On their way to children’s church in late April, some Sewickley UMC kids carried armfuls of stuffed animals, contributed by members of our church family, to our Operation Christmas Child room. They were surprised to see all that has been contributed toward our 2022 campaign.

“People are giving already?” they asked.

A few moments later, after hearing the story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24), the children were asked how they were reminded that Jesus was always near. They talked about the sun and stars and flowers, and moms.

“Nature,” said one child.

“The whole world,” said another.

“My stuffed animals,” said one of the girls.

One of the boys was skeptical about the stuffed animals, but the girl expanded on her response.

“When I snuggle with my stuffed animals, I think about my mom and dad and all the people who love me, and I remember that Jesus loves me.”

The skeptical boy nodded and said, “I get it now.”

This is why the Fellowship of the Cross has launched our 12th Operation Christmas Child campaign: children feeling loved, children feeling Jesus, children sharing Jesus, children seeing Jesus in new ways.

We include “something to love,” a stuffed animal or a doll, in every box.

The Sewickley UMC family has filled more than 1,100 shoeboxes in the past 11 years. We have packed 100 or more boxes in each of the past 10 years. Our boxes have reached children in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ecuador, Columbia, the Bahamas, and multiple nations in Africa. Twice, our boxes have reached children in Ukraine.

June, July, and August are our most important collection months. We will invite church family into a packing event in September.

FOTC is accepting donations such as toothbrushes, combs and brushes, school supplies, small toys and stuffed animals, jewelry, socks and t-shirts, ball caps, and empty shoeboxes. We can accept very “gently-used” gifts. We cannot accept toothpaste, bar soap, liquids of any kind, candy, or war-themed gifts.

A collection box for OCC sits outside the church office, and we can accept financial gifts through church giving windows throughout the year.

FOTC is immensely thankful for those who contributed to OCC in recent months. Your gifts have provided an encouraging foundation for our 2022 campaign.