionary stories that are written in the first person. A person could dress up as this missionary and then read the narrative provided about that person’s life. Discussion questions are also provided for each hero of faith which (as appropriate) could be asked and extra pieces of candy given for those that answer the questions or a copy of the text (and questions) could be provided as a take-home for the families. These actors should wear a big name tag so that the kids can clearly see who they are since they may not have heard of them before this night. The person dressed up as the hero of faith could be the one giving out the treats.
Other Heroes of Faith also available. Some are not written in the first person but the narrative could easily be adapted for someone to read it in the first person. CLICK HERE
Step 4 - Take-Home Items and Follow Up
Below are suggested items for the children to collect at each station. Some of these items are specific a certain station, could be saved until the end of the journey, or they could be available at each house to make sure that each child has an opportunity to receive the items in case they do not visit all the houses or do the houses out of order.
PUNCH CARD
When the child begins the journey of the 5 colors (preferably at house #1, though the punch cards can be available at every house) they will be offered a punch card. At each station they will receive one punch. Some of the punches will be optional like the contact information and information about the kid’s club (details explained further under the "Contact List..." section) but if they have gotten all of the punches for each of the Gospel stations (gold, dark, red, clean, and green) then they can receive a special prize. These prizes would most likely be given at house #5 since that is the last one, but it might be a good idea for some of the other houses to have some of the special prizes available in case someone completes the journey out of order.)
If possible coordinate the color of candy being given out at each station to the Gospel color that is being talked about at that station.
Instead (or in addition to) candy you could also give out a small trinket that coordinated with that station’s color or related to the theme of that color (God, sin, Jesus, forgiveness, growing). See other gift ideas below.
Bibles and information on Bible Apps. You can download this template to print cards that contains websites and apps to read, study, and listen to the Bible.
TRACTS Different tracts could be given out at different stations, instead of just at the end, in case a family only visits one or two houses and does not complete all of the 5 colors . Here are some suggested tracts:
CONTACT LIST/KIDS' ACTIVITY FLYER/CHURCH INFO SHEET
We are hoping to build relationships with the families in our neighborhood through this event which is why we wanted to collect the families' contact information if the parents would like to share it. When asking if the parents would like to share their information, we would explain that this is for us to contact them when another kids' neighborhood event is being held. Useful information to collect would be kids' and parents' name, kids' ages, address, and phone/email.
We are hoping to have a neighborhood kids' Bible club the weekend after Halloween to provide another opportunity to fellowship with the families in the neighborhood and share Christ with them, so we will have flyers available at each station to let the families know about the club. If you would like more information on how to have your own kids' club, please CONTACT US. If you are doing this with your church, you could have a special flyer inviting the families to come to church the next Sunday. In case a family does not complete the journey, it would probably be a good idea to have the contact list and give out the flyer at each house.
The contact info and flyer are available as an optional punch spot on the punch card to mark that the parents filled out the contact info and got the flyer if they wanted so that you wouldn’t have to keep asking the family at each station. If they didn't want to share their contact information or take a flyer you could cross it out on the punch card, so as not to ask them at each station.
MAP If you do have houses participating that are in different parts of the neighborhood it might be helpful to have a map to direct people to the correct houses.
Please CONTACT US and let us know if you plan an event so that we can be praying for you and for God’s work in the people who will come. Please let us know if we can help you in anyway. We would love to see pictures of your event afterwards. May the light of Jesus shine brightly in our neighborhoods on this dark night.
