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Children at the
Lite-Nite party in
Rossendale
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New resource book see below for details
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The idea is simple, plan an act of worship that allows children to make a donation to the Children's Society and have some fun. During the service they are given an apple. This can be used in a party afterwards, if you plan to have one.
Resources
On this page you will find a suggested service, Sermon/talk, hymns and music suggestions, downloadable posters, graphics, donation box templates. To keep the theme going, buy lots of green apples as a thank you for any children attending your event and donating a treat, these can be used in games after the worship.
Your Christingle team may want to help
If this is your first year at running a Halloween Choice event, we suggest setting up a small team of people to help (maybe your usual Christingle team, Mothers' Union members or local school).
How others have run alternative events...
The leaders of the Junior Church at St. John's, Moston, write about their events…
Each year at St. John's, Moston we offer an alternative for the children and parents of our junior church. We seek to contrast the dark, scary image of Halloween by holding a light party aimed at spreading the true meaning of the Christian celebration of All Hallow's eve, where light and happiness are at the top of the agenda.
Before the party itself we as junior church leaders prepare the children to celebrate the light of Christ and we invite all of the children to come to the light party dressed in white or light clothes. On the day of the party we commence with a short time of prayer with a lit candle as our focus. This candle remains lit throughout the course of the party. We encourage all of the children to join in the prayers in their own way. Following the prayers - the fun begins!
The party consists of food, games and lots of fun. We do play traditional games such as bobbing for apples with causes lots of laughter as can be seen from our photographs. We also do other sorts of games such as musical chairs etc. and lots of other activities. We also try to have food that is light in colour. Every year the children thoroughly enjoy the party. The party itself usually lasts about 1 - 1 ½ hours. Our aim is that the children go away from the party sure in the knowledge that Christ' light will surround them, uphold them in their daily lives and protect them along the way.
Here's looking forward to this year's party!
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About us
This campaign site is managed by the Communications Office of the Church of England Diocese of Manchester
Church House
90 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2GH
Phone: 0161 828 1400
Email:info@halloweenchoice.org
Copyright MDBF
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Bright alternative to Halloween
SUNDAY school teachers in Scarborough are promoting an alternative to Halloween by hosting a "bright" party for children.
Youngsters in Cloughton and its surrounding district are invited to go to the party wearing clothes to signify the colours of a candle.
The decision to promote an alternative to Halloween coincides with a comment by the Bishop of Bolton who accused shops of selling merchandise which promoted "a dark and negative side" of the festival and creating a "climate of fear".
He has called on the five biggest supermarkets to stock alternative goods such as bright balloons and hair braids alongside traditional witch costumes and skeleton masks.
The Rev Liz Kitching, of Cloughton, Burniston, Hackness, Harwood Dale, Ravenscar and Staintondale, who is organising the children's party, said: "To a certain extent I do agree with what he is saying. Making a celebration out of something that celebrates the dark side of life is bound to be bad for people.
Methodist circuit minister the Rev Claire Stainsby supported Miss Kitching's view, saying: "It is a commercial thing. It is about jumping on the bandwagon to celebrate an ancient festival. There are more
positive things to celebrate."
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Help with alternatives
Better than Halloween is a new resource book that invites churches to organise special parties for children, offering a positive alternative to the usual fare of Halloween activities and to reaffirm the Christian interpretation of the event, the festival of All Saints' Eve.
The book - written by Nick Harding, Children's Officer for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham - contains an overview of the traditions of Halloween, and the reasons why many Christians chose not to celebrate it.
The colourful book is packed with a wealth of ideas and inspiration for running parties for children aged 5-11 that replace the witches, monsters and ghosts with games and activities that children will find even more fun, themed around light, laughter, and the triumph of good over evil. It is primarily designed for the use by churches or schools planning events, but could also be used by groups of parents wishing to organise a 'light' party.
Better than Halloween also provides essential information on child protection and the practicalities of organizing such events. A full colour CD ROM accompanies the book and provides supporting resources, such as party invitations and worksheets.
In recent years many churches have begun to organise alternative events for children on or around Halloween, but this is the first time that the Church has offered practical suggestions for parishes on the subject.
Better than Halloween, priced £9.99, is available from Christian bookshops including Church House Bookshop, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN, tel. 020-7898 1300, e-mail bookshop@c-of-e.org.uk, or on the web at: www.chbookshop.co.uk (mail order available). ISBN: 0-7151-4101
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Alternatives for Churches
In recent years many churches have begun to organise alternative events for children on or around Halloween.
One example of an alternative to Halloween event is Lite-Nite. Lite-Nite sees around 400 children and adults fill St Mary's Church, Rawtenstall, for a party featuring action songs with live bands, and dancers, games, quizzes and stories.
Lite-Nite started because of the popularity of Halloween in the Rossendale area. A group of Christians wanted children to have an alternative to Halloween that was more fun than anything others had to offer - so the idea came for a party which celebrated Jesus as the Light of the world. Now in its 16th year, Lite-Nite has gone from strength to strength.
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