27 Nov Still More Shoeboxes!

Gene and Lana Wolfe head up Operation Christmas Child for Praise Point. Here they are with the 2011 shoeboxes.

Every year, dozens of UB churches participate in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. Several thousand shoeboxes are sent by UB churches to children around the world. We invited churches to tell us how many shoeboxes they collected. We have posted results here and here. We still invite you to tell us how many boxes your church filled.

Praise Point Church (Willshire, Ohio)
Number of Shoeboxes: 261

Melina Agler (right), church secretary, writes: “Praise Point has been preparing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child since the church opened its doors in 2006. Each year the boxes are placed at the front of the church on the last Sunday they are received, and a time is set aside to have special prayer for those that will receive these gifts. This year the children of the church gathered with the pastor at the front of the sanctuary for prayer, each child taking a box to hold during the prayer. The junior church children (ages 3-5th grade) also prepared 20 boxes to add to the boxes received from the congergation.

“Gene and Lana Wolfe have been chairing this project for several years. They begin collecting shoeboxes and small items as soon as the last year’s boxes have shipped. Several of our church family have also gone to North Carolina to help pack boxes for shipping, and will be going again this year.”

Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.)
Number of Shoeboxes: 73

Pastor Marshall Woods (right) writes, “We simply put out the challenge to be involved in outreach. We also are working to provide for some families that are going through difficult times.”

Blue Rock UB Church (Waynesboro, Pa.)
Number of Shoeboxes: 77

Rosie Baer of Blue Rock says the number was down from last year, “but we still praise the Lord for the response.”

Hillsdale UB (Hillsdale, Mich.)
Number of Shoeboxes: 115

Quiggle Rick of Hillsdale UB writes, “We’ve been giving out shoeboxes and information since the beginning of October at a table at the back of the Worship Center. We use the videos Samaritan’s Purse provides to show during offering, in addition to doing announcements & slides. We also have several teachers who will take the party packs and do boxes with their children. This year we will also have two people making the trip to North Carolina to help get the boxes ready to ship. We’re so excited!”

Mt. Olivet UB (Mt. Solon, Va.)
Number of Shoeboxes: 15

Fonda Cassidy (right), a layperson from Mt. Olivet, writes: “Our WMF ladies collect for Samaritan’s Purse. Some pack them together with family and or friends. It is so exciting to take them to the place where they are being packed into tractor trailers and readied to go to the distribution center in North Carolina. Thousands of shoeboxes, knowing that you had helped, even in a small way is just so wonderful!”

Salem UB (Chambersburg, Pa.)
Number of Shoeboxes: About 85

Arthur Page (right), pastor of Salem UB, writes: “We encouraged one shoebox per church family. Our youth guy, Slugg, aka Daryl, did a children’s moment during Sunday morning service with the kids to show them how to pack a box and to encourage them to coerce their parents into letting them do one as a family project. Also our youth group went to the local Samaritan’s Purse packing center where they had a great time volunteering with people from other local churches!”

Salem Chapel (Junction City, Ohio)
Number of Shoeboxes: 168

Pastor Joe Leighton writes: “In addition, we are sending a team of 6 adults to Boone, NC, to help pack and ship Christmas boxes. We have been sending a team of adults to Boone for the past 7 years. Two of the past 4 years we have sent a second team of teenagers from the youth group. One of our adult team members, Bill Morgan, was selected to go to Honduras this past February to help distribute the shoebox gifts to some of the rural villages.”

How About Your Church?
How many Christmas Child shoeboxes did your church collect this year? We’d like to share that on UBCentral for other churches. We even have a form you can use to report what your church did with Operation Christmas Child.

25 Nov More and More Shoeboxes

Members of Shiloh with the 160 boxes collected in 2007, their first year.

Every year, dozens of UB churches participate in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. No doubt several thousand shoeboxes are sent by UB churches to children around the world.

We invited churches (and still invite you) to tell us how many boxes they filled.

Shiloh UB (Tiverton, Ontario)
Number of Boxes: 413

Brian Magnus, bishop of the UB Church in Canada, reports that Shiloh UB, a small country congregation of about 25 people, filled 413 shoeboxes his year!

Donna Doern, from Shiloh UB, added: “We still had some funds available for shipment costs, and decided to use that money to send $500 to Turn on the Tap through Samaritan’s Purse. Also another $500 to the feeding program in Haiti. We concluded our pledge today for the David and Melissa Kline family with nearly $2,200 as well.” Here’s an online article about Shiloh’s participation.

Dillman UB Church (Warren, Ind.)
Number of Boxes: 185

Pastor Dick Case (right) writes: “We have been collecting the shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child for a few years now. Each year we have increased the number of donated boxes. The goal was set at 150 this year; we dedicated 185 boxes on November 13. Our Wednesday evening children’s programs packed boxes, as did many families in the church. We praise God that we were able to send a good number of boxes. We will set our goal higher for next year.”

Fort Wayne, Ind.
Number of Boxes: 1056

Tim Hallman (right), pastor of Anchor Community Church, writes: “The five UB churches of Fort Wayne/Allen County are collaborating together in their support of Operation Christmas Child. Those churches are Zanesville UB, Emmanuel UB, South Scipio UB, Union Chapel UB, Anchor UB. Four of the churches have been involved with OCC–some for a few years, others for quite a few.

“This year, 1056 shoeboxes were filled by four of the five churches. Next year all five churches plan to participate. Our goal is to collect at least 1100–maybe even 1200!

Lancaster UB Church (Lancaster, Ohio)
Number of Boxes: 94

Victory Chapel (Liberty Center, Ohio)
Number of Boxes: 32

Arlys Ross, wife of Pastor Don Ross, writes: “This year Victory Chapel became an official Drop-Off Site for Operation Christmas Child. We discovered there were no drop-off sites in our area, so we decided to change that situation. Altogether, 160 shoeboxes were dropped off at our church last week. Our goal was to have 100 boxes, but God blessed the children with an extra 60 boxes.

“I encourage anyone who has to travel a distance to deliver their shoeboxes to look into becoming a drop-off site. Our people were excited about doing this, and we are excited for next year too.”

College Park UB Church (Huntington, Ind.)
Number of Boxes: 925

Deb Swihart (right), business manager at College Park, writes: “College Park has been the collection point in Huntington County for many years. This year we surpassed the several year’s collection total by over 300 boxes. What a blessing from the Huntington Community for Operation Christmas Child!”

How About Your Church?
How many Christmas Child shoeboxes did your church collect this year? We’d like to share that on UBCentral for other churches. We even have a form you can use to report what your church did with Operation Christmas Child.

22 Nov The Harvest of Shoeboxes

Every year, dozens of UB churches participate in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. No doubt several thousand shoeboxes are sent by UB churches to children around the world.

We invited churches (and still invite you) to tell us how many boxes they filled.

Ebenezer UB (Greencastle, Pa.)
Number of Boxes: 352

Daryl Shaffer of Ebenezer UB writes: “A challenge was made to the congregation by our Pastor, David Grove, to increase the number of boxes that were collected last year (268 boxes). Members of the congregation had a yard sale to help with the $7 shipping cost on the boxes, and our Missions Commission covered part of the shipping cost as an incentive to fill more boxes. Between the two, there was no shipping cost to the congregation. A total of 352 boxes were collected.

Idaville UB (Gardners, Pa.)
Number of Boxes: 32

Stuart Johns (right), pastor of Idaville UB, writes: “We have a missions center in our church that the Outreach Commission maintains. Every couple of months the focus of the missions center changes, but each time there is a way that our people can give to missions.

“During October, the missions center was focused on the Operation Christmas Child and the collection of shoeboxes. Announcements were made each week to encourage our congregants to consider putting a shoebox gift together for a child.

“On Sunday, November 13, we encouraged everyone who participated in the program to bring their shoeboxes with them and place them on a table at the front of the sanctuary. During both services we had a time of prayer over the shoeboxes, asking God to use them to encourage children around the world and that they would be open to the Gospel message that is shared with the distribution of the shoeboxes.”

Trinity UB (Fostoria, Ohio)
Number of Boxes: 119

Samuel Suman (right), pastor of Trinity UB, writes: “This was our first year participating as individual box builders. In the past we collected the ‘stuffings’ and gave them to one person to fill and process them. This year each person filled one or more boxes and placed them in the sanctuary.

“Last Sunday, November 20, we gathered around the front placing our hands on the boxes, praying for each child who will recieve a box. What a difference! Plans for next year are to fill and send 200 boxes. All for Jesus!”

Anchor Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
Number of Boxes: 60

This is the third year Anchor has participated. On November 13, people brought their filled shoeboxes and set them on a table in the foyer. At the end of the service, while the worship team led in the final song, the children of the church, with the help of a few adults, carried all of the boxes down the center aisle and laid them on the altar.

How About Your Church?
How many Christmas Child shoeboxes did your church collect this year? We’d like to share that on UBCentral for other churches. We even have a form you can use to report what your church did with Operation Christmas Child.

22 Nov How Many Shoeboxes Did Your Church Collect?

Every year, dozens of UB churches participate in Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. Parishioners fill shoeboxes with items for a child, then the shoeboxes are taken to a collection center and forwarded to Samaritan’s Purse. Somewhere in the world, a child eventually opens that box.

November is the time for collecting the shoeboxes. We’ve heard verbal reports about churches collecting their boxes–sometimes a few dozen, sometimes hundreds.

How many Christmas Child shoeboxes did your church collect this year? We’d like to share that on UBCentral for other churches.

We even have a form you can use to report what your church did with Operation Christmas Child.

21 Nov Nathan Boggs Reporting from Laurel Mission

Nathan Boggs (right) called the national office on Wednesday, November 16.

Nathan is director of Laurel Mission in Big Laurel, Kent. He has held that position since October 2010, when his father, Titus Boggs, went on medical leave. Titus passed away on August 29, 2011.

Nathan is a busy guy. In addition to his responsibilities with Laurel Mission, which includes preaching at the Little Laurel church, he works fulltime for the Harlan County Farm Bureau in Harlan, Kent.

Nathan also reported that he and his wife, Lindsey, were in their seventh day as the proud parents of a newborn baby.

Nathan and Lindsey live in Big Laurel, about 3 miles from the mission house. His mother Debbie, along with three sisters, still live in the mission house and are very active in the work of the mission. Debbie, in fact, is associate director of Laurel Mission.