Keep your family focused on Jesus with these activities.
• Cleansed Hearts—Together, carve a happy face into a pumpkin. Remove the seeds and place them in a bowl inside the pumpkin. Say: “This pumpkin represents our hearts before we accept Jesus’ gift of forgiveness.” Have family members take turns reaching inside the pumpkin. Say: “The cold, wet seeds are just as yucky as our cold hearts are before we join God’s family. Once you invite Jesus into your life, though, he cleans out your sin, just like cutting open a pumpkin and scooping out the yucky seeds.” Throw away the seeds. Say: “Jesus makes our hearts happy so God’s love can shine out from us to a dark world.” Place a candle inside the pumpkin and light it. Close by reading Matthew 5:16.
• Goal Tenders—You’ll need some bowls and buttons. Try tossing the buttons into the bowls from 3 feet away. Then discuss your success with this goal. Say: “Sometimes we have to try several times to achieve our goals. But God gives us each a special goal to strive for. Listen to what it is.” Read aloud Philippians 3:12-14. Say: “Our goal is to become what God wants us to be. We can’t achieve that in one year, but we keep striving toward the goal.” Move a bowl closer to you. Say: “Let’s take turns tossing a button into this bowl and saying one way we’ll try to become what God wants us to be; for example, reading your Bible, praying, singing songs to God, or showing love and kindness to others. Remember to strive for that goal every day, week, month, and year.”
