OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP

You want to help? Sweet! Sign up to help below if you're interested in decorating, passing out candy, helping with registration, or cleaning up after Candy Kingdom. If you'd like to help financially and sponsor your favorite candy, use the link in the purple section of the page. Whatever you choose to do, thank you for supporting Candy Kingdom, where nothing is sweeter than Jesus!

All of our other areas are now filled--thank you so much! We would love to have your help cleaning up that night! Please come to the church at 8:30pm on Tuesday night!

 

CANDY KINGDOM DONATIONS

Would you like to help underwrite this event? Your donations go toward providing candy for the hundreds of kids who come through our campus on Halloween. Every piece of candy has a Bible verse to point them to Jesus, because God's Word does not return empty!

DONATE TO CANDY KINGDOM

 

FAQS (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS):

What do I need to know?
Here are the 5 most important things you need to know:
  1. WHY are we doing this? We are doing this because we want people to know and love JESUSNothing is sweeter than Jesus. We have an incredible opportunity on Halloween to share His love with our friends, families, neighbors, and community! God’s Word is powerful and each of the 75,000+ pieces of candy we will pass out that night have God’s Word on them. YOU are important too. People will see, hear, and experience God’s love THROUGH YOU! He is worth it! Nothing is sweeter than Jesus! Thank you for helping us “make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16
  2. WHEN should I arrive? Arrive by 5:00PM. This will give you time to park, get dinner, and get to your station. People will also line up early, so we need to be ready. Pizza will be served at the volunteer tent starting at 5:00PM. If you work late, see the FAQs below for a solution!
  3. WHAT am I supposed to do? Passing out candy - If you're passing out candy, its ONE PIECE PER KID. I know this may not seem like a lot for some of the smaller candy, but if they go through all the stations, they're getting over 75 pieces of candy. We also need this candy to last us all night. ONE PIECE of candy per kid.
    Registration Team - Please arrive early! Guests come early! Dress FUN, smile, 
    & represent the Lord well! (see registration below)
    WHAT should you wear? We’d love for you to dress themed for your station. If not, please remember our goal is to show them “Nothing is sweeter than Jesus”, so we want to dress FUN and avoid anything scary for our younger guests. “God is LIGHT and in Him is NO DARKNESS at all.” (1 John 1:5). Plain or VBC t-shirts are also fine. WHAT to do if...??? (check out below)
  4. WHAT do I need to bring? Parking pass and wristband. All volunteers need a parking pass to access the volunteer lot and wristband to enter either building. The volunteer parking lot is located between the two buildings--please enter the campus at the top by the 3 crosses. Once that lot is full, feel free to park anywhere on campus trying to leave the best spots for our guests. Overflow parking is also available at the Hercules Transit Center and a shuttle will be provided. You can get parking passes and wristbands at the counter on Sunday, October 29, at the office during the week, or (if you forget) wristbands can also be picked up the night of the event at the volunteer tent by the nursery play yard. You should also bring water to have at your station with you. 
  5. WHERE do I go when I arrive? If you have your wristband and know where to go, go right to your station. Make sure you have everything you need, get settled and prepared to receive guests! If you do not have a wristband or you'd like pizza for dinner, head to the volunteer tent by the nursery yard. 

What should I expect? 
The event will be in both buildings. For the indoor trick-or-treating, our friends and neighbors will experience several fun-filled, bright and colorful "treat trails" with sweet-themed lands and candy around every corner! Treat Trails include:
  • Candy Kingdom Treat Trail (Family Life Center – auditorium)
  • Adventure Treat Trail (Family Life Center – Upstairs)
  • Starburst Universe (Worship Center Auditorium – Right Side)
  • Milky Way (Worship Center Auditorium – Left Side)
  • Candy Kingdom Around the World Treat Trail (Worship Center – downstairs)
  • Candy Kingdom National Parks - Mountains & Valleys Trail (Worship Center upstairs, entry by coffee cart)
  • Candy Kingdom National Parks - Seas & Trees Trail (Worship Center upstairs, entry from lobby left side corridor)
If you signed up for trick-or-treating, you’ll be at a station passing out candy.
If you haven’t chosen a specific station, visit the counter on Sunday to see the list or email us at [email protected].
 
How does registration work this year? 
We’ve sent over 1,000 tickets to VBC Family Members and guests who have come to Candy Kingdom before, each pre-filled with their information to make it as simple as possible! If they have TICKETS, they’ll get a WRISTBAND that will give them access to the treat trails in either buildings. If they have NOT pre-registered, no problem! We have a simple card with just 3 questions so that we can follow up with them afterwards and invite them to church and other fun events like Christmas in Hercules! IMPORTANT: Everyone who comes to the event must register and get a wristband. No one will be allowed in the buildings without a wristband, including volunteers. Volunteers can get their different colored wristband at the Volunteer Tent by the Nursery Yard.

I signed up; what else do I need for that night?
Get a parking pass and wristband. You’ll need a parking pass to have access to the volunteer lot. All volunteers should enter at the top lot by the 3 crosses to access the volunteer lot located between the 2 buildings. Once this lot is full, you may park anywhere on campus or at the Hercules Transit Center (shuttle provided), but please try to leave the best spots for our guests. 
 
What do I do from now until then?
  1. PRAY. Please be praying. God is powerful and worth every moment we spend preparing. The enemy does not like that we’re inviting people from the Kingdom of Darkness into the Kingdom of Light. “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. Colossians 1:13
    “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” Isaiah 9:2. We want them to know and love Jesus. Pray for God’s protection and guidance as endeavor to show them Christ in the sweetest way possible!
  2. Invite at least ONE person, and be praying for them from now until then.
  3. Prepare your heart. The enemy does not like what we’re doing. PRAY PRAY PRAY and come prepared to share God’s light and love in our community. Nothing is sweeter than Jesus.
What candy safety precautions are you taking? 
We take kids' safety seriously. All candy has been purchased long in advance from stores by our staff. No candy was donated or purchased by or from unknown entities. Our team that is preparing the candy for each station (opening bags, counting, and versing candy) has gone through a volunteer certification process and are treasured and trusted.

Why do you put Bible verses on all the candy? 
We believe that candy is sweet, but nothing is sweeter than Jesus. We want everything we do to point to Him. Jesus died for us (that includes our guests who may not know that yet!)...that's a huge deal, and it can change their lives! We hope they enjoy the candy, but we hope that they get to know the God of the universe even better. With the amount of candy we've prepared, God's Word will be read over 75,000 times by over 2,000 people. And His Word does not return void! (Isaiah 55:11) Is it worth it? Yes! Starbursts? Yeah, they're great, but what about getting to know the One who made the stars! Dum Dums? Fun! But how about exploring that God made them with intention and they are NOT "dum". See what we mean? It's sweet to enjoy candy, but nothing is sweeter than Jesus! 

What if it rains? 
We're on, rain or shine. Indoor trick-or-treating works great for rain, and our attendance jumps up exponentially when it rains!

What if I arrive after 5:30? 
No worries. Park in one of the guest lots and try to leave the best spots for guests. When you come, head to the volunteer tent to get your wristband and get to your station as soon as possible. We want everyone in place by 5:30 as doors open promptly at 6:00 and guests will be waiting! If you're not in your spot, we cannot open your station. Please do your best to be on time! 

I work until 6:00, can I still help? 
Yes! If you'd like to help DURING the event, partner with someone at a station and switch off with them to give them a break. You'll park alongside the guests on campus or at our overflow parking off-campus (shuttle provided) and you can get a wristband at the volunteer tent before heading in to meet them.
 
What to do if...
You run out of candy. You shouldn't...Check under your table/tablecloth to make sure you've used all the bins. Remember its ONE piece per kid, even of the little candy like lifesavers. If you've truly run out, we have a small emergency pile, but all the people in your trail have the same amount so you should all run out at the same time. If you're running low, let your Trail Leader know.
You have to use the restroom.
Each trail has a Trail Leader. They will be able to sub for you or find a temporary replacement.
The fire alarm goes off
- We must evacuate the building and stay clear from all driveways as the fire department is coming. Take your belongings with you and calmly exit the buildings at the nearest exit helping others along the way. We will let you know once it is safe to re-enter the buildings.
There is a dangerous situation
Pray. God is in control. Security will be all over the campus. If there is an active shooter, our team has trained for this. Lock yourself in the room and arm yourself if the intruder should enter the room. If you hear the shooter is far enough that you can exit safely, exit and run to the Hercules Transit Center or to Burger King.