5 Ways to Turn Summerween into a Christ-Centered Celebration

While buying real pumpkins might be out of the picture, plastic pumpkins still do the trick (I lived in Florida briefly and can testify real pumpkins don’t last in the heat. Trust me on this one). You can order a batch of lightweight faux pumpkins on Amazon or check out your local craft store -- they usually carry them year-round. Invite your family, friends, or youth group over for a creative afternoon.

Don’t forget to paint them with a purpose! Paint crosses, favorite Bible verses, or even try drawing your favorite Bible character on your pumpkins. If you want a little extra pizzazz, add some glitter, stickers, and even battery-operated LED lights for a glowing gospel message. It’s the perfect activity to keep the kids entertained for hours and combine creativity and Scripture!   

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Craving some warm comfort foods and a night full of prayer? A fall-flavored potluck prayer night is a great way to combine fall flavors and time spent in prayer! Invite your church group or neighbors, asking each guest to bring their favorite sweet or savory fall dish. This could include pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pies, sweet potato casserole, cinnamon rolls, and caramel dip with apples, pears, and other fruit. Don’t forget some apple cider and iced pumpkin lattes—yes, iced! It’s still summertime after all!

Once everyone’s plates are full, share snacks and go around the table to share prayer requests from the group. An alternative could include having a stack of sticky notes and pens for the group to write out their prayers, and a jar to place each prayer request anonymously. After the meal, sit around the dining room table and pull out each prayer request, signaling a communal group prayer (for larger groups, it may even be worth separating into small groups of 3-5 people to pray over specific topics). Prayer requests can be anything from personal prayers like healing for sick family members or friends to community needs like support and resources for local homeless shelters and food pantries.

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Who says Summerween can’t have a costume party, too? This time, let’s ditch the zombie and skeleton costumes and break out the Jesus sandals and angel wings! Invite everyone to dress as their favorite Bible character, whether it’s an Egyptian Moses (think Prince of Egypt) or Joseph with a coat of many colors. There are plenty of characters to imitate, and they can most likely be made with clothes and items from home!

To make costume night even more bible-based, give each person a chance to share a little about who they dressed up as and why they chose that person. Add in the Halloween aspect by giving each costume dresser a bag of treats after they share about their character. You can even choose to have a “Best Dressed” contest with extra prizes for the top three winners!

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If your summer consists of cool evenings, a bible-study bonfire bash can be another Summerween celebration option. This is your cue to light up the backyard firepit, but instead of pulling out your spookiest tales, invite your guests to come with their favorite bible story – there are plenty of suspenseful stories in the bible to choose from!

Here are a few bible stories to consider:

• The Witch of Endor and Saul – 1 Samuel 28:3-25
• Jesus Casts Out Legion – Mark 5:1-20
• Daniel in the Lion’s Den – Daniel 6
• Paul and Silas in Prison – Acts 16:16-40
• The Writing on the Wall – Daniel 5

Grab your s’mores platter and Jiffy Pop and get ready to reflect on the most mysterious moments in the bible!

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Are you having the rainy summer blues? Dim the lights and prepare your friends and family for a faith-filled film festival right from the comfort of your own living room! You can send out summerween-themed invitations encouraging guests to show up in their favorite cozy Halloween pajamas and bring their go-to fall candy (hello kettle corn, candy corn, and pumpkin-shaped Reese’s).

Check out these faith-filled, fall-friendly flicks or series on your favorite streaming platforms:

• An Autumn Romance (Prime Video)
• God’s Country Song (PureFlix)
• VeggieTales: Where’s God When I’m S-Scared? (Minno, Prime Video)
• Young David (Angel Studios)
• Testament: The Parables Retold (Angel Studios)
• The Chosen (Prime Video)
• A Harvest Homecoming (PureFlix)
• Finding Love in Mountain View (Prime Video)
• Prince of Egypt (Netflix)
• House of David (Amazon Prime)
• The Case for Christ (Angel Studios)
• The Abigail Mysteries (Prime Video, Pureflix)
• Autumn Stables (Prime Video)
• Woodlawn (PureFlix)
• Jesus Revolution (Netflix)
• A Box of Faith (PureFlix)
• The Jesus Storybook Bible (Minno)
• God’s Not Dead (PureFlix, Prime Video)

So go ahead, embrace the Summerween fun without the fright. With these creative, Christ-centered activities, you’ll be making sweet memories and sowing seeds of faith that’ll satisfy your fall cravings until pumpkin spice season is upon us once again!

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