Halloween in RI

This past week, Nick and I had the pleasure of handing out candy to families and kids on the Eastside of Providence (where we live). Our home group met up and worked together to put on an awesome event for the neighborhood! Two of the church plants in Rhode Island, Northpointe, and Bridgepointe, decided that the best way to reach people where they are at on Halloween is to be present in our neighborhoods, at our own homes. We met at houses with our home groups, and set up little mini carnivals, if you will.
At ours, we had the following things:
- Two games involving glo-sticks, glowing balls, and extra candy prizes
- Party baggies full of candy, coupons for free food from Wendys and McDonalds, and a reflective slap bracelet with Bridgepointe's info on it
- A huge popcorn maker and hot apple cider
All of this was free for everyone, of course, and we had such a good time meeting people and handing out goodies. Everyone who came by was so thrilled about the popcorn and hot cider, and the kids were literally lined up to the street to play the games.

We had at least 200 kids come through just our little event! Not to mention all the families that were at the events all over Rhode Island. So awesome!

It is so common for people these days to shut off their lights and hide from tick or treaters, or to just go to their church and interact with other believers there. Now, I am not hating on the church festival route, it's what I did my entire life...  However, what an incredible opportunity we have just to love on the people in our neighborhoods! Think of the relationships you might be able to build just by making yourself available to those who already live around you. Get creative, look for opportunities to shine, to be different... instead of hiding away or blending in with what everyone else is doing.