Why We Made a Halloween-Themed Sunday School Curriculum

I’m not a big fan of Halloween myself. So it surprised a few people when the Sunday School Store created a Halloween-themed curriculum. If a pastor asks me why, this is my answer.

Maybe you’re in the same spot. Somebody on your team asked, “Are we doing anything for Halloween this year?” Some families at your church go all in. Some skip it on purpose. Either way, you still have to teach the kids that Sunday.

Trick or Truth: A Sunday School Curriculum for Halloween Season That Isn’t About Halloween

Trick or Truth uses the trick-or-treat wordplay to teach God’s truth. It never asks your church to celebrate Halloween.

It’s a five-week series for kids ages 6 to 12, with a matching track for preschoolers ages 3 to 5. Every lesson teaches kids that no matter what they hear, they can always turn to God’s Word for answers, and to Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The memory verse is John 14:6.

Nothing in it is spooky. It works the week of a harvest festival, a trunk-or-treat, or nothing at all.

Start Here: The Free Trick or Truth Lesson

You don’t have to take my word for any of this. Week 1 is free. Here is what’s in the download:

1. The Bible story. The First Lie (Genesis 3). Adam and Eve believed a lie, and God still came looking for them.
2. The teacher script. A supply list, an opening game, an object lesson, and discussion questions.
3. Printables. A coloring page, a word search, a craft, and a parent take-home page.
4. Ages 6 to 12. PDF download, no cost.

Download the free Trick or Truth lesson here. Print it and read it. You’ll know fast whether it fits your kids.

Why the Sunday School Store Made a Halloween-Themed Curriculum

I know different Christians have different points of view on Halloween. I want to be careful not to push anybody beyond what they believe as a church.

The reality is, most of the kids we serve are already hearing about Halloween at school. Many are trick-or-treating with their families. Most of them see the decorations and the holiday merchandise when they go shopping.

We see that as an open door. Everything in these lessons is about God’s truth, and how it is better than any trick the world will give us. We are just using the open mic the culture hands us.

Every curriculum we make starts from the same three goals: get them into the Bible, keep their attention, and help them experience the love of Jesus. This one is no different. We did our best to sidestep anything controversial about Halloween itself. Then we picked up the trick-or-truth wordplay and built five lessons on it.

Why We Borrow Candy and Costumes

I wouldn’t call this a turning point in how we design curriculum. Chloe, who brainstorms our themes, thought we had a gap for the Halloween season. That’s it.

We do this with a lot of our series, not all of them:

1. Find something playful, and not harmful, in the culture. Candy, costumes, a knock at the door.
2. Borrow the imagination kids already bring to it. They’re already interested. The culture did that part for us.
3. Pivot it to a biblical truth. A trick is a lie that sounds sweet. God’s word helps us spot it.

Valentine’s Day works the same way. We are not talking about crushes and falling in love. We are talking about biblical love. New Year’s is not about resolutions and turning over a new leaf. It’s about new life in Christ. Halloween is a more sensitive season, so I’ll say it plainly here. Trick or Truth uses the trick-or-treat wordplay to teach God’s truth. It never asks your church to celebrate Halloween.

What the Trick or Truth Curriculum Teaches

Five Bible stories, from the first lie in the garden to the armor of God:

1. The First Lie (Genesis 3). God’s word is true, even when a lie sounds sweet.
2. The Gibeonites’ Trick (Joshua 9). God knows the truth. Ask Him first.
3. Absalom Steals the Kingdom (2 Samuel 15). Popular isn’t always right. God’s true King is.
4. Simon Tries to Buy God’s Gift (Acts 8). God’s gift can’t be bought. He gives it free.
5. The Armor of God (Ephesians 6). God’s truth protects me every day.

The big idea for the series: God always tells the truth. His truth helps us spot every trick. Kids are surrounded by voices telling them what’s true. About God, about the world, about who they are. Some of those voices are tricks. We want kids to do what God’s people have always done. Ask “What did God say?” before believing a story.

If Your Church Skips Halloween

You don’t need to use this series. It is really not my lane to tell any pastor how to run his church. A church has the freedom to run a trunk-or-treat, and the freedom to skip the season entirely. I’m not going to judge anybody for either one. My general principle is that we judge other Christians, and non-believers, as generously as possible.

Here is how I’d decide:

1. If candy-and-costume talk is already welcome in your rooms, Trick or Truth fits. The kids already know the words, so you spend no time setting up the theme. The full five-week series, with the preschool track, is here: Trick or Truth Sunday School Curriculum.
2. If your church steers clear of Halloween, keep teaching your regular lessons that Sunday. You are not missing anything the kids need. There are hundreds of free lessons on this site that never mention the season.
3. If you’re not sure, download the free Week 1 lesson and read it. You’ll know.

What About the 2010 Halloween Posts?

This blog has carried Halloween-season posts since 2010. Jesus Is Not Afraid of Halloween was an editorial. I still think it’s about right: “I don’t think Halloween is completely harmless, but most of what happens is playful.” The Fear Not lesson was a single lesson plan about not fearing death. The Romans 6:23 object lesson was a children’s sermon with candy.

Those were written back when this was only a free blog, and I was less careful with touchy subjects than I am now. They’re still here and still free. Trick or Truth is the first full series we’ve built for the season, and that’s where I am now.

Tell Me How Your Church Handles Halloween

I’ve been out of the pastorate since 2015. You know your rooms and I don’t. So tell me. Pastors: if this series isn’t for your church, tell me what you teach that week instead. Teachers: if you use Week 1, tell me how the kids did on the “Trick or Truth” sort. Parents: if your family skips the whole thing, I’d like to hear what you do instead.

Leave a comment below. I read every one, even the ones telling me I’ve lost the plot.