Hallowe'en light in Gorleston church

On Hallowe'en this year, St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families to experience their Light on a Dark Night event.

The church building will become a Twilight Maze ‘for those who are brave enough to enter’.  It will be dark, smoke-filled and gently spooky.  Families are encouraged to work their way through the maze until they find The Light - marked by a small participatory light display at the far end.  Then they will enter The Light Zone, in the church hall, where a fairy-light-lit cafe greets them with hot dogs, hot chocolate and a Jesus-is-Light-based craft, which this year will be creating lanterns.
 
All the families will then be given a sweet but provocative take-home story book about a little girl and a poorly bat, written by Nay Dawson, that gently points to Christ. 
 
Anna Price, Community Lead at St Mary Magdalene explains some of their Christian thinking and principles behind the event and how they, as a church, are seeking to engage positively with Hallowe'en:  
 
“Hundreds of families ‘trick or treat’ on the estate where the church is located and, over the past three years, the event at St Mary Magdalene has provided what has proved to be a very popular community gathering point for them as well as a haven for those trying to avoid the darkness associated with Hallowe'en celebrations. 
 
“It’s been our experience that parents, as well as their kids, always seem relieved to have arrived at their tea and coffee break in their trick or treat outing and find that it really is good to have Light on a Dark Night. We are seeking to use the opportunity of Halloween to engage with this imagery of darkness and in doing so, we give power to the marvels of our message of victory over darkness and light in Christ.” 
 
Anna will explain more fully how she feels the Christian church should combat the darkness of Hallowe'en in an Opinion article which will be published on Network Norfolk this weekend.
 
Families are invited to drop in at the church any time between 5pm and 6.30pm on Monday October 31. St Mary Magdalene Church is on Magdalen Square, Gorleston, NR31 7BZ.
 
 
Visit the church’s facebook page
 
The pictures are courtesy of St Mary Magdalene Church.
 

Do you have a news story or forthcoming event relating to Christians or a church in East Norfolk?  

If so, e-mail tony.rothe@networknorwich.co.uk with details and, if possible a suitable picture.