Have you packed your shoebox gift yet?
Good news! You still have time! OCC’s National Collection Week is fast approaching. Hard to believe this coming Monday (11/18) kicks off National Collection Week 2019.
Sweet T and I have been busy getting our Central Drop-Off ready, working with our ministry partners to get the needed supplies like GO boxes and cartons to them. Sweet T has been busy manning the OCC table in our home church’s atrium and presenting OCC to the kids at our church. This is such a wonderful, joy-filled season for us. We are super excited to see and reconnect with friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ who love packing shoebox gifts for needy children in over 100 countries.
Are you new to OCC?
Let me share some info with you so that you can prayerfully consider participating in this incredible ministry initiative sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse.
What is Operation Christmas Child?
The world’s largest Christmas initiative of its kind, Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse that collects shoebox gifts filled with school supplies, hygiene items, and fun toys. Once collected, these shoebox gifts are delivered to children in need around the world. These gift-filled shoeboxes demonstrate God’s love in a real, simple, and tangible way. For many children, these shoebox gifts are the first presents they ever receive. This year, OCC hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to bless over 11 million children in more than 100 countries around the world.
Operation Christmas Child’s Eternal Impact
Every shoebox gift offers the opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ with needy children. The ministry works alongside the local church in their communities to teach kids about the Good News of Jesus. Often, the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ extends beyond the children receiving their shoebox gifts to their family members.
Since 2009, nearly 19 million children receiving a shoebox gift took part in The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson discipleship program that helps children learn what it means to follow Jesus and share their faith with friends and family.
https://video.samaritanspurse.org/almiras-story-adopted-into-gods-kingdom/
How does OCC work?
Starting with your medium-sized cardboard or plastic shoebox, select a quality WOW item like a soccer ball (with a pump), stuffed animal, or doll. Fill the box with other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies. Personalize your shoebox by including a photo of yourself or your group and write a personal note to the recipient. While you do not know who your shoebox gift is going to, God does.
DO NOT INCLUDE candy, toothpaste, used or damaged items, war-related toys, breakables, food, or liquids.
Be sure to include your $9 donation to help the project provide for collection, processing, and shipping your shoebox gift to over 100 countries. Your donation also provides training to local churches, and the cost of The Greatest Gift gospel booklets.
Want to know where your box goes? Give online through the Follow Your Box program. You’ll get a tracking label that you print and place on your shoebox gift. Once it’s delivered, you’ll get notification of where your shoebox gift went.
Once you’ve finished packing your box and prayed over it, take your shoebox gift to your local drop-off location during National Collection Week (November 18-25, 2019). There are nearly 5,000 drop-off locations around the nation. You can find the drop-off location nearest you, HERE.
https://video.samaritanspurse.org/the-greatest-journey-christophers-story/
In addition to working with the love of my life at the Central Drop Off at our home church (Trinity Bible Church Richardson), I have the honor and privilege of serving as a chaplain at our Dallas Processing Center. So if you or your group come and serve at the Dallas PC, be sure to give me a shout.
To experience life the way God intended, you and I must receive God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. This gift from God is available to all who ask. Will you personally receive the gift of eternal life so that you can experience the total forgiveness from your sins that come through believing in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
God is good all the time and all the time God is good! No matter what.
As always, thanks for reading. For nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37)
Blessings,
The Devotional Guy™
ABOUT: The Devotional Guy™ is a writing ministry of Chaplain Rainer Bantau, a Swiss-born, German kid who grew up in East Texas and today ministers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
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https://video.samaritanspurse.org/graces-story-from-devastation-to-deliverance/
The Devotional Guy™ 