What does a Trunk or Treat have to do with Jesus?

"What does a Trunk or Treat have to do with Jesus?" my 9 year old daughter asked me during dinner one night. Well... to be honest I had to really think about my response.

Here is where we ended up. I said Jesus tell us that all children matter to God. He even told his disciples that to understand God’s Kingdom, they needed to learn from, and imitate young children.

Mark 10:13-16

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

So when we host an event like a Trunk or Treat, we (the members of the church) get a chance to interact with children in the community in ways that are fun and familiar. It's a chance for us to tell those children that the people of St. Matthew's know God loves them, and we're offering a safe way for them to have some fun.

She didn't seem too convinced with my explanation yet, so I decided to lean in close and said in a whisper "plus, when is it ok for adults to learn from and imitate children - as in get dressed up and eat lots of candy" and she laughed.

Trying out a new church can be really intimidating, but attending a fun and free event with your kids - that's easy. This gives us a chance to make a friend, and invite them to another event, an outreach project, to join us for worship or youth formation program like Faith Factory. Events like this are important for each of us as members of the church to volunteer for, and attend to help create authentic long-lasting relationships. We reach into the community, to build our community.

Please, join us Saturday to volunteer at our welcome table, help host a trunk (we still have space!) or attend with your family and help us share some joy with our community!