We celebrate Halloween, which for us is a chance to eat candy, dress up, have dinner with family, see friends, and enjoy fall weather. I'd love to incorporate All Saints' Day into the celebration, but we're just not there, yet.

Still, being out with our neighbors, laughing and enjoying each other, feels like pretty healthy community to me.

We're pretty lazy about Halloween. We live in a neighborhood where we never get trick-or-treaters, so we don't even buy candy.

Ever since our daughter was 1 (two years ago), we've been going to the house of friends in our church. They cook up a big pot of chili and serve wine and beer and juiceboxes to whoever wants to stop in from the neighborhood.

I asked my daughter what she wanted to be for Halloween this year, and she had no idea what I was talking about. So for the 3rd year in a row, she will be a kitty cat.

Why would "christians" do something different on Halloween? I've known certain superstitious type christians that believe in literal demonic activity and they avoid it, but for sane rational people I see it as a time to dispell ancient myths and superstions by making light of them. I don't see any reason to avoid it. Why not just have a good time? Is it because of the effects it might have if kids get scared?

This year we're hanging out at home in the front yard with candy and probably some soft drinks and juice boxes. I guess you could say we're doing the "missional" Halloween. I am taking it as an opportunity to hang out with some of our neighbors.

Usually we've gone to a festival thing at my parents' church. But this year it's on Saturday instead of Oct 31.

Our youngest daughter is frightened of scary masks and costumes and has nightmares. So, I hope it works out ok. The oldest isn't scared of anything.

Our spin is all about redeeming stuff life this. Plain and simple - you can't love your neighbors unless you get to know your neighbors. How about a holiday where they come to your door? Yeah... we're all over that.

One idea we're toying around with is instead of just handing out candy, doing that but also dropping in a little business sized card with a tag on it like, "Hey, if you ever need anything - sugar, eggs, whatever - we're your neighbors and let us know."

We allow our children to participate in Halloween as far as trick-or-treating goes. My parents are evangelical Christians and I never knew that this was such an issue until I was older. The way I see it Christmas and Easter were pagan holidays once too.