Halloween is just around the corner with another year of ghosts and goblins running around. To be honest, I am actually surprised to see how many more houses in my neighborhood are being decked out with Halloween decorations. It seems like Halloween is becoming a mini-Christmas in terms of decorations. With Halloween a few days away, it begs the question, what are you doing for Halloween? Does your Church offer something? Trunk or treat seems like a pretty popular one, but is there anything different you can do to that there is a positive alternative to trick or treating? Do you need to have something to counter Trick or treating? This year, Cedar Run is doing a Children’s Ministry fair in the afternoon. We have never done anything like this before, but it is shaping up to be a great afternoon. Our youth are helping put this event on for the children that is filled with face painting, moon-bounces and other carnival type games. We planned it to be right in the middle of the afternoon so the children will have something to do before they go out trick or treating. But that wasn’t the main reason why we choose to do this event during the afternoon. One of the main reasons we chose to do an afternoon program and not a night program was because of an event called “Jubilee”. Jubilee is an event hosted by the Church of the Epiphany – Anglican in Herndon, VA. It has been an awesome outreach event for many years as they bring in climbing towers, moon bounces, and tons of other great carnival type games as well as a live band and tons of food. After a time of fun, they send everyone into the Sanctuary for a proclamation of Christ. Then, they wrap things up by having trunk or treat in the parking lot. Again, there are few things I have seen, secular or Christian, that is put on during Halloween that is better than this. So again, what are you doing for Halloween? Is there something you do that enables you to minister to students? What is it? It would be great to get a good discussion going on this topic so we can all benefit.]]>
I do a costume bowling night.
Thanks for a shout out for Jubilee at Church of the Epiphany-Herndon!
I also think that this is one of the better things that we do to give back to our neighbors and to our community. It is also a great outreach event.
For transparency, I must say that we have scaled down quite a bit this year because of budget restraints. Our operational budgets were cut across the board because of the current economic crisis. That being said, we had a fantastic event this year, with much success, and on a she string budget. Not having all the bells and whistles did not hurt this event in the least. This was one of our best Jubilees so far and we spent under several hundred dollars and utilized donations, verses the thousands of dollars that we have traditionally spent. In the past, this has been one of the most expensive things we do all year, but the most fun and effective. This year it was just effective and fun and did not cost us an arm or a leg, though that could have been appropriate for Halloween. . . It feels good to do what God has led us to do and to be good stewards of His resources in the process.
Robbie Pruitt
Director of Youth Ministries
Church of the Epiphany
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35362&i…
Here is a link to some pictures from Epiphany's Jubilee this past Saturday, by Chad.