Evangelism. Discipleship. Multiplication.
Sending Good News and Great Joy
Discover how Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts lead to evangelism, discipleship, and the multiplication of believers and churches even to the ends of the earth.
“I want every child to know there is a God who loves them.”
Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan’s Purse
Evangelism
The Gospel is shared with children in multiple ways as they open their shoebox gifts.
The Greatest Gift Storybook
In addition to hearing the Gospel before they receive their shoebox gift, children also receive The Greatest Gift, a storybook that shares the message of salvation. With the Apostle John as narrator, the booklet shares 11 Scripture stories and invites children to follow Christ. Children take this home to share with family and friends. It is used in more than 100 languages.
Shoebox Outreach Events
Local Christians are taught to host a successful shoebox outreach event through the Ministry Partner Guide, a 36-page resource that outlines how to organize a distribution, share the Gospel, and invite children to participate in follow-up discipleship. It is full of colorful pictures and a suggested Scripture to use as they present the Gospel message in a child-friendly way. After boys and girls hear the Good News, they receive a surprise that may be their first gift ever. They hold in their hands a tangible expression of God’s love. More than 118,000 of these shoebox outreach events take place every year.
To the Ends of the Earth
From jungles to deserts, megacities to remote villages, millions of people around the world have yet to hear the life-saving Good News of Jesus Christ. Samaritan’s Purse is delivering Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children in some of these communities to share God’s love even to the ends of the earth.
Zambia: A ministry partner presents the Gospel using a colorful resource from Operation Christmas Child.
Discipleship
Many boys and girls are invited to participate in The Greatest Journey discipleship course.
The Greatest Journey
After receiving shoebox gifts, many children are invited back to participate in our discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. Through this 12-lesson course, which includes Bible stories and Scripture memorization, they learn how to follow Christ in their daily lives as they share Him with friends and family. More than 40.5 million children have enrolled in this program since 2009.
A Graduation Celebration
After completing The Greatest Journey, children attend a graduation celebration and receive a certificate.
Most importantly, they are given a Bible that includes the New Testament and selected Old Testament stories. Complete with illustrations, it is often the first copy of God’s Word the child, or their family, will own.
Family and friends who attend the ceremony hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hearing the Good News and testimonies during their loved one’s graduation reinforces the changes they have seen in the students’ lives, and their families often come to faith in Christ.
Uganda: Children rejoice at their graduation from The Greatest Journey.
Multiplication
As shoebox recipients and The Greatest Journey students share their faith with others, these friends trust in Christ and witness to even more people.
Believers Multiply
Since 2009, more than 20.2 million children have reported decisions for Christ while taking The Greatest Journey. These children as well as those who hear the Gospel at shoebox outreach events share their faith with friends and family—who in turn disciple others.
Pastor Waisea
Pastor Waisea Liwaiono hosted an Operation Christmas Child outreach in Vunika, a rural community in Fiji that had no church. He then invited the children to attend The Greatest Journey discipleship program. As the students gathered for Bible lessons, their parents grew curious and began attending too. The local witch doctor became a believer and offered his property as a place for the new church to meet. Today 80 people attend regularly, and five additional churches have been started in surrounding villages!
Training
National Leadership Teams consist of year-round volunteers from various evangelical denominations. Together they strategize how to reach all the children in their country with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With this approach, local Christians who know the culture and language best are given effective resources and a solid Biblical foundation so that they can communicate the Gospel within their own communities.
To ensure quality in our outreach events and The Greatest Journey courses, our National Leadership teams train Master Trainers who then train Trainers, who in turn, train local teachers.
Prayer
From the shoebox packers who pray for the boys and girls who will receive their gifts to the local teachers who pray for the children who attend The Greatest Journey discipleship classes, prayer is key to the work of Operation Christmas Child.
Honduras: A little girl prays to thank God for her shoebox gift. Prayer is an essential element of outreach events around the world.
Have questions or suggestions? Email occinfo@samaritan.org
