Operation Christmas Child: 'Growing More in 2024'

The theme for this year’s shoebox ministry has been “Growing More in 2024.”

With Year 7 just completed at Hahn Chapel General Baptist Church Drop-off in Marble Hill on Nov. 25, final paperwork verifies that is exactly what we accomplished.

In 2023, we were excited to see 2,616 shoeboxes, the largest number of shoeboxes to ever come through our door. However, in 2024 our area did “grow more” shoeboxes with a total of 3,279 shoeboxes accepted, processed and placed in Samaritan’s Purse shipping cartons to be transported to the processing center at Boone, North Carolina.

The phrase “it takes a village” is familiar in reference to caring for children. It is very appropriate when it comes to the ministry of Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, whose mission is to “demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through a gift-filled shoebox to children in need around the world in Jesus’ Name.” The shoebox gift becomes an open door for evangelism by discipling children in the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Bible and multiplying believers within families and communities.

This effort comes together on National Collection Week which begins the week before Thanksgiving and ends on the Monday of Thanksgiving week in the United States. A 2024 goal of 10.6 million shoeboxes from the U.S. and a goal of 12 million shoebox gifts globally was set for the year. Churches, groups, organizations and individuals were busy during the year collecting items and packing shoeboxes to be ready to drop off at an official location during National Collection Week.

This dedicated village of those caring for children in our country included 81,706 participating churches. Of those churches 4,878 drop-off locations, such as Hahn Chapel, accepted those shoebox gifts. Shoeboxes were then taken to 739 Central Drop-off locations (Fruitland Community Church in this area) who were prepared to transport them to one of eight processing centers around the country. In four weeks' time, the processing centers will ship out all shoeboxes to 116 countries.

The shoebox packers of our area are committed to this ministry because they know each shoebox is going to a specific child that God already knows. The child will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ before the shoebox is opened.

Many members of the caring village of our area are needed to make sure this project moves forward. Hahn Chapel Drop-off saw 16 area churches, six individuals and three groups come in with shoeboxes to send to children.

In addition, volunteers stepped up to make sure shoeboxes were processed and in cartons ready to go to their next destination. The local drop-off had 40 volunteers from 14 area churches who contributed 271 hours during the 16 hours it was open during collection week.

For the fourth year, family and friends representing Dylan’s Drive 4 Operation Christmas Child packed shoeboxes in memory of Dylan Preston Sparks, who passed away in October 2020.

The Rev. James and Susan Brice family continue to deliver shoeboxes in memory of their daughter, Angela Brice, who passed away in January 2022.

Due to the large volume of shoeboxes accepted, two trailers and drivers were needed to help deliver our shipping cartons to Fruitland Community Church. Organizers thanked Marion Mills of Marquand and Ron Garner of Scopus, who volunteered their trailers and time to make this happen. The drop-off location sign was placed out by Highway 34 by Brian Elfrink who performs that service every year. Organizers also noted the shopping carts, loaned by Harps and manager Rodney Crites, which allowed volunteers to get large numbers of shoeboxes into the building quickly and safely.

Area residents once again came together in love and compassion to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children the best way they know how. They probably will never meet those children, but they do firmly believe in following the command of Jesus in Mark 10:14-15—“Let the little children come to me…for of such is the Kingdom of God.”

To find out about being a part of the Operation Christmas Child ministry for 2025, contact Donna Shell at (573) 238-4357 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child for more information.

Donna Shell is Hahn Chapel drop-off team leader and Bollinger County church relations year-round volunteer for Samaritan’s Purse.