Dear Covenant Family,
This is Christ’s great commission for all of us. We may not all be able to GO, especially during the pandemic, BUT we CAN all participate in sending Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoeboxes with the gospel to precious children all over the world. Every 20 seconds, a child comes to know Jesus through having heard the gospel at a shoebox presentation or completing the Greatest Journey OCC course! WOW!
First, I want to say THANK YOU!!!! So many of you have brought items all year long for our shoeboxes as we collected each month. We are excited about packing day, November 21.
You might have some questions because of the pandemic. You are welcome to go to Samaritanspurse.org and go to “what we do,” choose “Operation Christmas Child,” and “COVID-19 information.” You will find a lot of great info and answers to your questions there. Most important: YES, there is a great need for boxes this year, YES, we will be able to send boxes, and YES, children in 100 countries will be able to receive them. There is a greater need for HOPE for these children than ever before as the coronavirus has affected them and their families causing hunger, increased poverty, illness, and loneliness. YOU can send HOPE, JOY, and the LOVE of Jesus to these little ones.
You can participate at CPC in several ways:
- Pack shoeboxes – consider packing ONE MORE box than last year. Or try the “Pack One – Share One Challenge” – Take two boxes. You pack one and share one with a neighbor to pack. People love helping children and this can be a witness opportunity to share with your neighbor. Boxes with packing instructions will be available in church lobby starting October 26.
- Help on Packing Day, November 21. We will be observing COVID-19 guidelines!
- Pack a box online by using this link: Build a Box Online.
- Donate to pay for shipping and evangelism materials. You may write a check to Covenant, be sure to designate OCC on the “Memo” line.
- Help with Covenant’s Drop-off location (more below).
- PRAY! For the children, donations, smooth transportation, and delivery to the children.
CPC will also be a Shoebox Drop-Off Collection Site again this year, November 16-23. We will be open a few hours each day and will need many volunteers. Because of COVID-19, all drop-offs nationwide will be outside. We need volunteers, wearing masks and gloves, to take carts to the cars to pick up the boxes, count boxes, have forms completed and signed by the donors, and to pray with them for the children receiving their boxes. We will also need someone inside to monitor all forms and counts to maintain accuracy. We will need cartonizers each day to pack the boxes. Most important, we need people to PRAY! You can pray at home or come to the church. Finally, on November 23 we will need trucks and helpers to get boxes to the regional drop-off Site. Volunteer sign-up sheets will be in lobby during November or you can email me to sign up –
We will have a preparation day on October 20 (see announcement in newsletter or bulletin). Everyone is invited.
Let’s Roll, Covenant! Thank you for your help in sharing Jesus with these children.
~ Judy Foster
