OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP
Interested in decorating, passing out candy, helping with registration, or cleaning up after Candy Kingdom? Maybe you'd just like to sponsor your favorite candy! Use the link at the bottom of the page to support Candy Kingdom, where nothing is sweeter than Jesus!
REGISTER TO HELP USING THE FORM BELOW!
CANDY KINGDOM DONATIONS
Would you like to help underwrite this event? Your donations go toward providing candy for the 500+ 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!
FAQS (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS):
1. Arrive before 5:00. The volunteer lot will only be accessible before 5:00. Pizza will be served at the volunteer tent between the buildings at 4:30.
2. 5 seconds. You’ll have about 5 seconds to pass out candy at each station (drive-thru or walk-thru) in order to get everyone through as quickly as possible.
3. Dress FUN! 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). Candy Kingdom T-shirts are also available for sale at the bookstore for just $10. (while supplies last!) Plain or VBC t-shirts are also fine.
4. Parking pass and wristband. All volunteers need a parking pass and wristband. The parking pass will give access to the drive-thru from 4:00-5:00 so you can get to the volunteer lot in the lower church parking lot by the offices. You can get parking passes and wristbands at the counter on Sunday, at the office during the week, or wristbands can also be picked up the night of the event at the volunteer tent.
5. Why? We are doing this because we want people to know and love JESUS. Nothing 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
What should I expect?
The WALK-THRU will be in both buildings and the parking lot in-between the buildings. For the walk-thru, 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:
The WALK-THRU will be in both buildings and the parking lot in-between the buildings. For the walk-thru, 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)
- A-Z Treat Trail (Worship Center Auditorium – Right Side)
- Colorful Treat Trail (Worship Center Auditorium – Left Side)
- Candy Kingdom Around the World Treat Trail (Worship Center – downstairs)
- Sky Treat Trail (Worship Center upstairs)
If you signed up for trick-or-treating, you’ll be at the 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].
If you haven’t chosen a specific station, visit the counter on Sunday to see the list or email us at [email protected].
The DRIVE-THRU will be completely separate and guests will enter at the top by the 3 crosses and exit at the very bottom through the cul de sac and the 4-way stop. Guests will drive-thru enjoying the sights of Candy Kingdom National Parks featuring places like 100 Grand Canyon, Kit Kat Cascade, Mt. Gushmore, and M&M Plains. If you are doing a trick-or-treating station along the drive-thru (national parks stations) you’ll be situated along the route passing out candy to the kids in the cars.
How does the drive-thru work, exactly? Guests may or may not sign up ahead of time. If they do, they’ll get a QR code that they’ll show at the beginning. As they drive through, they'll get a number taped to their windshield with how many kids they have in the car. They'll roll down their windows and you get to enjoy the kids' faces as they get candy at each station!
How does registration work this year?
For the WALK-THRU, we’ve sent ahead over 1,000 tickets to regular attenders, pre-filled with their information to make it as simple as possible! They can also pre-register on our website anytime and get a QR code to show the night of the event. If they have tickets or the QR code, 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 walk-thru must register and get a wristband. No one will be allowed in the buildings without a wristband.
For the WALK-THRU, we’ve sent ahead over 1,000 tickets to regular attenders, pre-filled with their information to make it as simple as possible! They can also pre-register on our website anytime and get a QR code to show the night of the event. If they have tickets or the QR code, 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 walk-thru must register and get a wristband. No one will be allowed in the buildings without a wristband.
For the DRIVE-THRU, people can register ahead of time by visiting valleybible.org/candy. Once registered, they’ll get a QR code to show the night of the event. If they haven’t pre-registered, we’ll give them a card with a QR code that takes them to the registration page. Since registration for the drive-thru isn’t mandatory, they can fill it out anytime that evening, and if they do, they’ll be entered into a raffle for a free gift from us.
I signed up, what else do I need for that night?
Get a parking pass and wristband. You’ll need a parking pass to get to the volunteer lot. Access to the volunteer lot will be available from 4:00-5:00 the night of the event. Enter at the top by the 3 crosses. It IS possible to park in other lots, but we want to try to leave those spots for our guests.
Get a parking pass and wristband. You’ll need a parking pass to get to the volunteer lot. Access to the volunteer lot will be available from 4:00-5:00 the night of the event. Enter at the top by the 3 crosses. It IS possible to park in other lots, but we want to try to leave those 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!
“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 not only treasured, but 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) Nothing I can do on Halloween will make Him known more! 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, if they choose the drive-thru, they can still enjoy the sights and sounds from the comfort of their cars and get candy at the end of the route!
Where do I park? Use your parking pass (available at the Worship Center counter on Sunday or at the office during the week) to access the volunteer lot. The volunteer lot is the lower parking lot by the church offices. It will only be accessible THROUGH THE CANDY KINGDOM DRIVE-THRU which is why we have to close the access to the volunteer lot at 5:00PM. Please arrive on time to be able to get to this lot.
What if I arrive after 5:00? 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 and you can get a wristband at the volunteer tent before heading in to meet them.
Where do guests enter for the drive-thru? When they arrive at the church (1477 Willow Avenue in Hercules) they'll head to the upper parking lot by the 3 crosses. The line will enter from the northeast (coming from Viewpointe, Foxboro, and Burger King). Our Welcome Team will guide them along the route 'til to begin! They’ll need their QR code or someone with a smartphone. There will be one route on either side of the drive-thru, so when they finish one, they are welcome to go back and do the second route!