As someone working in ministry, especially in a culture where Christianity isn’t widely celebrated, I’m always looking for creative ways to connect with people and share the gospel. I wanted to share two recent outreach efforts that really stood out and made a difference—one was a gospel-themed escape room, and the other was a school supply giveaway.
Turning a Tomb into a Gospel Escape Room
A couple of years ago, around Halloween—a holiday not typically celebrated among Christians here—I wanted to create an alternative event that was fun, engaging, and gospel-centered. We ended up designing an escape room experience themed around Jesus’ resurrection.
We decorated a room to resemble a tomb, with black fabric everywhere, dim lighting, and blacklights to set the tone. We set up four tables, each with a locked box and a clue based on Scripture. Participants were told they’d just “woken up in a cave” and had 20 minutes of oxygen—so we put a countdown timer on and even stayed in the room with them to guide the experience.
Each station was based on a verse from the Romans Road:
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The first clue used Romans 3:23, with bolded words. By counting the letters, they’d find the combination to unlock the first box.
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Inside was a kids’ puzzle, and when completed, the back revealed Romans 6:23. Four letters in different colors helped unlock the next box.
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The third box had a blacklight flashlight. They used it to reveal a hidden word—“gift” in Spanish—in the next verse. A dictionary on the table helped them find the code.
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The last clue required a magnifying glass (also found in the previous box) to read a verse printed in tiny letters. Certain capitalized letters spelled out “LOVE,” leading to the final code.
Once they got through all four stations, they received four images: a manger, a cross, a down arrow, and an up arrow. When placed in the right order—representing Jesus’ birth, death, burial, and resurrection—they received the final code to “escape.” We explained that just like they escaped the room, in real life, Jesus is the only way to escape sin and death and receive eternal life.
People really responded to it. We even had the local newspaper come out to write a small article about it. It was a unique, non-scary alternative to Halloween that drew in a lot of visitors—and more importantly, it opened doors to share the gospel.
Meeting Practical Needs Through School Supplies
More recently, we tried something different—but just as impactful. Here, every student has to purchase their own school supplies, which can get expensive. We saw this as an opportunity to help families in need while also connecting them to the church.
With help from our church family, we collected enough items to make 100 small packages of school supplies—things like crayons, pencils, scissors, and paper. The Saturday before school started, we went out into the neighborhood and handed out invitations. We told people that if they brought the invite to church that Wednesday, they’d receive a free package.
We were hoping for a good turnout, but we were blown away when over 140 people showed up! We had to go out and buy more supplies just to meet the demand. It was a little chaotic, but such a blessing.
While the kids were in a separate room enjoying activities, the adults came into the main church building, where we were able to share the gospel with them. It was such a powerful reminder that meeting people’s physical needs often opens the door to meet their spiritual ones as well.
Real Impact Through Simple Ideas
Both of these experiences reminded me that outreach doesn’t have to be elaborate—just thoughtful and intentional. Whether through a creative, immersive experience like the escape room or something as simple as handing out school supplies, these efforts gave us the chance to introduce people to the love of Jesus in ways that were meaningful and memorable.
If you’re trying to think of new ways to reach your community, I encourage you to look around and ask: What do people need? What might surprise and engage them? You never know how God will use a flashlight, a puzzle, or a pack of crayons to change someone’s life.
