Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Are you like my mom who begins shopping for the next year the day after Christmas, or are you more like me who waits until the last week or two before Christmas? All year Hope Church has been preparing for one of the most rewarding times of the year!
If we know Jesus, we have experienced tremendous blessing of new life. Jesus begins preparing us the moment we say, ‘yes’ to following Him to be a blessing to those around us. Timothy, a disciple of Jesus and a student of the Apostle Paul was called to be generous in good deeds and with communicating the truth of the Gospel. In so doing, Timothy was building a strong foundation for the future. Operation Christmas Child is a tangible way we can “guard the deposit [of the Gospel] entrusted to us” (1 Timothy 6:20) to the next generation.
Each year Hope Church collects, organizes, and then packs different items in shoeboxes. This time of year is when I get the most excited though. Our kids get in on the action and personally go shopping for their Operation Christmas Child and personalize their gift before bringing it to the church. In just a couple of weeks we will be distributing shoeboxes for the community of Hope Church to do the same.
The reason why we do this is because it gives us the opportunity to generously offer tangible gifts to kids who may not normally receive gifts, and in turn receive an even greater gift. Each shoebox contains in it basic hygiene items, school supplies, and fun toys for the kids; but in addition to these things, the boxes come with a short story called, The Greatest Journey, which explains to kids and their families how they can have a relationship with Jesus and grow in that relationship.
Whole families are reached, churches grow, new churches are started, and communities are transformed all because individuals and families are faithful and obedient to the teachings of Paul, “To do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,… so that they may take hold of that which is truly life!” (1 Timothy 6:19). We will have boxes available for pick up that you can pack on your own beginning in October, and we will have an opportunity for you to help us pack shoe boxes with items that have been donated throughout the year on November 12th! Let’s start getting ready—don’t wait—to jump on board with what God can do through us!
For more info about Operation Christmas Child, visit their website: samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
