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Child Evangelism Fellowship sees Halloween as a unique Gospel outreach opportunity

‘Instead of cursing the darkness, we are determined to bring light and the love of Jesus to a hurting world. We envision it as another opportunity to reach children in a new way,’ says CEF Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry

For Immediate Release

October 21, 2024

ST. LOUIS — Halloween can be fun or creepy to many, depending on how it is celebrated; some people see Halloween as a time to practice witchcraft and learn more about the occult. In an effort to draw children towards the Gospel message during the Halloween season, Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) offers resources for them to learn more about Jesus and the Christian faith.

“Instead of cursing the darkness, we are determined to bring light and the love of Jesus to a hurting world,” says CEF Acting Vice President of Administration Fred Pry. “At CEF, we envision it as another opportunity to reach children in a new way. We have tracts geared to the occasion, and work alongside churches when they hold seasonal events.”

CEF has tracts for distribution during Halloween and has produced lesson material that can be used at these parties and events with children.

See the Light Shine

This fall tract, which features happy pumpkins on the cover, shares the Gospel message as it provides step-by-step instructions on how to carve a pumpkin. Children will enjoy this colorful, interactive tract, and it’s a great tool adults can use to share the Gospel as they carve a pumpkin with a child.

Suggested Bible verses are included that you can read together and talk about. As children light up their pumpkins, encourage them to live so that God’s light shines through them.

Unforgettable Pumpkin Run

Telling the story of a young boy and his friends at a Fall festival, The Unforgettable Pumpkin Run engages children in a party designed to lead the unsaved child to receive Christ, and to teach the Christian child to treat others with the love of Christ. This PowerPoint download includes a memory verse visual, Party Club lesson visuals and text, songs, games, invitations and a fun take-home activity.

The Thank You Spy

In this Party Club lesson, the fictional character Carlos doesn’t feel like giving thanks or playing his favorite spy games because the military has moved his family again. His dad’s imminent deployment weighs heavily on Carlos’ mind. Through a series of clues and hidden messages children will discover that because of Jesus, Carlos always has reasons to thank God. Children will be sure to enjoy this story with a spy-themed game, activity ideas and teaching help.

Trunk or Treat events

In Central Maine last year, 1500 children were reached with the Gospel at trunk or treat events, where the children trick or treat out of the trunks of cars. Trunk or treat events are an open door to reach kids and their families with the Gospel, connecting families with Good News Club® and other local ministries. One church hosted a trunk or treat in California, where a leader reported that their Gospel booth was “the busiest two and a half hour shift I have ever been to.” Some churches even do “reverse” trick or treating, by delivering tracts and treats door to door in nearby neighborhoods and apartments where children are located.

“CEF supports individuals and churches as they follow their convictions surrounding this cultural event, which has grown more and more prominent in recent years,” Pry says. “We’re told in the Bible to redeem the time because the days are evil, and this is our way of redeeming Halloween.”

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF), which was founded 87 years ago, has been establishing the Good News Club® in countries around the world for decades. Clubs are thriving worldwide, in countries including Australia, Cambodia, Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Uganda and many more.

In 2023, through the combined ministries of CEF, more than 25.2 million children worldwide heard the Good News. More than 577,000 teachers were trained around the world.

For more CEF news, see the ministry’s latest edition of the online magazine Impact.

Child Evangelism Fellowship is an international, nonprofit, Christian ministry that has been dedicated to seeing every child reached with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, discipled and established in a local church since 1937. CEF is located in all 50 American states and in most countries around the world, with over 3,500 paid staff and tens of thousands of volunteers around the world.

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To interview a representative from Child Evangelism Fellowship, contact [email protected]Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.

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