Jesus says in Mark 10:14, "Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Through this project, Samaritan’s Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations.
In the summer of 1993, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham received a call from a man in England asking if he’d be willing to fill shoeboxes with gifts for children in Eastern Europe. Franklin agreed, but figured Christmas was months away. He forgot about the promise until he received a call back around Thanksgiving asking about the gifts.
Franklin asked his friend, the late Pastor Ross Rhoads of Calvary Church of Charlotte to see if he could help with the need. A Sunday shortly afterward, Pastor Rhoads demonstrated for his congregation how to fill a shoebox with simple gifts and encouraged them to include a letter to the child as well. Within weeks, the church had 11,000 shoeboxes lining their hallways.
Due to their generosity and additional gifts from Canada, Samaritan’s Purse sent 28,000 shoebox gifts to children in the Balkans that Christmas. Through these gifts, we communicated to children and their families what the angel said to the shepherds about Jesus’ birth: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people”
(Luke 2:10, ESV).
Every year since, Samaritan’s Purse has collected shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items for children around the world. Since 1993, more than 209 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. The project delivers not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first gift ever, but also gives them a tangible expression of God’s love.
Tens of thousands of volunteers from local churches around the world partner with us to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ at festive outreach events where children are surprised with these shoebox gifts.
Grab a shoebox from one of our displays throughout the church. You can't miss the iconic red and green.
Label your shoebox to indicate whether your box is for a boy or a girl, and mark the age range: 2-4, 5-9, 10-14
L Select a medium to large "wow" item such as a soccer ball with pump or stuffed animal, then fill with other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies. Don’t forget to also include a personal note and photo—sometimes these are the child's favorite things to receive!
This is the most important step. Pray for the child who will receive your shoebox. Pray for their family to be receptive to the gospel. Pray for the pastor of the church who delivers your shoebox. Pray for the child's community to be transformed by the gospel.
A donation of $10 per box is critical to cover shipping. For easiest processing, you can give online here, or by bringing a check to the drop off location. If you use an online option, you can Follow Your Box and discover the destination of your gift.
Bring your shoebox to Acton baptist during collection week, November 13-20.
We are looking for men who want to show our teenage boys what it means to be a biblical man, women who are willing to love our teenage girls, and grandparents for those in our group who are spiritually orphaned. Greeters, someone who's willing to be a little uncomfortable, knowing that a smile can change an entire day for a teenager. Will you join us as we lead our students to encounter Jesus and engage their world every Wednesday evening?
Whoever you are, wherever you are from, you are welcome here.
