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Halloween is almost here, so we are preparing our Gospel Goody Bags for this year’s trick-or-treaters! We started handing out these bags about two years ago but really upped our game last year. I wanted to write this post as a means of inspiration for others who are hoping to do the same. We don’t believe our convictions about Halloween are anyone else’s command. My hope with this post is to provide a one-stop shop to make it easy for those interested in replicating and adapting this idea to their respective contexts.
I’m also sharing a few things we do to be a light to trick-or-treaters as they stop by. Our desire is to maximize the one night a year that lost souls are coming to us. I don’t know of an easier evangelism opportunity. This compels us to be present, hospitable, and generous to those who come to our home on Halloween. Here are some of the items we use and how we use them.
Paper Sandwich Bags
One thing I’ve begun doing is purchasing items in bulk so if we have leftovers, it will help with preparing our gospel goody bags for the following year. Last year, we bought these paper sandwich bags (I’ve also used these before and they would be a great option too.) This year, I bought this style (you can set them up on Subscribe & Save to lower the cost and cancel the subscription at any time). We’ve also used regular sandwich bags but I switched to the paper ones because I think they are more aesthetically appealing and look more like gift bags.
King Size Candy
King size candy bars became a part of our Gospel Goody Bags after seeing how Jimmy and Kelly Needham gave them out to show off the generosity of Jesus. Their home displays a sign on Halloween that reads, “If you make the climb, we have king size bars because no king is as generous as ours!” I love how creative that is.
We display this letterboard with these letters (I ended up needing two packs) and since our porch doesn’t require much of a climb, we’ve adapted the message to, “Welcome, friends! We have king size bars ’cause no king is as generous as ours!” God has richly given us everything and more in Jesus and we want the world to know beginning with our neighbors. An additional way we maximize this opportunity is by having a Bluetooth speaker stream Scripture readings from Streetlights Bible so folks will hear the Bible as they pass by.
Gospel Tract
We’ve used this tract for a few years now and like how it explains the gospel simply and includes various verses for children to look up. There are a few places that sell this tract but the best price I’ve found is at Tenofthose.
Vinyl Stickers
Since we don’t know if any of our trick or treaters will have food allergies, I like to include non-food items in our gospel goody bags, just in case. I chose vinyl stickers because they are affordable and popular, and there are many options. Last year, we chose Marvel hero stickers and boho stickers. A few of the Marvel ones were odd and some seemed inappropriate or scary so we tossed those particular ones in the trash and used what we could.
Since I don’t know if the gospel goody bags will be going to boys or girls as they are handed out, we put one of each sticker in each bag. This year, we chose Mario stickers and retro stickers. When buying stickers, I try to think about what is popular in children’s entertainment and what kinds of stickers kids would be most excited to receive.
Glow Bracelets
Glow items are simply fun, affordable, and another allergen-free option. I usually purchase glow sticks from Walmart because they are slightly cheaper than Dollartree. This year, I found the glow sticks pictured on Amazon and bought them because they were a better deal and they were delivered right to my front door. If I have the option to not load my kids into the car to run an errand, I’ll take it!
Church Invite
Our church provides us with these in the form of both business cards and coasters. We’ve used the business card ones so far because they seem to fit better in the gospel goody bags. If your church doesn’t offer invite cards, you can design and print your own. A few years ago, I created my own invites with QR codes linking to our church website and printed them on cardstock.
Sealing Stickers
I bought these stickers last year to seal our gospel goody bags. You can search for various types of sticker rolls on Amazon. I wish there was a more aesthetically appealing option but this seemed to make the most sense for what we’re trying to accomplish. We have leftovers from last year that we’ll be using this year.
Prayer Table
To distribute our bags and as a means of loving our neighbors, we set up a table with a light up letterboard that asks, “How can we pray for you?” We print out prayer requests cards I created in Canva and leave a few pens out so people can share prayer requests if they’d like to. We have a box with a slot in it available for them to place their cards in.
That’s how our family participates in Halloween! If you have creative ways you’re hoping to be the light on Halloween, feel free to share in a comment! We’d love to learn from you!
