Fall

What is your favorite season? I know many people love Spring. They love when the flowers bloom, the weather warms and the grass greens. Most people do not like Winter. They do not like the bitter cold temperatures, the snow, ice and the bone chilling winds. There is Christmas to break up the doldrums. Students love the Summer. They love no school, swimming, baseball but Summer has some down sides. The heat. Droughts. Summer jobs. Mowing the lawn.

Not me. I take the other seasons in stride, but I love Fall. I love the changing of the leaves colors. I love the opportunities afforded churches to attract new people in the Fall. I love when the first cold front hits and the air gets brisk and cool. I love fall colors. Many find it odd that I actually love the color brown. I also really like orange. Red is a great color as well. Mix in some yellow and those colors together give me sensory overload. I love Fall Festivals. I have since my childhood. I love the games, the food and the smiles on a child's face. That's not what I love about Fall most of all.

Nope. I love Fall and Fall Festivals most because it is the one event for churches where I am sure lost and unchurched people will show up and attend. I enjoy rubbing shoulders with irreligious people and getting to know them. I enjoy seeing the children and watching them get excited when they win a game. I love the wonder in a child's eyes when they see the decorations and the fun games. They can hardly contain themselves. Of course I enjoy watching the parents smile watching their children get so excited.

In the end, my goal is to connect parents and children to Jesus and His church. I hope they will stay a long time and not want to leave. I hope a child leaves begging their parents to bring them back to that church. I count it a blessing that I have seen God use a Fall Festival to lead families to a saving relationship with Jesus in time.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. There is something fresh and exciting about back to school. About the weather changing. About fun events. About opportunities to reach new families. I only wish Fall lasted longer.