Something to Smile About
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SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT In 2015, 24 October to November 1 is Australia’s National Children’s Week. In that week Christians traditionally observe All Saints Day (1 November). Halloween (Saturday, 31st October), is a secular observation with both Christian and pagan roots. Any or all of these can be a starting point for an all-age event. Christian attitudes toward Halloween range from ‘should not’ to ‘it’s quite OK’. There are valid arguments for both points of view. This resource is not intended to promote Halloween for its own sake. It is intended to encourage parents and congregations to consider and respond to Halloween as we do to other aspects of our culture. It is an opportunity to engage people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the context of their everyday lives. INTRODUCTION CONTENTS At Halloween time, adults smile when they see Why all-age church? ........................................ 2 young children dressed in cute costumes. Children’s Week ................................................. 3 Children smile when they receive a bag full of trick-or-treat lollies. All Saints Day and Halloween ......................... 4 Christians have much more than these passing Halloween traditions ......................................... 5 pleasures to smile about. Halloween and fear .......................................... 7 SMILE — God loves you! Fear and the Bible ............................................. 8 SMILE — God is more powerful than death, the Fears of young people ................................... 10 devil or any evil power! A study for youth and/or adults SMILE — God guides and protects you! What about Halloween ............................. 11 SMILE — God has made you a saint! All-age Halloween party ................................ 13 SMILE — God made a way for you to live forever A sample worship service with God! Something to smile about ......................... 16 1 WHY ALL-AGE CHURCH? A WAY OF BEING CHURCH A HALLOWEEN IMAGE Doing things together as an all age Screeeam! Gruesome! Severed body parts are congregation is significant and beneficial both a common theme in horror films and stories and theologically and socially. It can also be good in the haunted houses sometimes set up for fun. Halloween. Why? Because severed body parts Grown-ups need children in church because are unnatural and scary. They cause people to children remind us of our humanity — they show scream and to be afraid. us how to play, laugh, cry, inquire, learn, express The Bible gives us an image of the church as the sheer delight and joy, or become timid and body of Jesus Christ with many different parts, all afraid. connected with one another, all having Children need adults to share experiences and different functions, but working and growing understanding — of faith and life — through together. modelling, stories and conversation. Our holy God is a god of wholeness. One might Worship is a significant part of being church, but wonder what Godd thinks when in our not the whole picture. Being church is also programming for the body of Christ, we tend to service, fellowship, learning and evangelism. sever the body parts — cutting off one group of People of all ages can be engaged in all these people from another. activities; and grow in faith by doing so. Is it as foolish (or scary) as a foot saying it’s not a In a society where people have become more hand and therefore isn’t part of the body (see and more compartmentalized (or placed in 1 Corinthians 12:14-27). age, gender, ability or ethnic ‘silos’) the church AN ALL SAINTS IMAGE — ‘the communion of saints’ — is one setting where everyone has the same value and As you think about your church at All Saints time, importance. It’s a place where young children think about this: can serve and learn alongside older people — God wants all people to know Jesus and people they might never encounter in their lives believe in him. Jesus died to make all people apart from church. It’s a place where teenagers holy. Saints are God’s forgiven people of all can get to know and learn from middle aged ages. In fact, Jesus pointed out that young people and where they can know and mentor people are highly significant in the kingdom of children. In this way church is more like a family heaven. than any other unit of society Jesus asked the children to come to him. ‘Let the little children come to me,’ he said. ‘Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.’ (Luke 18:16,17) 2 CHILDREN’S WEEK Children's Week is celebrated in Australia TRICK OR TREAT IN CHILDREN’S WEEK annually during the fourth week in October. Children's Week celebrates the right of children If the practice of trick-or-treating is becoming to enjoy childhood. It is also a time for children wide-spread in your community, churches can to demonstrate their talents, skills and abilities. serve the community by cooperating with schools, Neighbourhood Watch, councils and Thousands of children and their families around police to establish policies and promote a safe the country are involved in activities and events and sane approach to the practice. For during Children’s Week through schools, example: playgroups and other organisations. Set a specific time, say 6:30-8:00 pm, for trick- Universal Children's Day, Friday November 20, or-treaters to be out and about. 2015, calls people of all nations to a greater Encourage householders to put on their front response to the plight of many millions of door lights (or use some other symbol) to children around the world who are denied the indicate that they will welcome trick-or- basic necessities of a happy childhood and the treaters. Houses that do not display the education to develop their capacities. It also symbol should not be disturbed. calls us in Australia to consider those conditions Encourage children to visit only houses of in society that affect the lives and future of our people they know and trust. own children. For safety-sake, if not good nutrition, children Children’s Sunday during Children’s Week has accept only commercially wrapped lollies or become a special time for churches to organise age-appropriate, non-edible treats. child-friendly worship services and celebrate the Limit trick-or-treating to children under high spirituality of children and the contribution they school age; and possibly provide an make to the church family. alternative activity for older children. CHURCHES AND CHILDREN’S WEEK Young trick-or-treaters should always be In planning your church’s observation of accompanied by a parent or other Children’s Sunday, find out what children in your responsible adult. congregation and neighbourhood are doing in TRICK-OR-TREAT FOR UNICEF their schools, playgroups, scouting groups and other organizations during Children’s Week. This campaign began over 50 years ago in the USA as a way for kids to help kids in need of Find ways to support and encourage these more than candy. Since then, children have activities. For example, if you have a suitable gone door-to-door with their UNICEF collection hall, offer it to organisers to use for Children’s boxes on Halloween, calling out "Trick-or-Treat Week activities for UNICEF!" Children in USA have raised more Plan a Children’s Sunday worship that than $175 million over the past 65 years. celebrates Children’s Week activities and In Australia, Trick or Treat for UNICEF supports the includes children sharing what they have been UNICEF’s School for Asia program. To find out doing. more about this approach to trick-or-treating Plan a Children’s Sunday worship that see www.unicefusa.org/trick-or-treat recognises work being done by organisations . such as Uniting World and Uniting Care to assist children who are in need of basic services. Organise a social event that raises awareness of and raises funds for one of these child- supporting initiatives. 3 ALL SAINTS DAY & HALLOWEEN If you go back far enough in Church history you HALLOWEEN find a three day celebration called Hallowmas Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, or the Triduum of All Hallows. attending costume parties, carving pumpkins The first day (October 31) was known as into jack-o-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple Halloween, a shortened form for ‘the eve of All bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing Hallows’ pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror The second Day (November 1), known as All films. Hallows (or ‘All Saints’) Day, was a day for There can be some occult undercurrents to honouring the ‘official’ well-known saints. Halloween, particularly for people already The third day (November 2), known as All Souls involved in or dabbling in occult practices. Day was a day for honouring departed faithful Many Halloween traditions can be traced back Christians, unknown in the wider world, who are to the Celtic festival of Samhain — the end of important to a local family or congregation.’ the harvest season and the beginning of winter, The distinction between the three days has the darker half of the northern hemisphere year. become blurred, with Christians observing All Samhain was seen as a time when ‘the door to Saints on a convenient Sunday (if at all) and the the Otherworld opened enough for the souls of secular world becoming more and more the dead, and other beings such as harmful intrigued with the celebration of Halloween. spirits and fairies to come into our world’. People Most scholars suggest that the Saints celebration took steps to ward off these harmful spirits.