If you've become interested in the Bible, you're in good company. The Bible, in one translation or another, has been printed billions of times and remains one of the bestselling books of all time.

A candle shines brightest when it’s dark in the room. Halloween is a strange mixture of fall festivities and seemingly harmless kids’ costumes, all mixed in with horror movies and the celebration of death. Sometimes evil itself is lifted on a pedestal.

What is a Christian family to do? Do we shutter our windows, turn out the lights, and wait out the storm? Do we shield our kids from cartoon witches as well as realistic ones? How realistic is too realistic to be kid-friendly?

Parents and other leaders of children are wise to pay special attention to what our kids are exposed to during Halloween. There is a real devil at work in the world, and no doubt he is maximizing his opportunities. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

That said, the devil does not have the upper hand during Halloween.

Those who work with middle- and high-schoolers are some of the greatest unsung heroes around. They are called to lead young people into a vibrant relationship with Christ, and they often carry their students’ burdens as part of that. They help youth grow from children into adults, from dependents into those ready to live independently. And often, they have families or another job that calls for their attention and energy as well.

Here are 7 ways to practically acknowledge youth leaders’ work and to hold them in high regard:

Perhaps you are facing an ambiguous leadership transition in your church. You see a person who deserves honor and it’s time for them to step down. Do you wonder why it’s time? In some cases, all the reasons are clearly explained. In many cases, some elements are withheld.

What does the Book of Joshua show us about adjusting to leadership transitions? It teaches little by direct instruction, but much by example.

The teenage years represent the height of confusion for many parents. Teenagers know that they still need their parents; parents know their teens need them too. But teenagers also know that it is time for them to figure some things out for themselves.

You can help your teens learn to seek out the wisdom and truth God offers in the Bible for themselves if you tread gently and pray a whole lot.

The catechism is a foreign concept to many evangelical Christians. It may evoke a sense of mystical reverence or a yawn of boredom. It may connote religious emptiness. But much is to be learned from this ancient practice of systematically teaching the truth about God through questions and answers.

What do you say when nothing can make it better? A child who has lost a loved one cannot be comforted — at least not in a lasting way — with a trip to the ice cream shop. And when sickness or injury has changed a child’s life indefinitely, he needs more than a pat on the head or a movie to distract him.

Divorce or separation can create turmoil and uncertainty in kids, even when they perceive the change to be positive. They need to grieve what might have been and the loss of familiarity.

Other life situations — even positive, healthy ones — can fill a child with grief. When a family moves to a new city, children experience a different kind of grief than their parents. This move was not their idea, they probably had no say in it, and they have less access to technology to stay in touch with their friends. In all of these situations, one of the best things we can do is help them find comfort in Scripture.

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