Operation Christmas Child thanks residents for 1,025 shoebox gifts

Edna DeFord

Together with other local churches, our PebbleCreek Community Church participates annually in Operation Christmas Child to bring joy and hope to children in need through gift-filled shoe boxes that spread the Good News of God’s love. School supplies, toys, toiletries, a soft stuffed animal or perhaps some clothing items for children around the world, that’s what is in a shoebox!

This year, more than 35 of our friends and neighbors in PebbleCreek gathered at the home of Edna DeFord to fill shoe boxes with materials collected throughout the year. To these were added boxes brought to our Sunday services; in total 1025 boxes. That’s a record for our church. Yes, thank you, PebbleCreek!

The photo shows many of the boxes at our Sunday service on November 19. Following a blessing by Pastor Dennis Kizziar, these boxes were sent off with Christmas greetings in Christ’s name.

Operation Christmas Child is a program of Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational Christian organization that provides spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Samaritan’s Purse helps meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease and famine. For many years, our PebbleCreek Community Church has had the privilege of joining with other churches around us to support this wonderful effort. Since 1993 over 140 million shoe boxes have been delivered to children in 130 countries.

This is but one more way we have the privilege of serving within our generous PebbleCreek community. Each Sunday morning PebbleCreek Community Church converts our Eagle’s Nest Ballroom into a house of worship. Learn about us at www.pebblecreekchurch.org. Better yet, come join us next Sunday! Might we count on you to fill a shoebox next year?