This year we turned our porch light on as a campus for Halloween. Instead of pretending to disassociate ourselves from the evils of Halloween, stay darkened, and gather somewhere else… we decided to leverage one of the greatest chances to reach our neighbors for Christ.

Seriously, who really thought that if we all got together in the church gym and inflated some bounce houses, wrote numbers on the bottom of ducks, and marched in a circle for cake, that we were not celebrating Halloween? Or better yet, lets “Trunk or Treat” it… evidently, the church parking lot is to Halloween as christian radio is to U2. Its all a matter of context?

So this year, we armed our campus families with some really fun treats to give away (based on the rubbery shaped bracelets that my kid has a low level addiction to – see photo below), and get the name of The MET out in the community. Instead of worrying about being associated with a pagan holiday, we decided there is no other night when we will talk to most all of our neighbors and have a chance to begin a sacred conversation.

I personally, got the chance to be more than the guy with the old, sqeaky white truck and met most of our new cul-de-sac.

Here is the invite tool that we gave out (along with fun sized Kit Kats at my house):

What are some other creative ways you have found to influence and reach out to your community?