Operation Christmas Child

This year the Berlin Seventh Day Baptist Church will once again be hosting a box-packing event for Operation Christmas Child.  Come join us on Friday, November 19, from 7 to 8 pm.  We will spend the evening packing boxes and enjoying fellowship and refreshments.
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.  Shoe-boxes containing both hygiene items and toys are delivered world-wide to children ages 2-14 who are living in poverty.  Eight million children received shoe boxes last year.  Over 130 countries have received shoe boxes since 1993. The mission is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Bring yourself, bring your kids and bring your spirit of giving.  The Church will provide hygiene items and candy for the boxes.  Other items we need include toys such as small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch-A-Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc. School supplies pens, pencils and sharpener, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books are useful as are T-shirts, socks, ball caps, sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches and flashlights (with extra batteries).  Bring anything you think would be useful or enjoyable for a child ages 2-14 that will fit into a shoe box. Please do not include used or damaged items, war related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures, chocolate or food, liquids or lotions, medications or vitamins, breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers or aerosol cans.  We will also be collecting money for Samaritan’s Purse to help cover the cost of shipping.
Want to get more personal? You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. If you include your name and address, the child may write back. You can write or draw a picture for your box on that night, or you can prepare letters ahead of time if you wish.
If you go to Samaritan’s Purse on line, you can learn more about ways to contribute to Operation Christmas Child.  If you want to pack your boxes on your own at home and just drop them by completed, please read the instructions online and then drop them by the Church on or before November 19.