Immanuel Lutheran Church and School in Batavia has collected items for shoe box gifts since last January and it's almost time to share those gifts with the world! Come to this gathering and share the love of Jesus with children in more than 100 countries. We will open the event on Fri., Nov. 9 at 3:30 PM in the sanctuary at Immanuel and then move to the gym to begin packing shoe boxes. This is a great time for Girl Scout troops to earn a badge, middle school students to earn service hours, and family and friends to spend time together and provide joy and the love of Jesus for children in desperate need. As a special treat for donating your time and efforts, Immanuel is hosting magician Scott Piner. Scott will share some of his fun magic tricks with us during the event. If you have questions about the Packing Party, please contact Megan Popp at Immanuel at mpopp@immanuelbatavia.org.
Because of the generosity of donors across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, collected more than 8.8 million shoe boxes in 2017--more than 600 of those came from the Immanuel Lutheran Church and School's Packing Party. Packed with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items, these gifts bring joy and the eternal hope of the Gospel to children around the world.“It’s incredible to see the difference a simple shoe box gift can make in the life of a child. They bring the message of unconditional love and forgiveness found only in Jesus Christ,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “After 25 years, there’s still nothing like seeing how one gift can impact the eternal destiny of a child.”Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2017, the ministry is now sending more than 11 million shoe box gifts to children suffering from poverty, natural disasters, war, disease and famine. Many children who receive shoe box gifts will also enroll in Operation Christmas Child’s 12-lesson discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. This program teaches children about God’s amazing love and guides them through what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ. Since 2010, more than 14 million children have participated in the program. Every child who graduates is given a New Testament in their own language. Since 1993, more than 157 million Operation Christmas Child gift-filled shoe boxes have been distributed to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
To learn about year-round volunteer opportunities or to serve with Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.