Illuminating Halloween: Brundall Parish Church’s Journey of Connection
In the quiet village of Brundall, the annual Halloween festivities took on a different dimension this year as the local parish church transformed its sacred space into a mesmerizing light display. The initiative represents a thoughtful evolution in how this faith community engages with broader cultural celebrations while staying true to their spiritual mission. After much prayer and consideration, church members decided to participate in the village’s popular Spooky Trail, but with a distinctly meaningful approach that invited reflection alongside the fun of the season. This wasn’t just about joining a secular celebration, but about creating a bridge between community tradition and spiritual experience—finding common ground where meaningful connections could flourish.
Last year marked the church’s first tentative step into community Halloween engagement, with a simple but welcoming offering of hot beverages and conversation space on the rectory drive. Church members were genuinely surprised by the enthusiastic response from local families, many of whom expressed deep appreciation for this gesture of hospitality. That positive experience emboldened the congregation to consider how they might deepen their involvement while maintaining their spiritual integrity. The warm reception they received suggested that many in the community weren’t just looking for Halloween entertainment but welcomed the opportunity for connection with their local church—a connection that might otherwise be difficult to establish in today’s busy world where church attendance is no longer a cultural norm.
This year’s “Light in the Darkness” event represented a more ambitious vision, developed in partnership with Fox Events. Revd Dave Hanson described how they created a luminous pathway across the churchyard leading visitors toward the church entrance. Once inside, attendees encountered an impressive steel cross fitted with disco ball fragments that scattered colored light beams throughout the sacred space. The atmosphere was thoughtfully crafted with ambient music playing softly in the background, the gentle scent of incense wafting through the air, and Bible verses displayed on screens. The sensory experience was designed to be both welcoming to those who might never normally enter a church building and spiritually meaningful for those open to reflection. In this way, the church created a space that honored both the celebratory aspect of Halloween and its historical connection to All Hallows’ Eve—the night before All Saints’ Day in the Christian calendar.
The impact of this creative approach was immediately apparent, with over 200 visitors passing through the church doors—many still wearing their Halloween costumes. As one volunteer insightfully noted, “In the light of the cross it didn’t matter” what people were wearing or where they came from—the experience transcended the external trappings of the holiday. The emotional responses were particularly striking: one man left because he felt overwhelmed with emotion, while others explicitly recognized a spiritual presence in the space. Perhaps most touching was the young girl who told her grandmother, “I think I am half Christian and half normal!”—a comment that perfectly captures the bridging of worlds that the event achieved. Another visitor described the experience as “entering a prayer bathed personal experience with God’s beautiful, gentle and powerful Holy Spirit,” suggesting that for some, what began as curiosity or entertainment evolved into a genuine moment of spiritual connection.
What makes Brundall Church’s approach particularly noteworthy is how it reframes Halloween engagement for faith communities. Rather than withdrawing from or condemning a popular cultural celebration, they thoughtfully considered how to participate in a way that honored both community traditions and their own spiritual values. This required discernment, creativity, and a willingness to step beyond comfortable patterns of ministry. The collaboration with Fox Events demonstrates their openness to working with community partners, pooling resources and expertise to create something neither could have achieved alone. The church expressed deep gratitude for all the volunteers and to Matthew Jameson from Fox Events who contributed their time and talents to make the event possible, recognizing that this kind of ministry requires many hands working together.
Brundall Parish Church’s Halloween initiative offers a compelling example of how faith communities can engage meaningfully with cultural celebrations while staying true to their core mission. Rather than seeing Halloween merely as a challenge to navigate or avoid, they recognized it as an opportunity for genuine community connection and subtle spiritual witness. Their approach didn’t involve heavy-handed evangelism or watering down their identity, but rather creating a beautiful, thought-provoking experience that spoke to people where they were. As churches across the country consider how to remain relevant and connected to their communities while maintaining their spiritual integrity, Brundall’s “Light in the Darkness” event shines as an inspiring example of creative, prayerful, and authentic engagement. The positive responses from visitors suggest that many in our communities are more open to spiritual experiences than we might assume—especially when offered in accessible, non-threatening ways that honor both the human desire for celebration and the deeper yearning for meaning and transcendence.
