Sue, talking with Reverend Tim Tom: “You know who else hit a rough patch? Jesus. He was dead.”

I recently watched the Halloween episode of ABC’s The Middle.  The show’s not my favorite, but I loved this episode.  One part made me laugh harder than I’ve laughed in a long time.  My favorite quote was from Frankie, played by Patricia Heaton.

Whenever there’s an exciting event for kids, the church offers an…alternative.

The shot moves to a group of teens, standing around an empty room, ringing in the new year…at 8:00 pm.

Ever been a part of a Christian “alternative”?

Like maybe a “Souper Bowl” or a “5th Quarter?”  Maybe a New Year’s Eve celebration that included praying in the new year instead of kissing the one you love?

How about an alternative Halloween party?  I have.

I remember when I was a kid going to the church gym to do a Halloween alternative.  I know that all of the parents involved (including mine) were well-meaning.  But…here’s what happened.  In one corner, you got to fill out a maze.  If you completed it, you got a piece of candy!  A fruit-flavored Tootsie Roll.  In another corner, you tossed bean bags (imprinted with a cross, no doubt) onto the board, and if you made it in the hole, you got another piece of candy!!  In another corner, if you wrote out your testimony, you got two pieces of candy.

Is it healthy for the Church to offer alternatives for these holidays?

Or is it healthier for the Church to equip her people to be salt and light in their community?

I believe that it’s more effective, and God-honoring, to free people up to be a vital part of their community.  Church leaders can sometimes get into the mode of thinking that offering more and more options for people to come back to the church building is the best way to control equip people to become growing followers of Christ.  This line of thinking forgets that the more and more that people come to the church building, the less and less they can invest in their neighborhood.  In effect, the church can tear people out of the communities that God has placed them in.

What’s your best memory from a Christian “alternative”?

Does your church offer alternatives?  Is that the best way to reach your community?