Scary

Do you know what is scarier than any costume on All Hallows Eve? Coming to church for the first time. Now, this idea might be hard to understand because we see church as a place we all look forward to coming to, where we get to worship and fellowship with people we enjoy. So this idea that church is scary is very foreign to most of us. 

What we don't understand is how our Christian lingo is so confusing. Fellowship is a word the secular world does not use. Worship is often associated with cult-like behavior, yet we take it for granted to enter a time of Worship with the Lord. More often, the world has this idea that you have to be a good person to get into heaven, but we understand that all have sinned, and without the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, none are worthy to enter heaven. So, with this incorrect mindset, those who do not know the church think it is full of perfect people. Who wants to come and be judged by perfect people?

So how do we get people to come to church? Jesus did radical things like eating with tax collectors, who were considered to be the lowest of the low, and even sat down with prostitutes. Jesus went out to them, and as churches, we often wait for them to come to us. So, how can we reach out to them?

Vine & Branch supports its community in various ways, including Single Parent Outreach and the Blessing Tree, which assist those in need during the Christmas season. Free counseling to those inside and outside the church. Reaching out to community members during a time of crisis or hardship. One of the two most significant ways is the VBS and Harvest Festival. VBS brought us 140 kids, many of whom do not go to church. Last year, we had about 300 come through the Harvest Festival, where we heard testimonies about Jesus. 

We are now fully aware that the Harvest Festival is controversial. I fully understand Halloween is a celebration of the occult. It is essential to understand the reason behind my involvement in this event.

We want an event that makes those who avoid church due to fear of the unknown feel more at ease and comfortable attending. 
We, as loving Christians, can display the love that is in us all and break down walls to the secular world, which our media tells us that we hate.
Offer a healthy and safe alternative to traditional Halloween celebrations for our families. 

We are not celebrating evil; we are celebrating what Jesus has done in our lives and are sharing it with others. We achieve this by loving total strangers, providing kids with a fun, wholesome environment, and supporting those who may be food insecure with our amazing Nacho Bar, staffed by our worship team. 

The final point is, how can you be a part of what God is doing this day? Can you decorate a trunk? Can you help clean up? Would you operate a booth? Can you bring more candy since we're running low? We are a part of One Body, and this is the perfect way for us to display the Love of Jesus to a community that may not know Him yet! Please get in touch with Julia with any questions or suggestions on how you can help. 

In Him, 

Pastor Chris