Operation Christmas Child

Summer is in full swing, the weather, for the most part, is warm and children in our area are out of school. Speaking of school, children around the world don’t always have the advantages of children in our area as far as getting the supplies that they need. So as we usually do for July and August, we are collecting school supplies for our shoeboxes. Things like pencils, erasers, pens, crayons, small coloring books, colored pencils and pencil sharpeners are what is needed. This year I have been blessed with a donation of enough markers to give each child a pack. If you are not comfortable going to the stores yet, monetary gifts are always welcome. These children will be blessed beyond measure and so will you. Just think every time they pick up a pencil or a crayon, they know that someone from Beckley First Baptist Church in the U.S.A. thought enough of them and loved them enough to give them these school supplies. A collection box is located in Welcome Center for your donations. Please keep this ministry in your prayers as they continue to spread the name of Jesus and the love of God to children around the world.

Well the calendar has turned another month and we are one month closer to our November collection week. Your donations so far have been very generous. For the month of June we are asking for toothbrushes and small hair brushes. The Dollar Tree is the best place to purchase these items. There is a donation box in the Welcome Center for you to use. Please keep this ministry in your prayers as they continue to distribute shoeboxes to children around the world.

Not even the COVID-19 virus can keep Samaritan’s Purse from sharing the good news of the name of Jesus to children around the world. Shoeboxes have been delivered to children by boat, plane, camel, elephant, horseback and whatever other means of transportation available for the area to distribute shoeboxes to remote towns and villages that may have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.

Closer to home your shoeboxes are a vital part of this ministry and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support over the years. We will never know how many lives have been impacted by the shoeboxes that are made and delivered. What a blessing this ministry is.

For the month of May, I’m going to make it very easy for you to support this effort. It doesn’t involve shopping. It doesn’t involve much thought at all. What I’m asking for is help to cover the shipping for the shoeboxes that we will be creating later this year. My goal is to collect enough to make 100 shoeboxes so 100 times $9.00 per box means I need $900 and no I don’t expect someone to just write a check for that amount. What I am asking for is if 100 people gave $9.00 that would cover it or if 50 people gave $18.00 that would accomplish the same thing. That might mean giving up one Sunday dinner after church to help spread the name of Jesus to a child and his family. That impact could grow from his or her family to towns and villages and help ignite the word of God literally around the world.

So, if you wish to help here’s all you need to do. Write a check to FBC and put shoeboxes in the memo line – that’s it (cash is always welcome too). And as always please keep this ministry in your prayers as we deal with the challenges of the times.

As winter finally leaves and spring is officially here, Samaritan’s Purse is continuing to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to children around the world through the power of a shoebox. These boxes were filled last year with love and contain items such as school supplies, personal items, a small toy and a stuffed animal. Through your donations last year, we packed over 100 shoeboxes to help in this mission. This month we are asking for small stuffed animals (and I mean small enough to put in a shoebox). A good idea is to check the after Easter sales and find some stuffed rabbits or chicks. (Just a suggestion). There is a collection box in the Welcome Center for your donations. Please keep Samaritan’s Purse in your prayers as they continue to mission to spread the name of Jesus to children around the world.

It’s hard to believe it’s March already and spring is just around the corner. Through your generous packing of shoeboxes, the gospel of Jesus Christ is being spread around the world on a daily basis. This year Samaritan’s Purse is focusing on those little known islands in the Pacific Ocean where the name of Jesus is virtually unknown. These children will know that they are loved and blessed when they receive a shoebox packed just for them and will hear the name of Jesus and how he loves them.

Although we are still facing the challenges of the COVID virus, we are confident that this ministry will continue with its mission and that’s where you can help. Pray for the ministry. Prayer can move mountains and sometimes the devil puts those mountains in front of us but only through prayer can they be overcome.

Keep those donations coming in. It may not seem like much now but by November we will have enough, hopefully, to pack 100 shoeboxes and send them on their way.

For the month of March, I am asking for donations of toothbrushes, hair brushes and combs. The donation box is in the Welcome Center. Thank you for your support of this mission to spread the love of God through the power of a shoebox.

Well, we’ve turned the page to another year and said good-bye to 2020 (thank goodness). We survived collection week with all of the COVID restrictions and did quite well. While our number was down from last year, each and every shoebox that was put into a carton will be a blessing to the child who receives it. This child will probably hear the name of Jesus for the first time in his or her life and what an impact that will bring.

This collection year marks officially the 20th year we have been doing shoeboxes here at FBC and what a blessing it has been. Just imagine how many lives have been changed over those 20 years. It’s astounding. We’ve had some fun times and some challenges but with God’s help we’ve gotten through them. I thank all of you who have packed a box, worked in our collection center or loaded a truck, sometimes at 6:00 AM on a cold Saturday morning. Without your help, none of this would have happened.

Looking forward to the 2021 collection season, let’s start the months of January and February by donating bar soap and washcloths. This not only cleans the outer body but starts the process of sharing God’s love through the power of that shoebox that you will pack. Thank you again and God bless you.

by Debbie Vanaman

Well another year is in the books for our shoebox ministry and it was a challenging year to say the least but with God’s help we made it through.

Our final total of shoeboxes received from the Raleigh, Fayette and Wyoming counties was 2,611 shoeboxes. We need to remember it’s not all about the numbers. It’s about how many children will be blessed by these boxes and how far the name of Jesus will go around the world.

It’s time for me to thank everyone who packed a shoebox, brought it the items we collected during the year, worked in our Collection Center and helped load our truck. Without your help, this mission project would not succeed as it does each year. God put each of you right where you needed to be when you were needed and for this again I thank God and you for your support.

This was officially our 19th year as a collection center and I am prayerfully looking forward to next year and see what God has in store for this project. Please keep this program in your prayers as they continue distribution of these precious boxes to children around the world.

Well it’s November and national collection week is starting November 16th through November 23rd. We here at First Baptist have been a collection center for shoeboxes in the Raleigh County area for going on 20 years and each year it amazes me to see box after box after box coming in from local churches, organizations and individuals. Each box is a gift to a boy or girl who may not have ever received a gift no less from stranger thousands of miles away. This gift also comes with the joy of learning about God and Jesus, some for the very first time through a program called “The Greatest Journey”. This program shows them how God loves them and how Jesus died for their sins and how they too can follow Jesus. What an amazing gift!!!

In November I usually ask for donations to cover the shipping of the 100 boxes which have been already packed with the items you have donated this year. But, praise God, the money for shipping has been graciously donated by you throughout the year so I can’t believe I’m saying this but I don’t need to ask for money this year. But, what I do ask for is your prayers for collection week that it run smoothly during this pandemic time. It’s going to be a different way of collecting but with God’s help we will get the job done. Saturday morning, November 21st at 9:00 AM, I will need a great group of strong volunteers to load the truck we will be renting to take our boxes to Princeton. See Debbie Vanaman for further details.

Finally, as always, keep this ministry in your prayers as they collect and distribute these precious boxes through the coming months and spread the name of Jesus around the world. Thanks for all your help and may God bless you all.

Now that the leaves are turning and the temperatures are more comfortable, our national collection week for shoeboxes is just around the corner in November. The national goal for shoeboxes this year is a whopping 11 million shoeboxes. While that sounds like an enormous figure, every shoebox collected from the U.S. and around the world helps us to reach that goal.

Children around the world need to hear the name of Jesus and this is one way that we here in Beckley, West Virginia can help. Your shoebox filled with school supplies, personal items and small toys shows that you care enough to share your love through what is inside. Please keep this mission project in your prayers as we endeavor to spread the name of Jesus.

We will be collecting small stuffed animals for the month of October.

by Debbie Vanaman

I know you probably have heard this at least a million times this year already, but 2020 has been quite a unique year. Operation Christmas Child is no different, but their mission still continues to spread the name of Christ and his salvation through the power of a simple shoebox. These shoeboxes are being distributed globally to children most of whom have never received a gift created just for them. This gift is also accompanied by a booklet called “The Greatest Journey” that tells them all about Jesus and how they can ask Jesus into their heart and many, many children have done just that. This then spreads to their families and villages and out from there.

We here at FBC have been involved in OCC for over 20 years and I am already preparing for who I hope will be a phenomenal collection week in November. For the month of September, I am asking for hairbrushes and combs. I need enough to fill 100 shoeboxes and currently have less than 20. So let’s help make this child feel beautiful on the outside with your help as well as inside with the name of Jesus in their heart. Please keep this this ministry in your prayers as they continue to spread the name of Jesus.