It happens every year. Items are collected, boxes are filled, labels are placed. But what makes Operation Christmas Child (OCC) merit repetition?
Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief and Christian evangelism organization, believes a shoebox can “teach a child about the love of God, lead him or her to faith in Christ, inspire pastors and plant new churches,” according to its website.
Samaritan’s Purse has been collecting gift-filled shoeboxes through OCC since 1993, delivering more than 113 million shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries since its inception. At more than 4,000 collection sites in the United States, 100,000-plus volunteers sort, pack, transport and pray over the OCC shoeboxes that will be delivered to children across six continents.
Part of the OCC program is The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson discipleship program offered to children who receive the shoeboxes. The Greatest Journey seeks to help children “learn what it means to devote their lives to sharing the Good News of eternal grace through Jesus Christ” and is one of the largest discipleship programs in the world.
In 2013 the Southeast region, which includes Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, sorted and processed 842,899 shoeboxes at the Atlanta processing center, one of nine processing centers in the U.S.
Alabama Baptists across the state once again packed, wrapped and delivered shoeboxes to Atlanta to do their part to reach Samaritan’s Purse’s goal this year of 10 million children. See how a few of Alabama’s churches came together during National Collection Week, Nov. 17–24 (see sidebars).
_____________________________________________
“If you were asked to define the word shoebox, it would be simple. It is even self-explanatory. A shoebox is a box made for the purpose of holding shoes. But it can be so much more than that. Did you know a shoebox can contain a miracle? It can contain a message of hope for a child who has no hope, a hint that there is someone, somewhere who cares. It might even be a child’s first introduction to a loving God.”
Jo Layne Chapman
Center Hill Baptist Church, Jemison
[My husband, Jon, and I] were both volunteering with OCC at Lakewood Baptist Church in 2008 when we met. We both loved working with OCC and talked about how we look forward to it every year, knowing how much the shoeboxes mean to the children who receive them. On June 14, 2014 (five and a half years after we met) we were married. We have continued to volunteer at Lakewood every year. We always knew God changed lives through the ministry of OCC, but we never would have guessed how He would use OCC to change our lives by bringing us together.”
Kasey Keown
Lakewood Baptist Church, Phenix City
“The past several years our church has been going to Atlanta to help with Samaritan’s Purse shoebox processing center. … Many times during processing (the shoeboxes) we stop to pray over the boxes. The whole experience is very uplifting and rewarding. I encourage everyone to go. It really helps to get into the ‘Christmas spirit.’”
Lisa Martin, WMU director
First Baptist Church, Trafford
______________________________________________
Glimpse at Alabama Baptists’ support of OCC (many others also participated)
Alabama-Crenshaw Association
• 1,137 were collected in a combined effort between Alabama-Crenshaw Baptist Association and Crenshaw County churches and individuals. Included in that total, Rutledge Baptist Church collected 125 and South Luverne Baptist Church, Luverne, collected 114.
Barbour Association
• Parkview Baptist Church, Eufala, collected 163.
Bethlehem Association
• Bethlehem Baptist Association collected 3,057.
Bigbee Association
• Siloam Baptist Church, York, collected 33.
• Ward Baptist Church collected 15.
Bullock-Centennial Association
• First Baptist Church, Union Springs, collected 196 as a church and 595 as Bullock County’s collection center.
Cahaba Association
• Churches in Cahaba Baptist Association gathered 1,096 shoeboxes collectively. Included in that total, the congregation of approximately 20 people at Pisgah Baptist Church, Selma, collected 400.
Carey Association
• Carey Baptist Association served as a relay center for its area, collecting more than 836. Within that total, Millerville Baptist Church collected more than 175.
• Five-year-old Jillian May Chevalier, granddaughter of Carey Association director of missions Bruce Willis, teamed up with her mother, Julie, to prepare 20 boxes.
Central Association
• Rockford Baptist Church collected 119 and served as a relay center, gathering 769 in total for Central Baptist Association.
Chilton Association
• Center Hill Baptist Church, Jemison, collected 421.
Choctaw Association
• Gilbertown Baptist Church collected 59.
Conecuh Association
• Bower Memorial Baptist Church, Evergreen, collected 77.
• Evergreen Baptist Church collected 58.
East Liberty Association
• Victory Baptist Church, Lanett, collected 112.
• First Baptist Church, Lanett, collected 123 along with postage costs.
• County Line Baptist Church, Camp Hill, collected 52 along with postage.
Escambia Association
• First Baptist Church, Brewton, served as a collection point for its area, gathering 642.
Geneva Association
• Geneva Baptist Association churches contributed to the Geneva County Relay Center, which collected 805.
Hale Association
• Community Baptist Church, Moundville, collected 230 as a church and 606 as a relay center.
Lamar Association
• First Baptist Church, Sulligent, collected 170.
Marion Association
• More than 1,400 were collected by Hines Memorial Baptist Church, Bear Creek, and Fulton Bridge Baptist Church, Hamilton.
Montgomery Association
• Vaughn Forest Baptist Church, Montgomery, RAs and GAs collected 47.
North Jefferson Association
• First Baptist Church, Trafford, collected 50.
Pleasant Grove Association
• Evergreen Baptist Church, Vance, collected 715 as a church and 1,662 as a relay center.
Russell Association
• Lakewood Baptist Church, Phenix City, served as the collection center for Chattahoochee Valley area and received 19,617 shoeboxes from area churches, organizations and individuals.
Selma Association
• A relay center in Marion for the surrounding area collected 1,731, a project several Selma Baptist Association churches contributed to.
Tennessee River Association
• Center Point Baptist Church, Scottsboro, collected 190.
Tuscaloosa Association
• Circlewood Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, collected 3,164.
• Indian Lake Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, collected 30,963 as the collection center for West Alabama.
__________________________________________
How OCC shoeboxes get to children
Relay Center — Area location where shoeboxes are collected from individuals, churches and other groups and delivered to a Collection Center.
Collection Center — Regional location where shoeboxes are collected and picked up by a Samaritan’s Purse truck.
Processing Center — Nine U.S. locations where shoeboxes are processed and shipped to children. Alabama collections are processed in the center in Atlanta.
Share with others: