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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY AND OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD ® PRESENT A GUIDE FOR SERVING OTHERS AS A FAMILY

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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY AND OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD®

PRESENT

A GUIDE FOR SERVING OTHERS

AS A FAMILY

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“Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.”

~Saint Teresa of Avila

Serving as a Family ���������������������������� 3Make Giving a Part of Everyday Living ............4

Ideas for Serving as a Family .........................5

Family Devotional ..........................................5

Free Magazine Subscription ...........................5

Serving as a Couple ��������������������������� 6Ideas for Serving as a Couple ........................7

Serving Together as a Couple .........................7

Living Intentionally to Impact Others ...............7

Serving for Kids ��������������������������������� 8Children’s Magazines ....................................9

Kids Like You ................................................9

Build a Box .................................................10

Fun and Inspirational Videos ........................11

© 2012 Focus on the Family

Focus on the Family and Operation Christmas Child have teamed up to encourage your family to be the hands and feet of Jesus year-round

by helping those in need in your community and around the world. We hope you’ll enjoy the ideas and tools we’ve put together and see how easy it is to help your family thrive by making a big difference to someone else. We thank you for that commitment and hope you’ll help share the good news of Jesus Christ by partnering with Operation Christmas Child for years to come—and find ways to keep the spirit of giving alive all year!

Operation Christmas Child ���������������12A Note from Franklin Graham .......................13

Unwrapping a New Life ...............................14

Follow Your Box Around the World ................15

Shoe Box Self-Starters ................................16

Host a Packing Party ...................................17

Packing Party Activities ................................17

Certificate of Participation ............................18

Journey of a Shoe Box Melodrama Script .....19

Prayer Card ................................................20

All About Me ...............................................21

Volunteer! ...................................................23

CONTENTS

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SERVING AS A FAMILY

Make Giving a Part of Everyday Living ............4

Ideas for Serving as a Family .........................5

Family Devotional ..........................................5

Free Magazine Subscription ...........................5

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Make Giving a Part of Everyday Living

by Dean Ridings, former Editorial Director of marriage content at Focus on the Family

As our four children were growing up, we sought to make giving a part of everyday living. In

the process, we’ve discovered time and again the truth of Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give

than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

My wife, Kim, and I didn’t have to look far to find places to give. We started with our neighbors.

We would bake fresh goodies, pack them up and deliver them via red wagon to the families

on our street. Our kids were a bit confused at first as the cookies that they worked so hard to

prepare went into gift packages. But they learned to love the smiles on our neighbors’ faces

come delivery time.

We learned about an organization dedicated to sharing Christ’s love with international college

students by connecting them with “friendship partner” families for meals, events and the like.

Throughout the years, we have opened our home to students from many nations. Our family

especially enjoyed it when some of our new friends made us a special meal prepared in the

Japanese tradition.

We also discovered a host of opportunities through our local church. Our family donated

supplies for the church food pantry and always brought canned goods when the church took

up a special collection for local charities when their supplies ran low.

Finally, Christmas proved a natural time to give. Each year our kids would provide gifts to needy

children through Samaritan’s Purse ministry Operation Christmas Child and another program

that provided Christmas presents to kids in the names of their imprisoned parents. These

organizations helped us come together as a family as we shopped, selected and wrapped gifts

together. Our kids were particularly helpful when it came to selecting gifts for children their

own age—they seemed to know exactly what they would want.

Our hearts were encouraged by the fact that the folks at the prison ministry and Operation

Christmas Child included a reflection of Christ’s love in the form of a comic book or pamphlet

with each gift to tell the young recipients about the greatest gift of all, God’s Son, Jesus.

In fact, when we hung our stockings on the fireplace mantle each year, our family included a

stocking for Jesus. In it we placed something to remember our gifts by—an angel, a brochure,

an advertisement. Because these gifts were His, we gave them to others in His name.

“All this helped us to understand the great needs there are nearby and around

the world,” says our daughter Becca, now a young adult. “It gave us the

opportunity to use what God had blessed us with to bless others. It’s part of

who we are and what we do today.”

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Ideas for Serving as a FamilyOne of the best ways that we can model God’s love is through our good works for others. Think of ways that you can all work together as a family to serve the people of your community. Invite your children to offer their own ideas—you may be surprised at what they come up with.Ideas:

• Organize a canned food drive at your church. • Volunteer as a family at your local food bank.• See the last page of this kit for lots of ideas on how to volunteer

locally for Operation Christmas Child.• Bring an elderly neighbor a gift box packed with treats.• Have older children volunteer to do yard work for elderly

neighbors such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves or walking their dog.

• Invite a single soldier to a holiday dinner. • Volunteer to care for a soldier’s pet while they are deployed. • Make cards for military members overseas. • Sponsor an orphan overseas.• Create care packages for teens in local group homes. Include

toiletries, candy, Mp3 gift cards (can be as little as $5), hats, gloves, etc.

Family Devotional: “You Can Work as a Family to Serve Others”ThrivingFamily.com features great content like this short and practical online devotional.

Free Magazine Subscription!Thriving Family® Magazine is your go-to resource for all things marriage and family. From helpful tips on strengthening your relationship to fun and simple craft projects for you and your kids, Thriving Family is a great way to make every day count. And the best part? It’s absolutely free!In every issue, you’ll get:

• age-specific parenting advice • faith-based family activities• marriage tips• book reviews• support for single parents and blended families • and much more!

Start your FREE subscription today!

Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY and reference source code 165509

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SERVING AS A COUPLE

Ideas for Serving as a Couple ........................7

Serving Together as a Couple .........................7

Living Intentionally to Impact Others ...............7

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 7

Ideas for Serving as a CoupleGive each other the gift of time. Spending time together as a couple serving others can help you and your spouse grow closer than ever before—and it’s simpler than you might think.

• Work in a soup kitchen, food bank, rescue mission or homeless shelter.

• Adopt a military family, especially when a spouse is deployed.

• Participate in the political process (voter registration, polling, etc.).

• Host a Christmas open house. A bag of pretzels, a can of peanuts, a plate of cookies and something to drink are all you need. Caring enough to reach out to your neighbors is what really matters.

• As an extra way to touch the world during the holidays, participate in Operation Christmas Child. See the last page of this kit for more information.

• You can buy a pig or goat for a needy family through SamaritansPurse.org.

Serving Together as a CoupleIn this insightful article series by Susan Mathis, co-author of Countdown for Couples: Preparing for the Adventure of Marriage, you’ll find excellent tips and advice for building a stronger marriage through acts of service.

Living Intentionally to Impact Others Bob Welch, Matthew West and Lejla Allison

You and your family can be a part of God’s great plan for serving others! Join host Jim Daly and guests Bob Welch, Matthew West and Lejla Allison as they each share stories and ideas to inspire and challenge families to serve selflessly in order to impact our world.

National speaker and author Bob Welch explores teachable moments parents can have with their children to nurture hearts of service. Singer and songwriter Matthew West shares creative ways his family helped others at Christmas as he was growing up. You’ll also hear from Lejla Allison, who was a young girl in war-torn Bosnia when she received an Operation Christmas Child shoe box and learned of Jesus Christ and His love for her. This inspiring broadcast will equip you and your family for a lifetime of positive impact on the world around you.

Listen now!

Susan Mathis and her book

Countdown for Couples: Preparing for the Adventure of Marriage

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SERVING FOR KIDS

Children’s Magazines ....................................9

Kids Like You ................................................9

Build a Box .................................................10

Fun and Inspirational Videos ........................11

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 9

kids like you

®

My name is Alina. Before I was

born, my mama started packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with her mama (my grandma). The first time I helped pack a shoebox, I was just a toddler.

Now I am 7, and I still like to pack shoeboxes. In June, I had a lemonade stand so I could earn my own money for the Operation Christmas Child project. In four

hours, I made $42! We went to the dollar store, and I found all kinds of small gifts.

In the girl’s shoebox, I put bracelets and necklaces, barrettes, headbands, soft socks, a toothbrush, toothpaste, teddy bear, ball, candy, pencil, kaleidoscope,

markers and pink boots!I filled four shoeboxes

for boys because Grandma said not as many people pack boy boxes. The boys got things like a small football, flashlight, stuffed dog, toothbrush, toothpaste, mini Frisbee, Play-Doh, a poncho and a coloring book!

I taped a letter and a picture of my family under each lid, and we prayed for the kids who would get our boxes.

I like doing Operation Christmas Child because we’re helping kids know about God’s love. It’s important for them to learn about God so they can go to heaven.

name: Alina G.

age: 7

home: Colorado

hobbies: coloring and

painting

Children’s MagazinesFocus on the Family Clubhouse® and Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr.® magazines�Kids can serve others, too. On this page and the next you’ll find sample content from Focus on the Family’s great children’s magazines. And now you can get a special deal on a one-year subscription to Clubhouse or Clubhouse Jr. for just $14.99—nearly 50% off the regular rate!

Subscribe to the fun!

Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY and reference source code 165509

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 10

© P

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Pe

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s o Z o P a P e r h o c c r a y o n s u c K s Z B P Z u c n K t G u M s r K y o s d M P G B y n c t t o o t h P a s t e K l s t l o e l Z c u l o d Z B t B l o Z o a K a Z o o Z M t M P e n c i l s B

Did you know . . .• Since it began, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered more than 100 million shoe-box gifts to hurting kids around the world.

• If one year’s shoe-box gifts were stacked on top of each other, they would stand 146 times taller than Mount Everest! (Mount Everest is the world’s tallest mountain at 29,035 feet.)

• Shoe-box gifts travel by truck, boat, plane, bicycle, helicopter, donkey, dogsled, elephant and even oxen!Search down, across and diagonally to find gifts

you can pack in an Operation Christmas Child shoe box:

Build a Box

PaPerPencilsPhotosoaPsocKstoothBrushtoothPaste

BallcoMBcrayonsdollGuMKaZoonote

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 11

Fun and Inspirational Videos

How to Pack a Shoe BoxPack a shoe box with VeggieTales®.

Fist-bump Boy An African boy is thrilled to receive a shoe box gift from Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child.

Kassie Miller’s 1000 BoxesKassie Miller and her friends packed one thousand shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Kids’ Triathlon Fundraiser Kids get involved with Operation Christmas Child by participating in a kids’ triathlon.

Lemonade Stand Fundraiser Children in Camden, South Carolina, have a fundraiser with their lemonade stand for Operation Christmas Child.

A Boy’s Life Changed Luis was a rebel with no future before him, but after receiving his shoe box through Operation Christmas Child and then graduation from the The Greatest Journey discipleship program, his entire life has been changed.

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OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

A Note from Franklin Graham �����������������������13

Unwrapping a New Life �������������������������������14

Follow Your Box Around the World ����������������15

Shoe Box Self-Starters ��������������������������������16

Host a Packing Party �����������������������������������17

Packing Party Activities ��������������������������������17

Certificate of Participation ����������������������������18

Journey of a Shoe Box Melodrama Script �����19

Prayer Card ������������������������������������������������20

All About Me �����������������������������������������������21

Volunteer! ���������������������������������������������������23

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 13

Sha

ring

the

Goo

d N

ews

of G

od’s

love

with

hur

ting

boys

and

girl

s is

at

the

hear

t of O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as C

hild

. I w

ould

like

to in

vite

you

r chu

rch

or g

roup

to p

artic

ipat

e in

the

proj

ect b

y pa

ckin

g sh

oe b

oxes

with

sim

ple

gifts

that

will

brin

g jo

y to

chi

ldre

n in

nee

d th

is h

olid

ay s

easo

n. T

he b

oxes

serv

e as

rem

inde

rs th

at th

ere

is a

God

who

love

s th

em a

nd w

ho s

ent H

is

best

gift

, Jes

us C

hris

t, to

be

thei

r Sav

ior.

Thro

ugh

our G

ospe

l lite

ratu

re

and

disc

iple

ship

pro

gram

, man

y of

thes

e ch

ildre

n ar

e be

com

ing

faith

ful

follo

wer

s of

the

Lord

. Ple

ase

join

us

in d

eliv

erin

g th

e bl

esse

d ho

pe o

f

Chr

istm

as to

mill

ions

of p

reci

ous

little

one

s ar

ound

the

wor

ld. T

hank

you

!

FRAN

KLIN

GRA

HAM

A not

e from

-Ralp

h

Since

19

93, m

ore

than

94

mill

ion

boys

and

girl

s fro

m o

ver 1

30 co

untrie

s hav

e be

en th

e jo

yful

re

cipi

ents

of s

hoe

box

gifts

—pa

cked

by

enth

usia

stic

su

ppor

ters

just

like

you

! Thi

s ye

ar O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as

Chi

ld p

lans

to re

ach

the

100

million

th c

hild

with

the

Goo

d N

ews

of G

od’s

love

. We

need

the

pray

ers

and

part

icip

atio

n of

fam

ilies

, chu

rche

s an

d gr

oups

acr

oss

th

e na

tion

to m

ake

this

a re

ality

. In

addi

tion

to th

ose

who

pa

ck th

e bo

xes,

ther

e ar

e te

ns o

f tho

usan

ds o

f vol

unte

ers

who

ser

ve in

var

ious

role

s to

pre

pare

the

gifts

for

ship

men

t ove

rsea

s.

Eac

h sh

oe b

ox re

pres

ents

an

oppo

rtun

ity to

tell

boys

and

gi

rls a

bout

the

Great

est G

ift—

Jesu

s C

hris

t. Th

roug

h G

ospe

l sto

rybo

oks

and

our d

ynam

ic d

isci

ples

hip

prog

ram

, Th

e G

reat

est J

ourn

ey®, m

illio

ns o

f chi

ldre

n ar

e co

mm

ittin

g th

eir h

eart

s to

Chr

ist—

and

enco

urag

ing

thei

r fam

ily a

nd

frien

ds to

wal

k fa

ithfu

lly w

ith H

im, t

oo!

Fr

an

kl

in

G

ra

ha

mP

rE

SId

EN

T,

Sa

ma

rIT

aN

’S P

ur

SE

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 14

luis

took

prid

e in

bei

ng th

e to

ugh

guy

othe

r kid

s fe

ared

. Fig

hts

at s

choo

l led

to

his

expu

lsio

n. H

is h

eart

brok

en m

othe

r pra

yed

for G

od to

sav

e he

r 12-

year

-old

so

n fro

m a

life

of c

rime

and

hope

less

ness

.

She

sta

rted

taki

ng L

uis

to c

hurc

h in

thei

r Per

uvia

n vi

llage

. To

her g

reat

sur

pris

e,

he s

eem

ed to

like

it. J

ust a

fter C

hris

tmas

, the

chi

ldre

n in

the

villa

ge w

ere

invi

ted

to a

fest

ival

. Lui

s w

as ju

st a

s ex

cite

d as

the

othe

r boy

s an

d gi

rls w

hen

he

rece

ived

a s

hoe

box

with

gift

s fro

m O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as C

hild

.

at h

is m

othe

r’s in

sist

ence

, Lui

s en

rolle

d in

The

Gre

ates

t Jou

rney

, a 1

2-le

sson

B

ible

stu

dy a

nd d

isci

ples

hip

prog

ram

offe

red

to c

hild

ren

afte

r sho

e bo

x di

strib

utio

ns. d

urin

g th

e fir

st tw

o w

eeks

, he

was

dis

rupt

ive

and

argu

men

tativ

e.

By

wee

k th

ree,

he

star

ted

to a

sk q

uest

ions

and

eve

n vo

lunt

eere

d to

pra

y.

Som

ethi

ng h

ad c

hang

ed in

his

hea

rt.

“It s

urpr

ised

me

to le

arn

that

God

sen

t His

Son

to d

ie fo

r peo

ple

like

me,”

sai

d Lu

is. “

I lik

ed to

hit

peop

le. B

ut b

ecau

se o

f wha

t the

Wor

d of

God

say

s, I

know

I do

n’t n

eed

to fi

ght a

nym

ore.”

UNW

RAPP

ING

A

L

IFE

IN J

ESUS

hun

dred

s of

thou

sand

s

of c

hild

ren

like

Luis

are

com

ing

to k

now

Jes

us a

s th

eir S

avio

r thr

ough

the

Ope

ratio

n C

hris

tmas

Chi

ld d

isci

ples

hip

prog

ram

, Th

e G

reat

est J

ourn

ey. a

fter s

hoe

boxe

s ar

e ha

nded

out

, lo

cal c

hurc

hes

invi

te c

hild

ren

in th

e co

mm

unity

to a

ttend

th

e 12

-less

on B

ible

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dy. F

illed

with

col

orfu

l illu

stra

tions

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ture

read

ing

and

fun

activ

ities

, the

eng

agin

g st

orie

s br

ing

the

Gos

pel t

o lif

e. G

radu

ates

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ored

at a

spe

cial

ce

rem

ony,

and

they

rece

ive

a ch

ildre

n’s

New

Tes

tam

ent

in th

eir o

wn

lang

uage

and

a g

radu

atio

n ce

rtifi

cate

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y be

com

e fa

ithfu

l fol

low

ers

of J

esus

as

they

gai

n a

deep

er

unde

rsta

ndin

g of

God

’s W

ord

and

shar

e th

e G

ood

New

s w

ith o

ther

s.

ThE

Gr

EaTE

ST J

OU

rn

EY

Afte

r th

e Sh

oe B

ox

begins

The

Gre

ates

t Jou

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dis

cipl

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ogra

m h

as

been

tran

slat

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to 5

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coun

trie

s.

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 15

12

PaCk

anD

Pra

Y Fi

ll a

shoe

bo

x w

ith

toys

, sch

ool

supp

lies

and

hygi

ene

item

s. P

ray

for t

he c

hild

w

ho w

ill

rece

ive

yo

ur b

ox.

GiVE

On

linE

Go

to

sam

arita

nspu

rse.

org/

occ

and

fill o

ut th

e Fo

llow

You

r Box

form

. P

rint o

ut th

e

cust

om g

irl/b

oy la

bel

we

emai

l to

you

and

affix

it to

the

top

of

your

box

.

GET

STar

TED!

Sca

n th

e Q

r c

ode

with

yo

ur m

obile

dev

ice

to d

onat

e on

line.

Yo

u w

ill re

ceiv

e an

em

ail w

ith y

our

cust

om p

rinta

ble

Follo

w Y

our B

ox la

bel.

34

DrOP

OFF

YOU

r BO

x B

ring

your

fille

d bo

x to

on

e of

mor

e th

an 3

,200

dr

op-o

ff lo

catio

ns

natio

nwid

e. F

rom

ther

e,

the

boxe

s ar

e tra

nspo

rted

to re

gion

al p

roce

ssin

g ce

nter

s an

d pr

epar

ed

by v

olun

teer

s fo

r sh

ipm

ent o

vers

eas.

FOll

Ow Y

OUr

BOx

Onc

e yo

ur

shoe

box

gift

ha

s be

en

ship

ped,

you

w

ill re

ceiv

e an

em

ail

notif

ying

you

of

the

coun

try

dest

inat

ion

of

your

box

.

to g

et m

e ar

ound

th

e w

orld

!

It on

ly ta

kes

$7

FOll

Ow Y

OU

r BO

x Gi

ve O

nlin

e to aro

und th

e worl

d

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 16

Pac

king

par

ties

are

fun

and

offe

r a

grea

t opp

ortu

nity

to

sha

re G

od’s

love

with

you

r fa

mily

or

neig

hbor

s.

Visi

t ww

w.s

amar

itans

purs

e.or

g/oc

c fo

r mor

e id

eas

to s

park

par

ticip

atio

n!

ChU

rCh

ES•

Cha

lleng

e S

unda

y sc

hool

cla

sses

and

sm

all g

roup

s to

don

ate

spec

ific

type

s of

item

s ea

ch m

onth

. For

exa

mpl

e: J

anua

ry-h

ats

and

glov

es; a

ugus

t-sch

ool s

uppl

ies;

Oct

ober

-har

d ca

ndy.

• O

rgan

ize

a pa

ckin

g pa

rty

and

invi

te p

eopl

e fro

m th

e ne

ighb

orho

od to

par

ticip

ate.

It’s

a g

reat

opp

ortu

nity

for

outr

each

and

fello

wsh

ip.

• H

ost a

kic

k-of

f Sun

day

for O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as C

hild

in la

te

Oct

ober

or e

arly

Nov

embe

r and

enc

oura

ge p

artic

ipat

ion

from

th

e en

tire

cong

rega

tion.

Sho

w a

vid

eo fr

om o

ur p

roje

ct d

Vd

or

the

web

site

. O

ffer e

mpt

y sh

oe b

oxes

with

bro

chur

es p

lace

d in

side

.

• a

sk th

e co

ngre

gatio

n to

brin

g th

eir p

acke

d sh

oe b

oxes

to

chur

ch fo

r a d

edic

atio

n se

rvic

e. T

his

year

we

have

des

igna

ted

Nov

embe

r 11

as d

edic

atio

n S

unda

y. In

vite

chi

ldre

n to

car

ry

the

fille

d bo

xes

to th

e fro

nt o

f the

chu

rch

as th

e se

rvic

e be

gins

. H

ave

a ch

ild c

ome

forw

ard

to p

ray

over

the

gifts

.

Fam

iliE

S•

Hav

e an

Ope

ratio

n C

hris

tmas

Chi

ld th

eme

for a

birt

hday

par

ty.

Inst

ead

of p

rese

nts,

brin

g em

pty

shoe

box

es a

nd fi

ller i

tem

s.

• m

oms

and

dads

can

take

thei

r chi

ldre

n sh

oppi

ng a

nd a

sk th

em

to p

ick

out i

tem

s to

incl

ude

in th

eir s

hoe

boxe

s.

• r

each

fam

ilies

with

the

Gos

pel i

n yo

ur o

wn

back

yard

by

host

ing

an o

utre

ach

pack

ing

part

y.

Chr

iSTi

an S

ChO

OlS

• C

hoos

e a

dest

inat

ion

coun

try

to s

tudy

. ask

stu

dent

s to

re

sear

ch th

e cu

stom

s, re

ligio

ns a

nd c

urre

nt e

vent

s. In

vite

so

meo

ne fr

om th

at c

ount

ry to

giv

e a

pres

enta

tion

to th

e cl

ass.

• S

ched

ule

a to

ur fo

r stu

dent

s at

a d

rop-

off l

ocat

ion

or

Pro

cess

ing

Cen

ter i

n N

ovem

ber.

BUSi

nES

SES

anD

CiVi

C G

rO

UPS

• H

ost a

n O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as C

hild

lunc

heon

or p

acki

ng p

arty

. a

ttend

ees

can

brin

g em

pty

shoe

box

es a

nd fi

ller i

tem

s. S

how

th

e pr

ojec

t vid

eo. I

nvite

an

Ope

ratio

n C

hris

tmas

Chi

ld s

taff

mem

ber o

r tra

ined

vol

unte

er to

spe

ak a

bout

the

proj

ect.

r

emin

d at

tend

ees

to g

ive

$7

for e

ach

box

they

pac

k to

cov

er

ship

ping

and

oth

er c

osts

.

SHOE

BOX

-ST

ARTE

RSSe

lf

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 17

Host a Packing Party Serving others is way more fun in groups. Gather everyone you know and host an Operation Christmas Child packing party! Everyone will love working together to help children in need across the globe. Have your friends and family bring their shoe boxes and supplies to your home. All you need to provide are the snacks—and maybe a bit of Christmas music to get you in the spirit of the season.

Packing Party ActivitiesHere are some fun activities you might consider using during a party you host.

Inappropriate Item Relay: This is a fun way to keep your kids entertained and active. Place the kids into even teams with an assigned shoe box. In the assigned group, line the kids up on a starting line. To keep them in order place a number for their team at the beginning of the line. Explain to the kids what types of items are inappropriate to pack in a shoe box. Inappropriate items are war related toys, liquids, lotions, perishable food, chocolate, vitamins and medications. Place a previously packed shoe box on the opposite side of the room with inappropriate items placed inside. The child will run down to a shoe box and remove the inappropriate item then run back to the team and drop it in the “local donations” box. The team who finishes first wins. Let the relay begin! (You can donate the ‘inappropriate’ items to local charities that accept them!)

Life in an Orphanage: Create an orphanage-like setting in your home. Imagine an orphanage in a third-world country. Children will experience the life of an orphan through role-play and games. Ask the kids if they know what an orphanage is. Explain that orphanages are places where kids live who do not have mommies and daddies. Set up a few beds. This can be blankets on the floor. Start by telling the kids to choose a bed. If there are not enough beds some of the kids will have to share. Have the kids close their eyes and pretend to sleep. Wake them up and instruct them to put on their clothes (lay out a few oversized, old and tattered shirts) and have them go to the kitchen for breakfast. With a loaf of bread, have the kids play hot potato and pass the bread around the table, until you decide to stop. Tell the child who ended up with the bread, he/she is the winner and gets to drink the water first. Set out a cup of dirty water. Mix the water with crushed Oreos so it appears dirty. Talk about what children eat in an orphanage. Once you are done explaining, ask the kids what they usually do after breakfast, before school. Tell all the kids to line up at the sink. Holding up only one toothbrush explain that most kids do not have their own toothbrush so all the kids will have to share. Once the kids are ready for school give each kid a piece of paper and a pencil. Ask the kids to draw the one thing that they want more than anything in the world. Once the kids are done ask a few to share about their drawing. When you are finished, tell the kids to erase their drawings because they do not have enough paper and will need to use the same paper for school tomorrow. Be creative and insert your own ideas to help children understand how blessed they are to have a family, home, etc.

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 18

Certi

ficate

ofPa

rticip

ation

(chi

ld’s

nam

e)

has b

roug

ht C

hrist

mas

joy

to a

nee

dy c

hild

by

send

ing

a sh

oe b

ox fu

ll of

gift

s an

d th

e Go

od N

ews o

f Jes

us C

hrist

.

Lead

er

Dat

e

Jesu

s sai

d, "

Let t

he li

ttle c

hild

ren

com

e to

me,

and

do n

ot h

inde

rth

em, f

or th

e kin

gdom

of h

eave

n be

long

s to

such

as t

hese

."M

atth

ew 1

9:14

(N

IV)

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 19

Journey of a Shoe Box Melodrama

OVERVIEWIf you aren’t familiar with a spontaneous melodrama, it is a drama in which the actors are unaware of what is coming next. They are guided by whatever the narrator says that they do next. As the narrator, you will need to prepare and familiarize yourself with the flow of the drama and be ready to make the necessary changes in verbiage, depending on who is enlisted. the keys to a successful spontaneous melodrama are your timing (allow enough time for actors to act out what you say), inflection (let your voice guide the actors) and actor excitement (help your actors to really let themselves have fun with this).

As you will see, this drama is designed to give people a basic overview of Operation Christmas Child in a fresh, fun way. People will be having such a good time that they won’t realize how much they are learning!

CAST:You will want to determine how many of each group to cast for acting. Even though some of these are inanimate objects, they are all roles. As you cast them (simply get volunteers to act out each part), place the actors where they need to be on stage. The family will be all the way on the left, and the children will be all the way on the right. As the box travels, it will travel from left to right until it arrives with the children.

PROPS:All of the props will need to be on a table very near where you place the family. Hand the shoe box to the person who is cast as the shoe box. The other props will go into the box.

p Shoe boxp Toy(s)p Toothpaste or soapp School supplies

(pack of pencils, paper)

STORY:[Once everyone is in their places, begin the story. Some parts are bracketed to help give you an idea of what exactly is intended to happen. Feel free to give verbal cues to cast members who didn’t quite understand what you were looking for. You may also find that repeating phrases or otherwise ad-libbing will help people to have fun and “act out” even more!]

Our story starts in a far-away country, where children hope for something special to happen to them. [Be sure to be standing near the children] they cross their fingers; they cross their toes; they even cross their eyes! But what exactly are they hoping for? they are hoping for someone to help them. And why do they need help? Because they come from families without money, which makes them sad—so sad that they frown and stick out their lower lip. [Make sure to get them to stick out those lower lips!] And because they don’t have any toys, and that makes them cry. And because they have never heard about God’s love, and that makes them wail loudly. they also need supplies like soap and toothpaste; when they sniff each other it nearly knocks them out! So who is going to help them?

[Move toward the family] Back here in America there is a family who wants to help, but they aren’t exactly sure how to help children who are so far away. Puzzled expressions appear on their faces as they try to come up with ideas for how to help. then they look confused and scratch their heads—then they begin to scratch each other’s heads! Suddenly they get a great idea and begin to jump up and down with joy! they find a shoe box [one family member pulls the shoe box to step forward, holding out the box] and decide to fill it with supplies for the children. So they take a trip to the store and pick up toys, toiletries, school supplies, candy, socks and shoes. [each family member should have at least one item in hand] the family puts all of these things into the shoe box. they even decide to write a letter to the child who will receive the shoe box. they write and write and write until their hands get really bad writer’s cramp. After that they gather together and pose for a picture. Say, “Cheese!”…say, “Shoe box!”…say, “Operation Christmas Child is a great way to both meet needs and share the gospel with millions of children and families around the globe!” [This last phrase is, of course, meant to be too much of a mouthful for them to be able to say]

During National Collection Week, the shoe box is dropped off at the local collection center by the family. Before leaving, the family waves goodbye to the box, who, of course, waves back. then the family starts blowing kisses to the box, which makes the box feel a tad awkward. they all go back to waving again, and the family finally leaves. the volunteer at the collection center gives the box a nice high five. they rub elbows, then they invent a wildly creative handshake. After that, the volunteer loads the shoe box onto a truck. [Loading onto a truck here means that the “shoe box” hops onto the “truck’s” back]

p Children (3-4)p Family (3-4)p Shoe box

(1 person, who will also hold a shoe box)

p Volunteers (2-6)

p Truck (1)p Boat (1)p Various Modes of

Transportation (up to 5)p Local helpers (1-3)

p Some hard candyp Pair of socksp Pair of children’s shoes

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 20

the truck takes the box to one of 6 processing centers around the nation. volunteers inspect the contents of the box. For good measure, they also decide to frisk the box, which makes the box giggle quite a bit. Once they are satisfied the box is properly packed, they load it onto a boat [box hops onto “boat’s” back] to begin the long trip to the children far away. Depending on where the box travels, it could also end up on a plane, a bicycle, a canoe, or even on a donkey or an elephant! [If you enlisted extra cast for the modes of travel, pause and direct the box to load onto the back of each mode of travel, which should walk a few feet over to the next mode of travel]

Once the box arrives in the village of the far away country, local helpers unload the box and give it a big bear hug. then all of the children gather to receive the gifts that were given by the family. they are so excited that they begin to make all kinds of happy sounds. they get louder…and louder…and LOuDER! Afterward they all gather to hear from the local helpers. As the children listen they learn all about Jesus, who is the real reason behind the success of Operation Christmas Child. As the children learn about Jesus, they get smiles on their faces. As a matter of fact, the family who sent the box gets big smiles on their faces, because they were able to watch the box’s progress online, and they just found out that it has arrived to the children. All of the volunteers along the way—including the truck, boat and other modes of transportation—smile, too, because of all that God has done through them. Everyone’s smiles get bigger…and bigger…and BIGGER. [Make sure everyone is smiling] Finally, they can’t contain themselves any longer and they begin to applaud God together. then they clap for each other, take a bow and have a seat.

World Prayer CardGod has called us all to care for orphans across the globe. And everyone can start with simple, heartfelt prayer. Cut out the card below and tape it to your refrigerator, bathroom mirror—anywhere that will remind you each day to pray that orphaned children will someday find their forever home.

SUND

AYPr

ay fo

r the

col

lect

ion

and

proc

essi

ng o

f sh

oe b

ox g

ifts

as w

e an

ticip

ate

reac

hing

a

mile

ston

e th

is y

ear—

shar

ing

the

love

of

Jesu

s C

hris

t with

ove

r 100

milli

on c

hild

ren

sinc

e th

e st

art o

f the

pro

ject

in 1

993.

MON

DAY

Pray

for G

od to

dire

ct e

ach

shoe

box

gi

ft in

to th

e ha

nds

of ju

st th

e rig

ht c

hild

so

that

eac

h on

e w

ill ex

perie

nce

His

un

cond

ition

al lo

ve a

nd p

rovis

ion.

TUES

DAY

Pray

that

God

will

use

Ope

ratio

n C

hris

tmas

Chi

ld to

brin

g jo

y to

boy

s an

d gi

rls w

ho a

re fa

cing

pov

erty

, sic

knes

s,

or w

ar.

WED

NESD

AYPr

ay th

at th

e bo

xes

will

open

doo

rs fo

r ch

ildre

n to

hea

r the

Goo

d N

ews

in p

arts

of

the

wor

ld th

at a

re ty

pica

lly c

lose

d to

pr

ocla

imin

g th

e G

ospe

l.

THUR

SDAY

Pray

for t

he c

hild

ren

who

enr

oll i

n Th

e G

reat

est J

ourn

ey f

ollo

w-u

p di

scip

lesh

ip

prog

ram

, tha

t the

y w

ill co

me

to fa

ith in

Je

sus

and

tell t

heir

frien

ds a

nd fa

mily

ab

out t

he S

avio

r.

FRID

AYPr

ay fo

r our

Nat

iona

l Lea

ders

hip

Team

vo

lunt

eers

who

wor

k w

ith lo

cal c

hurc

hes

to d

istri

bute

sho

e bo

xes

and

to im

plem

ent

The

Gre

ates

t Jou

rney

.

SATU

RDAY

Pray

for G

od to

pro

vide

the

wis

dom

, re

sour

ces,

and

vol

unte

ers

need

ed to

ov

erse

e th

is e

xpan

ding

glo

bal o

utre

ach

to c

hild

ren.

DAIL

Y PR

AYER

08-07-284

©20

12

Guide

“God

has

pou

red

out H

is lo

ve

into

our

hea

rts”

— R

oman

s 5:

5, N

IV

Ope

ratio

n C

hris

tmas

Chi

ld® is

a p

roje

ct o

f S

amar

itan’

s P

urse

®, F

rank

lin G

raha

m, P

resi

dent

.

Journey of a Shoe Box MelodramaSTORY (continued)

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 21

Hi! I would like to introduce myself to you.My name is ________________________________and I am very glad to meet you.I am ________ years old.

Now if you look at a map ofour world, I’ve colored thecountry where I live. My shoe box has taken afantastic journeyto find you!

This is what I look like.

I live in the United States of America. I live in the state of ___________________, in the city of _______________________. If you look at the map, I livein the state that is colored in.

ALL ABOUT MEHere is a coloring page that you can print and cut out to go inside your shoe box to tell the child who receives your box more about you!

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 22

�There are lots of things I like.My Favorite:thing to drink is ____________________.color is _____________________________.food is ______________________________.thing to play is _____________________ .

My house looks like this.

When I have free time,I like to _______________________________________.

I love Jesus because_______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________.�

I hope you like the gifts I packedfor you. If you send me a letter tothis address, I will write you backand we can become friends.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________�

In my family, I have______ brothers______ sisters______ pets

���

color the pictures!

���

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SuMMER SuRvIvAL KIt | 23

FinD

OUT

mOr

E! S

can

the

Qr

cod

e w

ith y

our

mob

ile d

evic

e to

get

m

ore

info

rmat

ion

abou

t vo

lunt

eer o

ppor

tuni

ties.

Ye

ar

-ro

un

d o

PP

or

tun

ItIe

sJo

in a

n A

rea

Team

! do

you

enjo

y sp

arki

ng e

xcite

men

t ab

out O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as C

hild

? E

ncou

ragi

ng c

hurc

h an

d co

mm

unity

invo

lvem

ent?

Pra

ying

and

enc

oura

ging

oth

ers

to p

ray

for t

he p

roje

ct?

If yo

u an

swer

ed y

es to

any

of t

hese

qu

estio

ns, G

od m

ay b

e ca

lling

you

to u

se y

our t

alen

ts to

ser

ve

Him

in o

ne o

f the

se m

inis

try

team

role

s on

you

r loc

al a

rea

Team

:

Pr

aYE

r m

OB

ILIz

aTIO

N—

Com

mit

to p

ray

regu

larly

and

en

list o

ther

gro

ups

to p

ray

for v

ario

us a

spec

ts o

f Ope

ratio

n C

hris

tmas

Chi

ld.

CH

ur

CH

rE

LaTI

ON

S—

rea

ch o

ut to

loca

l chu

rche

s an

d su

ppor

t the

m in

fulfi

lling

the

Gre

at C

omm

issi

on th

roug

h O

pera

tion

Chr

istm

as C

hild

.

CO

mm

uN

ITY

rE

LaTI

ON

S—

Bui

ld re

latio

nshi

ps w

ith c

ivic

gr

oups

, bus

ines

ses

and

scho

ols,

invi

ting

them

to p

ack

shoe

bo

x gi

fts.

mE

dIa

rE

LaTI

ON

S—

rai

se a

war

enes

s of

the

min

istr

y by

w

orki

ng w

ith p

rint,

radi

o an

d te

levi

sion

out

lets

.

CO

LLE

CTI

ON

NE

TWO

rk

—r

ecei

ve s

hoe

box

gifts

fro

m d

onor

s at

dro

p-of

f site

s an

d ar

rang

e fo

r the

ir tr

ansp

orta

tion

to p

roce

ssin

g ce

nter

s.

du

rIn

g c

oll

ec

tIo

n s

ea

so

n

Ther

e ar

e op

port

uniti

es fo

r ten

s of

thou

sand

s

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