GOOD NEWS. GREAT JOY.
The Amazing Journey of a Simple Shoebox Gift Begins with You and Results in Evangelism, Discipleship, and Multiplication. Packing - From children to seniors, people pack shoebox gifts each year to bless children in need around the world. Parents often use the project to teach their kids about giving. Year-round volunteers support these efforts across the country. Collecting - Churches and groups of all sizes collect boxes from their communities. Some churches also serve as drop-off locations for shoeboxes the third week of November every year. Shipping - Thousands of volunteers serve annually inspecting and preparing shoeboxes for international shipping. Every hour work stops for a few minutes to pray for the children who will receive the boxes. Worldwide Distribution - Long before shoeboxes arrive in more than 100 countries, volunteer National Leadership Teams train pastors and community leaders who want to share the message of the Gospel and bless children. The leaders learn how to host child-friendly outreach events, and how to implement The Greatest Journey follow-up discipleship program. Outreach Events - Pastors around the world host shoebox distributions in places where people may not know Christ and invite them to follow Him. Other churches use the boxes as resources for outreach in orphanages and other at-risk areas. In many places, they also offer The Greatest Gift, a Gospel story booklet Samaritan’s Purse developed for shoebox recipients. Discipleship & Multiplication - As a result of what they learn in The Greatest Journey, boys and girls grow in Christ and share with friends and family. The students also invite others to their graduations where the Gospel is shared. This often brings parents, siblings, and friends to accept Christ and become active members in the local church. Families are reached, churches grow, new churches are started, and communities are transformed. Go Deeper →
HOW TO PACK A SHOEBOX
It's easy!
1) Find a shoebox.
Start with an average-size cardboard or plastic shoebox. If you want to wrap it, cover the box and lid separately.
2) Girl or Boy.
Decide whether you will pack a box for a girl or a boy, and the age category: 2–4, 5–9, or 10–14.
3) Fill with Gifts.
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. Click here for more ideas.
4) Pray!
Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift. You can also include a personal note and photo.
5) Follow Your Box Labels.
Donate $9 online and receive a tracking label to Follow Your Box and discover the destination of your shoebox gift.
6) Drop-Off.
Drop off your shoebox at Willow Grove Baptist Church before Sunday, November 13, 2022
Upcoming Dates
We do things a little differently than most other groups. While many churches give out boxes for families to fill or collect donations year-round to fill boxes during a packing party, we wanted to help as many kids as possible so we are doing both. Here are the important dates happening:
Sunday, November 6, 5:00 pm at WGBC - Pre-packing Party & Potluck
We will be having dinner and organizing the donations we received in order to fill up as many boxes as possible.
September 11 - November 14 - Signing out Boxes
Adopt-A-Box - We have 50 boxes that need personal notes, prayer, and shipping and handling covered.
Fill-A-Box - We have an additional 50 boxes that need to be filled, prayed over, and shipping and handling covered.
Sunday, November 13 - All Boxes Must Be Returned
It is very hard to send our boxes when they aren't all here. We need to make sure to get them back in time in order to get them to our drop-site to be included with the other organizations from our area.
Can I pack my shoebox online?
Yes! If it’s easier for you to pack your shoebox online we encourage you to do so. The Operation Christmas Child website makes it quick, easy and secure so we invite you to explore this option. The cost to build a shoebox online is $25/per box.
To start, just visit the Worthington Christian Church ‘Build a Shoebox‘ page and click the green “Build a Shoebox Online Now” button. You will have the option to build the box yourself OR have the professions at Samaritan’s Purse build it for you.
If you choose to build the box yourself you will be able to pick the gender and age of the child you would like to pack a box for and choose the various gifts to include. At the end, you will be asked to pay for the items and the cost of shipping ($25).
That’s it!