Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

Above,  young students take a look at The Greatest Journey discipleship material they’ve just received from Operation Christmas Child.

November 2018 – AFA and American Family Radio encourage readers and listeners to participate in Operation Christmas Child. 

“Most folks are familiar with the red and green shoeboxes Samaritan’s Purse offers each fall to churches and individuals who want to do something special for a needy child,” said AFR manager Jim Stanley. Those boxes are then packed with gifts – small toys, socks, crayons, gloves, etc. – by people who want to bless a child who may have no other Christmas. 

Stanley continued: “AFR is always excited to help OCC because it’s the only Christmas a lot of kids get.”

This year, following the focus on shoebox gifts, AFR will explore another exciting element emphasizing SP’s The Greatest Journey discipleship program for children in the places where the shoeboxes go. 

SP has been adding this program to the gift boxes in different countries as soon as they are able to train local pastors and leaders to teach the program. The ministry goes to great lengths to make sure both the shoeboxes and the discipleship curriculum are distributed through local pastors and local churches, connecting recipients to the local churches, not to a distant undefined source. 

“We appreciate Samaritan’s Purse for their integrity in handling the gospel,” said AFA vice president Buddy Smith. “They make sure The Greatest Journey is taught by well trained local leaders.”

Collection week for the shoeboxes is November 12-19. AFR will soon be putting a frequent spotlight on OCC for several weeks. 

All the details are also at samaritanspurse.org: free promotional materials, shoeboxes, a list of drop-off locations at churches all over the country, how to pack a shoebox, packing a shoebox online, and more.

“It seems like a long time until Christmas,” Stanley said. “But it’s time to get to work on Operation
Christmas Child!”