By David John Cubangbang
Every year since 2016, a unique kind of Halloween season celebration unfolds at an Antipolo mall, where a nearby church celebrates a gathering of souls of a different kind.
It was a fun day last weekend as 2,000-plus kids with their families enjoyed fun games, sweet treats and bible stories as they joined the annual Sumulong Baptist Church’s (SBC) Harvest Festival with this year’s theme, “Candy Land,” held at the SM City Masinag in Antipolo.
The Harvest Festival is SBC’s alternative to the Halloween, a commercial tradition practiced in many countries based on Western beliefs.
Ptr. Lance Gotcher, the senior pastor of SBC told Daily Tribune, “We celebrate Harvest Festival because, you know, a lot of the world celebrates Halloween so we thought of an alternative to what the world is already doing. So why not do something creative and use it to share the gospel?”
The said event was organized by the church’s staff, spearheaded by Ptr. Gotcher together with the directress of Sunday School Babylin Suyat who oversaw the registration and kiddie activities. Ptr. Erwin Ibana headed the production team of “Candy Land.”
“Sometimes we have great ideas, but we can’t do them due to budget (constraints) and such. That’s why I’m very thankful to our staff and volunteers who made this all happen,” Ptr. Gotcher added.
“Our Harvest Festival is not necessarily to replace Halloween. It’s not. The real reason is to bring a harvest of souls to Christ,” he concluded.
During this time in North America, it is harvest season, and in the same spirit, Harvest Festival makes its Harvest of Souls by offering good, wholesome fun and camaraderie.
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