Most children love to play dress up, and most children love candy! These aspects of Halloween can be not only fun, but they can also enable a valuable spiritual opportunity. By changing the focus when your children pick out costumes, you can change their focus to the needs of the spiritually lost.

1. Encourage your child to dress up as a character who represents a group whom they want to tell about Jesus. For example, dressing up as Hannah Montana could represent music stars.  Dressing up as a Redskins football player could represent those in the sports culture living without Jesus.  Dressing up as a ninja could represent the lost in Asia.

2. Learn about the group your child is representing. If your child is representing a country, Operation World is a great resource.

3. Pray with your child for that people group. Make a list of specific ways that your child can pray for that group. Each night for a week, before or after Halloween, pray with your child for their chosen country, people group or culture.

4. Celebrate with your child! When you get home on Halloween night and admire your abundance of candy, finish the night with a Scripture verse that promises sweet rewards for those who do God’s work on earth: Luke 12:43 and Romans 10:15.

Adapted from Redeeming Halloween by Kim Wier and Pam McCune