Church Family (and other interested parties surfing on by)-
Thanks for taking a look at this page. Now in our fifth year of an organized OCC effort, we are now within two weeks of Shoebox Collection Sunday. Though we're not organizing a church wide packing party this year, there are some ideas on this site that can be utilized by families, Sunday School classes, etc. Our church's contribution to this effort has grown over the past four years. I hope this page can be fun and informative to answer any questions about OCC or help you brainstorm on how to enhance your own participation.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
First Baptist Pawnee: 2009 Shoebox Gift Collection
100! One hundred is an exciting number, but let me begin with a disclaimer. Matthew 6:3 (NIV) says "...when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." So, I want my audience (all 2-3 of you who click over here :)) to know that I try to balance a Biblical attitude towards giving with a general intent to inform our church body of the final outcome of a ministry effort. And that leads me to another disclaimer - we won't know the final outcome of what these boxes will accomplish in the hearts and lives of children and their family for a long time - perhaps we will not know this side of heaven. Suffice it to say that these shoebox Christmas gifts are tools for ministry, gateways to evangelism, and a delight to needy children in impoverished nations.
So, returning to the lead line. 100! 100! One hundred is an exciting number. We've all been to the high school basketball game where the home team plays a sub-par team and you hope you can 'hit 100.' Well, in this case, one hundred shoeboxes is an exciting final count and an answer to prayer. It is a testimony to the generous and giving spirit of FBC Pawnee when it comes to missions projects. Thank you, church, for allowing me to lead in this effort.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
2009 Pawnee FBC 'Operation Christmas Child' Pack N Party
This is a preliminary report on the inaugural Pawnee FBC 'Operation Christmas Child' Pack N Party.
We packed corporately 17 boxes for 5-9 year old girls, and 16 boxes for 5-9 year old boys.
We then watched "St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving" - the new Veggie Tales movie which is thematically tied in to the ministry of 'Operation Christmas Child.'
We anxiously await the addition of the other boxes that individual, families, youth groups, and Sunday School classes will bring in this weekend.
We packed corporately 17 boxes for 5-9 year old girls, and 16 boxes for 5-9 year old boys.
We then watched "St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving" - the new Veggie Tales movie which is thematically tied in to the ministry of 'Operation Christmas Child.'
We anxiously await the addition of the other boxes that individual, families, youth groups, and Sunday School classes will bring in this weekend.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Pawnee OCC Pack N Party
The Pawnee 'Operation Christmas Child' Pack N Party is:
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, 2-4PM
Fellowship Hall of Pawnee First Baptist Church
We will begin by packing 30-40 boxes assembly line style, and then join watching a new Veggie Tales movie that is thematically tied in to Operation Christmas Child.
Got questions? Here are some frequently asked ones:
1. What movie will be shown?
2. What is a Packing Party?
3. I missed some of the announcements and deadlines. Can I still help?
4. I have packed my own boxes. My family has packed our own boxes. When do we turn those in?
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, 2-4PM
Fellowship Hall of Pawnee First Baptist Church
We will begin by packing 30-40 boxes assembly line style, and then join watching a new Veggie Tales movie that is thematically tied in to Operation Christmas Child.
Got questions? Here are some frequently asked ones:
1. What movie will be shown?
2. What is a Packing Party?
3. I missed some of the announcements and deadlines. Can I still help?
4. I have packed my own boxes. My family has packed our own boxes. When do we turn those in?
Operation Christmas Child at Pawnee OK: Can I Still Help?
Some members or attenders of Pawnee First Baptist Church may ask:
"I meant to help, but I have been very busy this season. Can I still help?"
Answer: Yes! Here are some important ways:
1. Pray. Pray for the recipients of the gifts, their families, and their home villages and countries. Pray that they will be receptive to the Gospel message.
2. Give. The 30-40 boxes our church will pack as a cooperative effort do not currently have a mechanism to pay for the shipping costs incurred. Samaritan's Purse asks for a $7 donation for each box to cover this. As you can see, we will need $200-280 to cover this.
3. Pack a box anyway. If you're reading this before Nov 22 or 23, you've got a little time left.
4. Prepare for next year. Recommended contents for OCC shoebox gifts are often on steep seasonal discounts. Watch for summer sales on school supplies, bulk sales on hygiene items, seasonal clearances on children's clothing. Stock up and help us help kids next year.
"I meant to help, but I have been very busy this season. Can I still help?"
Answer: Yes! Here are some important ways:
1. Pray. Pray for the recipients of the gifts, their families, and their home villages and countries. Pray that they will be receptive to the Gospel message.
2. Give. The 30-40 boxes our church will pack as a cooperative effort do not currently have a mechanism to pay for the shipping costs incurred. Samaritan's Purse asks for a $7 donation for each box to cover this. As you can see, we will need $200-280 to cover this.
3. Pack a box anyway. If you're reading this before Nov 22 or 23, you've got a little time left.
4. Prepare for next year. Recommended contents for OCC shoebox gifts are often on steep seasonal discounts. Watch for summer sales on school supplies, bulk sales on hygiene items, seasonal clearances on children's clothing. Stock up and help us help kids next year.
Shoebox Collection Sunday is Here
A Reminder to the Faithful Members of First Baptist Church, Pawnee, OK:
Please bring your Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to the church on the morning of Nov. 22, 2009. They will be loaded into a vehicle for transport to the regional collection center in Stillwater, OK, on Monday, November 23.
Please bring your Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to the church on the morning of Nov. 22, 2009. They will be loaded into a vehicle for transport to the regional collection center in Stillwater, OK, on Monday, November 23.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
How Are the Shoebox Gifts Distributed to the Children Who Need Them?
This is an excellent question, and one that could be answered many different ways. After all, Operation Christmas Child distributed nearly 8 million shoebox gifts in 2008-2009, and will likely exceed 8 million in this year's collection for 2009-2010.
Your shoebox gift(s) are collected at a local church or business, forwarded to a regional city (in our case, usually Tulsa), and then forwarded to one of the 6 Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child regional processing centers scattered across the United States. The closest one to us is Denver, and there are 'home missions' opportunities for volunteers to help with processing during December. That might be the subject of a future post.
At the regional processing centers, your shoebox gift undergoes final processing to meet OCC's guidelines and to prepare it for shipping. It is my understanding that the #1 desire of the processing crews is to only seal the box to prevent shipping damage. However, the processing crews might remove prohibited objects such as liquids, war-related toy items, or other inappropriate content. Unwrapped shoebox gifts are then wrapped with a thematic wrapping material for final shipping.
I am very unacquainted with the logistics and timing of final delivery to villages and cities of the recipient countries. I'm almost certain that Samaritan's Purse has to 'declare' these goods at some checkpoint as they enter countries. Samaritan's Purse will 'network' with their own missionaries and cooperate with other missions staff to optimize a gift delivery to a village's children.
The video below shows how the final shoebox delivery might look in an impoverished village. In this case, the delivery occurs in Kamenica, in the war-torn country of Kosovo. Also, in this case, the uploaded video is very raw. I sought out and chose such a video for a reason. I wanted our participants to see a 'real' shoebox gift distribution, free of professional editing, musical backgrounds, perfect weather, etc. I personally have nothing against the 'official videos' and will gladly show them, but I wanted to show a more realistic presentation of a typical gift distribution.
Your shoebox gift(s) are collected at a local church or business, forwarded to a regional city (in our case, usually Tulsa), and then forwarded to one of the 6 Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child regional processing centers scattered across the United States. The closest one to us is Denver, and there are 'home missions' opportunities for volunteers to help with processing during December. That might be the subject of a future post.
At the regional processing centers, your shoebox gift undergoes final processing to meet OCC's guidelines and to prepare it for shipping. It is my understanding that the #1 desire of the processing crews is to only seal the box to prevent shipping damage. However, the processing crews might remove prohibited objects such as liquids, war-related toy items, or other inappropriate content. Unwrapped shoebox gifts are then wrapped with a thematic wrapping material for final shipping.
I am very unacquainted with the logistics and timing of final delivery to villages and cities of the recipient countries. I'm almost certain that Samaritan's Purse has to 'declare' these goods at some checkpoint as they enter countries. Samaritan's Purse will 'network' with their own missionaries and cooperate with other missions staff to optimize a gift delivery to a village's children.
The video below shows how the final shoebox delivery might look in an impoverished village. In this case, the delivery occurs in Kamenica, in the war-torn country of Kosovo. Also, in this case, the uploaded video is very raw. I sought out and chose such a video for a reason. I wanted our participants to see a 'real' shoebox gift distribution, free of professional editing, musical backgrounds, perfect weather, etc. I personally have nothing against the 'official videos' and will gladly show them, but I wanted to show a more realistic presentation of a typical gift distribution.
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