Dec. 6th – Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Deadline
Main Street UMC is participating in packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child again this year! Grab a recycled shoebox and consider adding items such as coloring books, drawing and coloring supplies, stuffed animals, toys, school or craft supplies, yo-yos, hair accessories, hats, gloves, socks, puzzles, books and even hygiene items! Main Street will not be providing shoeboxes for packing this year (please use a recycled shoebox or a plastic shoebox-size bin), but the possibilities are still endless!
Join us on December 6 at the 10:55 service where the boxes will be blessed and loaded up to deliver! Have fun shopping and packing the box while imagining the joy that this gift will bring to a child!
Samaritan’s Purse sends gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children in need around the world together with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
By filling ordinary shoeboxes full of toys and other fun items, you can be part of giving boys and girls what may be their first gift ever! Local churches in more than 100 nations hand out these Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts at festive outreach events where the Gospel is presented in a child-friendly way. Each box bursting with items such as a soccer ball, doll, or stuffed animal becomes a tangible expression of God’s love to the child, their family, and their community. Many shoebox recipients also participate in our 12-lesson follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey.
The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God’s desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, “Go and do likewise.” For over 50 years, Samaritan’s Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ’s command by going to the aid of the world’s poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
As our teams work in crisis areas of the world, people often ask, “Why did you come?” The answer is always the same: “We have come to help you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Our ministry is all about Jesus—first, last, and always. As the Apostle Paul said, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5, NIV).
Mission Statement
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
