Edna DeFord and Shoe Box Committee dedicate a small portion of the shoe boxes packed by church family.
Throughout each year, the Missions Committee of our PebbleCreek Community Church supports a number of Christian charities locally and around the world. Over the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, our focus is on two groups with particular needs: Samaritan’s Purse shoe box ministry, and Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank. In these efforts, we enjoy support from throughout our PebbleCreek community, for which we once again say, thank you!
This year, our church packed a record 1,684 shoe boxes to be joined with those from other churches locally and throughout the United States and seven other countries. The goal of Samaritan’s Purse this year is to send more that 12 million shoe boxes to more than 120 countries. It is hard to imagine there are so many children in the world who have never before received a gift. This is what our church family remembers as we put together items to fill our shoe boxes. Washcloth, soap, tooth brushes; pens, pencils and paper; small games and a stuffed animal; a card blessing; maybe an Arizona Cardinals t-shirt, along with other practical and impractical but fun gifts like a soccer ball and pump—these are some of the items packed into shoe boxes which are distributed by Samaritan’s Purse to disadvantaged children around the world.
For Agua Fria, this year we once again coordinated food collection, as well as the filling and distributing of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner bags. Many in need picked up dinner bags filled with a turkey and other items to help assure a good and healthy holiday meal in their homes. Volunteers helped once again to make this a wonderful event. We thank all those who donated food, financial assistance, and many volunteer hours to assist this local charity.
Our church, including our Missions Committee, is always looking for other deserving Christian-oriented charities. Coming up in February, we are planning a full day to celebrate the numerous charities we have supported over the years. Representatives from several of these organizations will be on hand to describe the missions they support. This will be part of our church’s 25th anniversary celebration highlighting the various ways in which we have had the privilege of serving Christ with the help of those within our wonderful PebbleCreek community.
Come join us any Sunday when we hold services in our Eagle’s Nest Ballroom starting at 9 a.m., always followed by a time of fellowship. And check out our new website at www.churchpcc.org.