Christmas ministries provide churches opportunity to give outside their walls

The urge to give “to the least of these” becomes all the more powerful during the Christmas season and Christians can fulfill that desire by giving to the needs of specific children, donating online, volunteering their time or even being a real or virtual bell-ringer.

Oksana Nelson’s story encourages people like those of Greenwood Baptist Church in Weatherford as they pack gifts for unknown children in unknown parts of the world. Just knowing that the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) gifts they give can have such a significant influence on the life of a child spurs them on to keep giving.

The giving to OCC–a part of Samaritan’s Purse, founded by Franklin Graham–at the close of 2008 increased even amid an economic downturn. Mark Cooper, Operation Christmas Child regional director for Texas and Louisiana, said the 353,602 shoeboxes given in those two states was a 9 percent increase over the previous year. Just over 280,000 of those gifts came from Texas and Cooper said the goal this year for the Lone Star State is 300,000.

Cooper said the gifts, some delivered in July and others at Christmas, provide a tangible means for fulfilling the OCC mission of sharing the gospel. Packed in each of the boxes is a gospel tract written in one of 70 languages. A gospel presentation is made as part of the gift-giving celebration. The children have the opportunity to participate in a 12-week Bible study. OCC estimates 1.9 million children will receive the gifts in 2009-2010 and a majority of those, about 1.2 million, will take part in the discipleship program. Successful completion of the study will earn each child a New Testament.

Churches and individuals who would like to participate in OCC can go to the ministry’s website, samaritanspurse.org. Donors can find out how to pack and where to deliver their gifts. National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23.

ANGEL TREE

Though not orphans, some children in the United States may feel abandoned by their parents because one or both are incarcerated. Project Angel Tree seeks to build relations between children and their incarcerated parents by bringing both together in the common bond of faith and forgiveness.

A ministry of Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship Ministry, Angel Tree partners with churches and families of inmates in an effort to establish a relationship between the two. Patti Hammond, Angel Tree specialist for Texas, said families with members in prison can find help and hope in the fellowship of an extended family–a church family.

Churches that sponsor Angel Tree children take on the role of the incarcerated parent. They purchase gifts recommended by the Angel Tree ministry, wrap them, and deliver them in the name of the parent who is unable to do so. In doing so, the church establishes a relationship with the family in an attempt to provide a base of support and encouragement while the parent is in prison. The gospel message is presented throughout the exchange.

Although the deadline to sponsor the program in churches has passed, Hammond said the easiest and most effective way for people to become involved is through online giving. If people are not able to sponsor a child via church, a donation of $32.50 will see that a child in Texas receives gift-wrapped presents at Christmas.

Hammond said there are many children registered for the Angel Tree program who live in rural and remote areas not covered by a sponsoring church. The online giving, she said, ensures those children are not left out Christmas morning. The gifts will include age-appropriate evangelistic material and a message from their imprisoned parent.

Anyone interested in participating in Angel Tree can go to the ministry’s website at angeltree.org/angeltree-home.

The Southern Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board have, for many years, had a strong working relationship with the Salvation Army. Following natural disasters and man-made havoc, like 9/11, the two Christ-centered organizations have joined forces to cook and deliver millions of hot meals to the disaster’s victims and first responders. They share the goal of bringing the hope of the gospel to hurting people and those working to rebuild.

A quintessential Christmas icon is the Salvation Army Red Kettles and the accompanying bell ringers. Twenty thousand bells rang throughout the United States in 2008 collecting $113 million dollars. Most of the proceeds go to a variety of Christmas programs, said Chris Priest, Salvation Army Southern Territory director in Atlanta.

The funds provide Christmas gifts for children, food baskets, meals and provisions for the homeless and financial aid for rent and utilities, especially heating oil, he said. Off-setting the financial burden for the economically strapped helps get them through the winter months.

And giving to the kettle has gone high tech. Because many people shop only with credit cards, Priest said there is little cash to be had for some bell ringers. He said the ministry is experimenting with the use of small credit card machines at some designated red kettles.

Individuals can also become Virtual Bell Ringers. This online means of donating started three years ago, Priest said, and has become quite popular. This year the Salvation Army plans to publicize the program more broadly. Essentially an individual can become a bell ringer online and solicit contributions to their red kettle. Go to onlineredkettle.com.

It can be done in person, too. Priest said the Salvation Army is always glad to have volunteers, especially during weekdays. By going to salvationarmy.org people can find a local Salvation Army center and contact representatives for information on being a bell ringer.