Operation Christmas Child
by Marilyn Mackenzie
Each year, our church participates in Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child.
From the Operation Christmas Child web site:
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God's love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas-Jesus Christ.
Ours isn't a big church. On a typical Sunday, we might have 25 adults in attendance at our early service and 50 at our second service. Still, last year we were able to fill 100 shoe boxes for this ministry. This year, our goal is 200 boxes and some anonymous donor gave 150 plastic boxes so that most of us had go scrounging around looking for boxes to fill.
The boxes have to be turned in next Sunday, so I had better get busy filling our two boxes.
Here are some of the boxes our church as filled so far.
And here's the web site that explains the ministry: Operation Christmas Child
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Comments: 26
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I know many churches in my area participate in this program....it's great!
Joe, that's a beautiful post above....and what a fantastic idea.....to help serve meals to the homeless, as well as helping to cook and assembling the meal........I may mention that to hubby and son and we may try to do it for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, since we don't have any special plans, since it's just the three of us.
Yes, Amen to that.........that we all remember the real reason for celebrating CHRISTmas.
When my son was little, he and I participated in in a program in Florida that I haven't seen in Texas or Ohio. There was a charity that allowed poor kids to come in and select whatever gifts they wanted for the adults on their lists - parents, grandparents, teachers. They were each allowed to have about 10 names of adults for whom they could select gifts. The gifts were free to them - donated by people in the community. I loved that ministry. There are all kinds of ministries to help kids get gifts, but not necessarily for them to be able to give gifts.
My son and I worked with really young kids helping them select appropriate gifts for their adult family members, then helped them wrap the gifts. They were always so proud.
I was also interested in your comment about the size of your church. While I am grateful that God has blessed my church and that we are growing (nearly 700 members and a new worship center that opened a little over 1 1/2 years ago) I miss the days when we have 75-85 and only had one service and I knew everyone by name... We still manage to keep a small church feel because of the love and actions of our members, but it can take a lot of effort at times.