Operation Christmas Child 2019

On November 13, over 100 adults and children gathered in the gym at our County Road 9 campus for Gateway’s annual Shoebox Packing Party for Operation Christmas Child. This is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Shoebox gifts are a way to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The joy and energy in the room was contagious as 143 shoeboxes were filled with small stuffed animals and toys, school supplies such as pencils, erasers, crayons and markers, and also hygiene items such as soap, washcloths, and toothbrushes.

That evening, it was inspiring to see several Life Groups serving together as well as many families serving together. The shoebox packing party is a great event to bring even small children to so they can begin to learn at an early age how to serve others. Among those who attended were the Thomas and Steiner families. Tracy Thomas, mother of 3 young children, shared, “As parents, we want our children to know that God commands us to love Him and to love others. This sweet opportunity of service reiterated that biblical truth to the hearts of our little ones. It can be difficult to find ways to serve alongside your children at such young ages. We are thankful that no matter how tiny the hands or busy the bodies of our children, Gateway provides us with many opportunities to serve as a family every year.”                         

Sarah Steiner, mother of 5, also shared, “Jesus tells us that the second greatest commandment, after loving God with all of our hearts, is to love your neighbor as yourself. As parents, we are always looking for tangible ways to help solidify this concept for our children. Operation Christmas Child has been a wonderful opportunity to teach our kids about the importance of obeying God’s Word and loving others, even those we will never personally meet. It is such a blessing to watch their excitement as they fill out their info sheet, select specific items and carefully pack their boxes. Praying over the completed box together as a family is humbling knowing that this small act can bring such joy to a child thousands of miles away. Not just the joy of a physical present to open, but the deep seed of joy that can be planted when they feel Christ’s love and are given the opportunity to hear the gospel, which is the greatest gift of all. Thank you, Gateway Church, for making this serving opportunity possible and for the heart of our church leadership teaching and setting the example to ‘go’ and to ‘serve’. Also, thank you to all those who donated and volunteered! Our family is always blessed to be a part of this amazing process and plan to continue every year!”