Requested shoebox contributions
150 boxes × $10 to help with collection, processing, shipping, and Gospel materials.
Back to church websiteSmall gifts.
BETHEL’S CHRISTMAS OUTREACH · 2026
Small gifts.
Love that reaches far.
Operation Christmas Child
A shoebox can carry toys, school supplies, and a reminder that a child is loved. Together, we’re preparing 150 gifts and praying for the children who will receive them.
ONE CHURCH FAMILY. 150 CHILDREN IN MIND.
What we’re doing at Bethel.
Our church is working together to prepare 150 shoeboxes. Financial gifts support our $2,500 campaign. Families sign up to purchase “wow” gifts, and they are welcome to add extra fillers if they wish. Bringing just a wow gift is wonderful, too.
Filler gifts
Bethel has already ordered a selection of smaller items for the boxes. Families may add extra fillers if they wish, but they are not expected to.
Our fundraising goal
This is our campaign goal, not a total raised. Families’ wow gifts are additional gifts purchased at their own expense.
Gifts through this campaign are designated for Bethel’s Operation Christmas Child effort. The Shared Giving 10% / 20% / 70% allocation does not apply.
Give to Operation Christmas ChildMORE THAN A BOX
What is Operation Christmas Child?
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. People pack shoeboxes with new gifts, and local church partners distribute them to children around the world as an expression of God’s love.
For a child, something as simple as a toy to enjoy or supplies to use at school can be a deeply personal encouragement. Samaritan’s Purse says that, for many recipients, the shoebox is their first gift.
The ministry is openly Christian: gift distributions provide opportunities to share the Gospel and invite children into ongoing discipleship.
Since 1993, more than 244 million shoebox gifts have been delivered in over 175 countries and territories, according to Samaritan’s Purse.
Read the ministry’s fact sheetWATCH THE MINISTRY IN ACTION
See the difference a shoebox can make.
Watch Samaritan’s Purse’s official 2026 overview of Operation Christmas Child and the ministry that continues beyond the gift.
Video provided by Samaritan’s Purse. Watch on their website.
FROM OUR HANDS TO THEIRS
The journey of a shoebox.
Pack with care
We choose new gifts, fill the boxes, and pray for the children who will receive them.
Collect & prepare
Boxes move from drop-off locations to processing centers, where teams inspect and prepare them for shipment.
Travel farther
International transportation and local delivery carry the boxes toward the communities where church partners serve.
Give & connect
Local Christians distribute the gifts and share the Gospel in ways suited to the children’s language and setting.
Why is $10 requested for each box?
It helps support the work beyond buying the gifts: collection, processing, shipping, ministry partner training, and Gospel materials such as The Greatest Gift booklet. It is more than postage—and it is why Bethel has included $1,500 for our 150 boxes.
See what the $10 contribution supportsTHE GIFT CAN BE THE BEGINNING
The Greatest Journey.
After shoebox distributions, many children are invited to a 12-lesson discipleship course led by trained local teachers. The lessons help them explore the Gospel, grow in faith, and share Christ’s love with others.
Know the Gospel
Children learn the message of salvation and who Jesus is.
Grow in faith
Bible stories, Scripture memory, and activities help connect faith with everyday life.
Share the good news
Children learn to share what they have discovered with family and friends.
Graduates receive a certificate and a New Testament in their language. Local teachers and churches can continue those relationships after the course ends.
The Greatest Journey has its own funding. Bethel’s $2,500 budget is for filler gifts and the requested shoebox contributions; it does not include a separate discipleship sponsorship.
Explore The Greatest JourneyA RECIPIENT’S STORY
A small radio.
A remembered prayer.
In her testimony published by Samaritan’s Purse, Dania describes growing up in a family that could not afford a radio. They had prayed for one so they could hear news from their home country.
When she received a shoebox at church, a tiny radio was among the gifts. Her family saw it as an answer to prayer. Years later, after moving to the United States, she recognized the ministry’s logo while volunteering at a shoebox processing center.
Her experience reminds us to choose thoughtfully and pray. We cannot know each child’s story or promise a particular outcome, but we can offer a gift with love.
Read Dania’s own accountTHREE WAYS TO TAKE PART
Give. Choose. Pray.
Support the church’s goal
Contribute toward the $2,500 needed for fillers and shoebox contributions. Any amount can help with our shared effort.
Give through ZeffySign up for wow gifts
Commit to the number of wow gifts your family would like to purchase. You may also bring extra fillers, or simply bring your wow gifts—either way, your contribution is appreciated. Ask church leadership about sign-ups and age assignments before shopping.
Remember the child
Seek God’s guidance as you choose a gift. Pray for the recipient, their family, the delivery teams, and the local teachers who will serve them.
ALREADY ORDERED BY BETHEL
A head start on filling the boxes.
The church has ordered the following filler items to help complete our shoeboxes:
- Pencils
- Pencil sharpeners
- Pencil-top erasers
- Combs
- 6-inch rulers
- Children’s scissors
- Microfiber cloths
- Individually wrapped toothbrushes
- Glue sticks
Your family’s commitment is to the wow gifts you sign up for. If you would enjoy adding some extra fillers, you are welcome to do so. If you prefer to bring only your wow gifts, that is completely fine—we’re grateful for your part in this church-wide effort.
Please coordinate any additional items with church leadership and follow the current Operation Christmas Child packing guidelines.
Choosing a “wow” gift
A wow gift is a special item around which a box can be packed—for example, a doll, stuffed animal, or deflated soccer ball with a pump. Choose something new and appropriate for the assigned age group: 2–4, 5–9, or 10–14.
Please check the current U.S. packing guide before buying. Do not include food, candy, liquids, toothpaste, soap, medicines, breakable items, used items, or war-related toys. The official guide has the complete rules.
Check the current packing guideGOOD QUESTIONS. CLEAR ANSWERS.
Before you give or pack.
Do children have to become Christians to receive a gift?
No. Samaritan’s Purse states that gifts are given regardless of faith, ethnicity, or gender, and children do not have to say or do anything to receive them. Gospel sharing is part of the ministry; the gift itself is freely given.
Read the official FAQDoes this replace food, shelter, or other essential aid?
No. Samaritan’s Purse describes this as an outreach ministry, not a solution to children’s physical needs. The boxes offer gifts and encouragement alongside opportunities for spiritual support through local churches.
What is the difference between a wow gift and a filler?
The wow gift is a special, larger item selected by a participating family. Fillers are smaller gifts that complete the box. Bethel has already ordered fillers, and families may purchase additional ones if they wish. Buying just a wow gift is completely fine; extra fillers are optional.
Do families need to buy additional fillers?
No. Families who commit to wow gifts may bring just those gifts. Extra fillers are welcome if you would like to add them, but they are optional. The church has already ordered a selection of fillers for the boxes.
Does my donation pay for a complete shoebox?
Donations support the church’s combined campaign budget. Our goal includes $1,500 for requested shoebox contributions and $1,000 for fillers. It does not include families’ separately purchased wow gifts, so we are not advertising a fixed price for a complete box.
Where will our boxes go?
We do not yet know the destinations of Bethel’s boxes. Operation Christmas Child determines destinations through its distribution network; donors cannot choose an individual box’s country.
When should our gifts be ready?
National Collection Week is November 16–23, 2026. That is the ministry’s national collection window, not Bethel’s return deadline. Please ask church leadership for our packing plans and the date to bring your gifts.
National collection informationCan I help without donating money?
Yes. Pray for the children and the ministry. You can also ask church leadership about helping prepare or pack the boxes.
Will this donation be divided between the church’s other funds?
No. Use the Operation Christmas Child campaign link on this page to designate your gift to this outreach. Shared Giving and the other fund campaigns remain separate.
150 SHOEBOXES. SHARING GOD’S LOVE.
Help us send a gift with love.
Join our church family in giving, choosing thoughtful gifts, and praying for the children who will receive them.
Give to Operation Christmas Child