Dear First Pres,

   Halloween is a holiday that many Christians abhor. Some abhor it for theological reasons and others abhor it because of the public nuisance it ensues. I used to be one of the latter. 
   Not when I was a kid, of course. I loved Halloween then. Since we lived out in the country, we would always head into Visalia where grandparents lived (both sets) and gather as much candy as possible in their neighborhoods. But then, as an adult, I moved into a neighborhood. During our Oakhurst days, we weren’t really in a neighborhood, and our seminary housing in Pasadena was an apartment complex with no Halloween action. So it wasn’t until I was in my late 20s when we moved to Gig Harbor that I lived in a place where people expected to find candy on Halloween. 
   In our early days there I didn’t want to be bothered. Our kids were too young (or not yet born) for walking the neighborhood, and I didn’t feel much like interacting with the neighbors. But then God began to do something new in me. I read a few books that really influenced the way I thought about my neighbors. One was called The Connecting Church and the other, Making Room for Life, both by author/pastor Randy Frazee. God used these books to build in me a love for neighborhood life. He used them to open in my heart a vision for reaching my neighbors with Christ’s love. He even used them to change the way I thought about Halloween! 
   So now I see Halloween as an incredible opportunity. The neighbors come knocking on my door. That hardly ever happens! So, now, instead of hiding in the back of the house with the lights off, we practically create a lighted runway to our front door. We hand out full-size candy bars. We try to interact with every kid and adult who stops by. And we pray that when they come to our front door they will experience the love of Christ. I encourage you to do the same.
   May God use this night, even Halloween, to increase your connection with your neighborhood. And may all who come to your door experience Christ’s love in you.

Blessings,
Jeremy Vaccaro
P.S. Men, there is a very special gathering for you coming up THIS SATURDAY, November 2, at People’s Church. Click here to purchase your tickets and get additional details. It’s going to be a powerful time. There are father-son and military discounts.