A shoe box donated to Operation Christmas Child (OCC) has the space that averages 330 cubic inches. Over the last 20 years, Samaritan’s Purse (OCC’s parent organization) has collected over 100 million of these boxes filled with love, toys, bars of soap, socks, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (This number is comparable to the population NY, CA, FL, and TX combined!) These shoe boxes have been shipped to 150+ countries. It is amazing to think about the myriad of children who have been encouraged and taught about Jesus through this effort.
There is, however, much more that you may not know about the shoe box. In addition to the children, entire villages and regions of the world are transformed. Something that seems so small is being used by God in a mighty way.
This reminds me of the five loaves of bread and two fish that Jesus transformed into a feast for over 5000 people. Our Lord took the simple gift and made an enormous impact. When we spend $25-$30 dollars to fill a shoe box, God takes the effort and multiplies the impact for His glory and to build His Kingdom. I have listed below some aspects of Operation Christmas Child that may be unknown to you:
1. The Support of Church Planting Efforts
The future of the Church worldwide is the work of Christ through church planting. New church planting efforts are reaching into the unreached areas like never before. Samaritan’s Purse does not plant churches. However, Operation Christmas Child partners directly with church planting efforts in some of the most difficult places to take the Gospel. For example, when a Samaritan’s Purse project leader helped deliver 275 shoe boxes into a small village in Honduras, he had little idea that God would use this effort to plant a church, build an orphanage/clinic, and become the catalyst for the Gospel in surrounding towns. “’Now the Gospel is moving in seven different communities,’ Melvin said. ‘And it all started with 275 shoe boxes.’”
2. The Discipleship Training of Local Leaders and New Believers in Christ
In 2009, Samaritan’s Purse increased the discipleship component of the ministry by offering “The Greatest Journey” curriculum in 65 of the countries served by OCC. In the last three years, over a million children have completed the 12-week Bible study! Those who distribute the shoe boxes often have the opportunity to share the Gospel and disciple the children and their families, too. Those who participate in “The Greatest Journey” not only find out more about Jesus and His Word, they are challenged and equipped to share their faith with others immediately. (For more info: www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/the-greatest-journey/)
3. The Impact upon Families
At Christmas, I do not have to get a gift to receive joy. I enjoy seeing the smiles and excitement of my children when they open a package. Parents of children receiving shoe boxes through Operation Christmas Child must experience the same joy. Hope is contagious. The real gift inside is the message of Jesus Christ. Unlike the toys which may become broken or worn and the hygiene items that will be expended, the Gospel of Christ will forever remain in the hearts and minds of the children, their parents, relatives, neighbors, schoolmates, and the entire village.
4. The Hope for Orphans
Not every child who receives a shoe box has a family. A large percentage of the boxes are delivered to orphanages in the poorest areas of the world. This shoe box may be the only gift these children receive. Through Operation Christmas Child, the fatherless boys and girls hear from a Samaritan’s Purse volunteer or local church leader about their Father God, who never leaves them alone.
5. The Unity of Christ’s Body
Few events or organizations mobilize the Body of Christ like Operation Christmas Child. Last year, over 76,000 local churches in the United States participated in sharing the Gospel through OCC. In November 2012, I stood in the cente
r of the Charlotte processing center, surrounded by an ocean of people as far as I could see in every direction. People from a large variety of states, ages, ethnicities, and denominations worked together on the assembly lines. Operation Christmas Child erases the lines of division under one goal: take the Gospel of Jesus into the world!
6. The Training of a Massive Volunteer Force
I am amazed at the number of wonderful people who sacrifice time and energy to volunteer with Operation Christmas Child. In the processing centers, I have met people who have spent their vacation time and consider their work as a “mission trip.” This army of volunteers could fill almost any stadium, as 110,000 people volunteer to pray, contact their local media, connect with churches/organizations/businesses, and prepare the shoe boxes for shipment. In addition, 7500 volunteers have been trained to work year-round in high impact leadership positions. (Become a volunteer: www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/volunteer/)
7. The Encouragement and Involvement of Individual Believers and Families
Our family has been encouraged and blessed by the ministry of Operation Christmas Child. For many years, my three boys, my wife, and I have packed shoe boxes. The last few years, we have delivered these to the warehouse in Boone after Christmas. For the last two years, our boys have asked family and friends for shoe boxes [to take to OCC] rather than gifts for Christmas. We did not solicit this response, but the boys get it. Life is about what we give not what we get. OCC has provided us with a strategy for Kingdom praying, as we remember the boxes and those who will deliver and receive the packages of God’s love. Samaritan’s Purse has assisted our family in maintaining a missional focus. For that fact, we are extremely grateful. 
Here’s my point: Every shoe box you pack for Operation Christmas Child has a great impact for the Gospel and for the Church. If your local church is looking for a mission project or partner organization, I want to encourage you to consider OCC. The task is simple, the supplies are readily available, and every member of your church can be involved in missions by simply packing a small box. God will take what is small and miraculously transform it into a great miracle of love, hope, and forgiveness.
For more information about this opportunity, visit the website
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
Note: Much of the information and statistics for this blog were obtained from the Operation Christmas Child “Special Report.”
Has Operation Christmas Child impacted your life? I would love for some readers to post stories in the comments section.
Shepherding Well 