The smell of pumpkin spice latte is in the air! Fall can be a busy time of year for churches all over the world. As school starts back families are dealing with a new daily schedule, and all of the ups and downs that come with school enrollment, sports and homework! Thanksgiving is just around the corner and of course Christmas is almost here!
The Lord gives us lots of opportunities during this time to reach out and minister to our communities. It’s interesting that handing out candy can be such a gateway to gospel proclamation! And in this season instead of having to go to the people in our neighborhoods, many of them will come to our doors at the end of this month! This is a fantastic time for churches and ministries to look for ways to reach out to a lost, hurting and broken world. Here are a couple of ways that you could consider reaching out to your community this fall season!
Hand Out Gospel Tracts!
It’s pumpkin patch season, it’s the harvest festival time of year and you are going to encounter people in your community that you might not have an opportunity to encounter at other times of the year. Be prepared! Get some small gospel tracts that you can hand out to people you run into at these events! Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone crossed from death in their sin to life in Christ simply because you started talking to them about what size pumpkin they should get for their front door! A great resource for tracts is: https://livingwaters.com/product-category/gospel-tracts/ in fact they have a Halloween box available!
Maybe you could even consider reverse-trick or treating! Simply go to other houses in your neighborhood and instead of taking candy from them… give them the good news of the Gospel!
Volunteer At A Church Event!
Many churches offer some sort of harvest festival during this time of the year and they are always looking for volunteers! Volunteering at one of these events can be a fun way to engage with your neighbors, and an awesome way to give glory to the Lord by serving their kids! Look for one of these events in your area, or even more than one and see how the Lord uses your encounters with your community!
Pray For Every Person Who Comes To Your Door Looking For Candy
Whether you pray with them when they come to the door, or you pray for them after they leave don’t let these moments with people who need Jesus go to waste! Pray for them that they would know the love of Jesus, and that you would have continued chances to share with them!
At Calvary Chapel University we try to help people looking to minister be strategic about the way they reach out to their communities and serve in their churches! Has the Lord called you into ministry? At Calvary Chapel University we offer a fully online university to encourage you in your ministry calling by allowing you to pursue ministry while attending a Christian college. For more information visit CalvaryChapelUniversity.edu