5 Creative Trunk-or-Treat Themes for Churches
Pastors
Audio By Carbonatix
10:30 AM on Tuesday, October 7
By Elizabeth Delaney, Pastors
1. Feast of Trunks
The idea behind this one is that it borrows from when God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt (and later instituted The Feast of Booths in Leviticus 23:33-43). There's a lot to work with here from the burning bush to the plagues to the Red Sea to the Promised Land. So, the story may need to be abbreviated, depending on the number of decorated trunks. But a connection can be made that just as God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and provided for all their needs in the wilderness (even the Manna they collected every morning when it wasn't the Sabbath), He wants to save us and deliver us from sin so that we can be in a right relationship with Him.
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2. The Romans Road
For those who haven't heard of The Romans Road, it knits together several scriptures in the book of Romans that are often used as a witnessing tool to lead someone to Christ. This idea might be great for small churches because you could get away with a smaller number of trunks. However, there are enough concepts and scriptures that it can work for a larger number of trunks, too. In a nutshell, it illustrates that;
- Evil exists, and people are separated from God and can't be in a relationship with Him outside of Jesus because of sin.
- Christ is the hope of our salvation because He paid the penalty for our sins.
- We only need to tell Him in prayer we're sorry for our sins and ask Him to forgive us and be the Lord of our lives.
- He extends His forgiveness to us so that we can be in a relationship with Him.
For additional details on The Roman's Road, click here.
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3. The Eye of the Needle
You've heard of "The Eye of the Tiger" song from the old Rocky movie. Well, this is about kids, camels, and the eye of a needle. This theme is coming out of Matthew 19:13-26. It lets children know that they hold a special place in Jesus' heart but also explains that salvation isn't by works. The rich young ruler thought he could gain eternal life by his works. After Jesus explained that work won't cut it and it's easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter God's kingdom, the disciples wondered who could be saved.
"With men, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible," Jesus answered.
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4. Warrior Angels and Mighty Men
Psalm 34:7-8,22: "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned."
This could have some interesting and creative imagery: a blend of mighty warrior angels, camo, and some favorite Bible characters such as Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Deborah, Sampson, David and Goliath, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, and others.
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5. Shine and Dine
The focus for this one is taken from John 8:12: "... I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
Many things can represent light: twinkle lights, glow sticks, illuminated lighthouses, replicas of the sun, moon, and stars, light-up balloons, disco lights, and more. The dine part would be the treats passed out, although it could also involve an actual cookout or pizza.
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Trunk-or-Treat Add-ons
Churches can also offer other activities for children to do that really turn the evening into an event where memories are made and relationships are built. For example, churches could offer various yard games such as Giant Jenga, Corn Hole, 4-in-a-row, volleyball, and wiffle ball as additional fun activities after trunk-or-treat time is finished.
A bonfire and an opportunity to roast hotdogs, as well as marshmallows for s'mores, is also a possibility.
Ideally, people in the neighborhood would be piqued by the idea; they might decide to visit on Sunday morning and eventually be led into a relationship with Christ.
One really lovely resource for detailed information on how to organize a successful Trunk-or-Treat event can be found at New Start Discipleship.
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