Lots of activity, fun and food was enjoyed at our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party on Saturday!
But what are we packing for? This Christmas, we are involved in packing gift boxes to support Operation Christmas Child, a project which collects shoebox gifts for children in need worldwide, especially those affected by poverty, war, or disaster over Christmas.
Shoe boxes are filled with toys, school supplies, and personal care items, and are then donated to be delivered to children in over 160 countries, with the goal of helping those in need and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
On Saturday, we gathered together over some delicious cake & refreshments to pack the shoeboxes and pray over them, before they are sent out to children around the world. The pictures give a taste of what the day was like!
Lots of shoeboxes to be packed! 
The team hard at work… 
Lots of fun was had as we did the packing! 
A job well done! 
Mung, our minister & Sarah, who organised the event. 
The event was accompanied by delicious cake. 
Our wonderful refreshment team. 
Our wonderful refreshment team. 
A time of worship. 
Help from all ages to pack the shoeboxes! 
All the items laid out ready to be packed! 
A talk given by Sarah, our organiser.
Thank you, everyone who supported this… just imagine the surprises in store for those needy children around the world, who receive these gifts with messages of the real Christmas story!
If you would like to, financial contributions to Operation Christmas Child can still be made, and placed in a marked envelope in the offering bag at church.
Our grateful thanks go to Sarah, who organised the event. Sarah records her reflections below:
My cup overflows! (Psalm 23)
Back in September, God stirred my heart at an Operation Christmas Child workshop to host a packing party at our church, something far outside my comfort zone! I planned for 20 boxes but felt prompted to trust Him for more… so I brought home 50 empty boxes. The cost and logistics seemed overwhelming, but God reminded me: “Leave room for Me.”
So I began to pray more about it and God graciously reminded me that this is His ministry, and that we get to be part of it. When that truth sank in, the pressure lifted. God already knew the number of boxes we’d pack, whether 20, 50, or more! Our job was to do our part and leave the rest to Him. Prayer was key. God stirred the hearts of our church family. We started with £22 cash donation on the day I introduced it to our church, and then gifts and donations began to pour in. One person generously covered the admin fee (£5 per box) for all 50 boxes!
Last Saturday, we packed every box and ran out because we had more gifts than we could fit. Truly, God is faithful and able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
Thank you to everyone who prayed, gave, and served. Special thanks to our amazing team — Lesley, Heather, Jane, Mike, Rob, Jenny, Elaine, Mo, Gill, Clem, Douglas, and my hubby [Rev Mung Hatzaw] – for making this day possible.
All glory to Him!
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