Fall Festivals share the gospel with children and parents
by Alison Zeller
Ghosts and goblins. Haunted houses and horror movies. There’s not much room for the story of Jesus in a typical Halloween celebration. Parents may ask, “What should we Christians do to celebrate Halloween with our children?” Many churches have responded by using Fall Festivals to tell Christ’s story to children and parents as an alternative to Halloween.
Members of Rock of Ages in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are reviving a concept from the Middle Ages for their Fall Festival. In the 15th century, decorated carts would travel from town to town to act out “mystery plays,” usually Bible stories. This year, church volunteers are creating “mystery trunks” to tell Bible stories to the children. This trunk-or-treat celebration will feature more than 15 cars, each containing a scroll with a Bible story and a trunk decorated to match the theme. The church also hands out goodie bags with promotional material, candy, and CTA’s GLOW items. The 260-member church has had success with this event in the past; last year it brought in more than 200 children from the surrounding community.
Another clever idea comes from First Southern Baptist Church of Thatcher, Arizona. Members there are hosting a Fall Festival for the fourth year. “It grows every year,” said church member Doreen Redding. “Our community just loves it!” The event begins with children getting their pictures taken at the church’s booth. From there, they go on to play games hosted by Bible heroes like Noah and Moses. What makes the festival even more entertaining for the children are the costumes. The volunteers are dressed up in robes and beards to look more like their characters. When the children leave, they get a goodie bag with candy, CTA’s pumpkin prayer items, and a magnetic picture frame with their photo.
More than 1,500 people attend the Fall Festival put on by members of the West Ashville Baptist Church in Ashville, North Carolina. This year the festival will feature fifty games and ten carnival-type inflatable attractions. All of the games are constructed in-house under the leadership of “Turbo Man,” the affectionate title given to the church’s maintenance technician. Last year’s project was a “swing-the-hammer/ring-the-bell” game. This year’s games may get even bigger!
Director of Children’s Ministry, Kellie Tatham, says, “I am able to use CTA Fall Festival products because of their affordability. I use the GLOW and Pumpkin Prayer products as prizes at individual games and for prize drawings.”
The church members use this event as a starting point for community outreach. It gives them a way to show their support for the children and families of Ashville. The children who come to the Fall Festival have their pictures taken, and volunteers from the church deliver them to the homes at a later date. Kellie says this gives them a way to get in the door and share the Gospel through home visits with families. “Our hope is that sometime down the road, if the families have something bad happen in their lives, they will remember our church and say, ‘They care about our kids.’”
Hosting a Fall Festival at your church could be a very inspiring outreach activity. Instead of ghosts and goblins or haunted houses and horror movies, give the children in your community an opportunity to learn about Jesus this October. You can start by using the ideas from these churches or visiting CTA’s website for help in planning your church’s Fall Festival.
Editor’s note: See the free Fall Festival Planning Guide available on CTA’s website. Links to more resources, ideas and tips are also available on our website.
