Today, we're pleased to share with you an audio essay written and read by John Nielsen

entitled Six Ideas for Thinking About Halloween with Your Kids.

John Nielsen's book is Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry, a practical guide from Crossway.

Six Ideas for thinking about Halloween with your kids, written and read by John Nielsen.

Well, it's that time of year again. The nights are growing cooler. The leaves are changing

colors and falling from the trees. Daylight savings time is just around the

corner and people at your church are arguing about Halloween. What a joy. A godly older saint

frowns at you disapprovingly, as you mentioned, taking your kids trick-or-treating, while the family

at the other end of the pew is preparing for their annual

costume party bash, complete with pumpkin carving and spooky music. What is a Christian to do

anyway when October 31st rolls around? Well, as a father of four young kids, I am right in the

midst of the Halloween craze. Choosing the right costume requires weeks of careful

planning. Hitting the prime street for trick-or-treating is the topic of school gossip and eight-year-old

conversation circles. I heard the Hunter family gives out full-size candy bars. My six-year-old is

begging me to visit the local haunted house, and the answer is no.

I don't have all the answers, but my wife and I have sought to think biblically about this

occasion that comes around every year at this time. And so I humbly offer six aids for you as parents,

as you think through what to do with Halloween as a family. Number one, enjoy it,

but don't celebrate it. This has become one of the ways that we seek to distinguish with our kids

how we engage with Halloween versus how we engage with Christmas and Easter. We enjoy Halloween.

We have fun with costumes.

We like the candy, and let's face it, we as parents take our cut.

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