RESPONDING TO ISRAEL

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Operation Christmas Child

The Power of a Small Gift

Operation Christmas Child

The Power of a Small Gift

Share the Gospel around the world!

Operation Christmas Child

Share the Gospel
around the world!

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is a children's evangelistic ministry that delivers the Gospel through gift boxes to children worldwide, including children in hard-to-reach areas.

Each OCC gift box is personally packed by generous individuals or groups and distributed to children through outreach events organized by local churches. After children receive the OCC gift boxes, they are invited to participate in a 12-lesson discipleship program called "The Greatest Journey,” where they learn to follow Jesus and tell others about Him.

Through this ministry, children receive the greatest gift of all – the Gospel. Through Operation Christmas Child, we are taking the Gospel to places where the name of Jesus has never been heard and sharing a tangible expression of the love of Jesus Christ to children around the world.

The Power of a Small Gift!

111 countries

received OCC gift boxes

10.6 million

gift boxes collected

95,000 volunteers

processed gift boxes

4.3 million children

enrolled in the 12-lesson discipleship program, “The Greatest Journey

2.4 million children

accepted Jesus

* 2022 Statistics

The Amazing Journey of a Simple Gift Box Begins With You!

Join Operation Christmas Child today as we share the love of Jesus around the world through a simple gift!

For the first time, I received my own gift!

Dave’s story from the Philippines

Fourteen-year-old Dave lives in the Philippines and is the third child of seven siblings. Due to their difficult family circumstances, Dave didn't have many items that he could call his own. He never asked his parents to buy him anything and his mother worked in the laundromat while his father sold items at the market to make ends meet.

When the OCC gift boxes reached the small village where Dave lived, his heart raced with excitement. As soon as Dave received his gift box, he opened the lid and tears started to stream down his face. It was the first time that he had received such a wonderful gift. He knew he would always remember this moment, the first time he could finally call something his own.

When Dave participated in ‘The Greatest Journey,’ he said, "I realized during the discipleship program that Jesus died on the cross for me. I want to live following Jesus, and I want to praise and dance for Him in worship every week." The excitement that Dave experienced was not just a fleeting moment of happiness, but a deep joy that filled his heart.

Story

Video

Photo

The Journey of a Gift Box

Individual/Group Participation

Fill your boxes with fun items and experience the joy of giving

Inspection and Processing

OCC gift boxes are inspected to ensure that they are suitable for children

Overseas Shipping

Shipment of OCC gift boxes begins with the prayers of staff and volunteers

Distribution of OCC Gift Boxes

We partner with local churches to distribute the OCC gift boxes through outreach events

Discipleship Program

Children are invited to participate in a 12-lesson discipleship program called ”The Greatest Journey”

Pack an OCC Gift Box

Pack a gift box yourself and experience the joy of sharing the love of Jesus with children around the world.

*2023 OCC gift boxes can be ordered from August 1st.

Pack an OCC Gift Box

Pack a gift box yourself and experience the joy of sharing the love of Jesus with children around the world.

*2023 OCC gift boxes can be ordered from August 1st.

20,000 KRW

Please choose this option
if you have already ordered a gift box

Number of OCC Gift Boxes

40,000 KRW

Please choose this option if you would like us to pack a gift box for you

Number of OCC Gift Boxes

Please choose this option if you would like to give to Operation Christmas Child.

Unable to pack a box? Fund a gift box online or give to Operation Christmas Child so that unreached children can receive the Gospel and participate in discipleship training.

  • Volunteer

You are invited to volunteer at the processing center, where OCC gift boxes are inspected and prayed over before overseas shipping begins.

Join us in prayer for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach the ends of the earth through Operation Christmas Child.

Access promotional materials and information on how to participate.

How to Pack an OCC Gift Box

  • 1

    OBTAIN AN OCC GIFT BOX Closed

    Empty boxes can be requested from your participating church or organization. For individual participation, you can order boxes (for free) through the Samaritan’s Purse Korea website.

  • 2

    FILL YOUR OCC GIFT BOX

    Fill your box with special gifts for the child, including a quality “wow” item. Write a personal note to the child in the enclosed postcard, and if desired, include a picture of yourself

  • 4

    DROP OFF YOUR GIFT BOX

    You can drop off your gift box at participating churches or organizations until the end of the collection period (see website). You can also directly send them via mail to the Samaritan’s Purse Korea warehouse.

How to Drop-off your OCC Gift Boxes

Groups/Churches

Churches and organizations can sign up for the free collection service through our website. If you choose to directly send the boxes, please mail them to the address below:

Samaritan’s Purse Korea Processing Center
Swiss Grand Hotel, 353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03650
02-2105-1800

Individuals

For individuals, please return your packed gift boxes through the mail (postal fees not covered) to the address below:

Samaritan’s Purse Korea Warehouse​
120 Dabok-ro, Boksu-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea 32703​
02-2105-1800

The History of Operation Christmas Child​

“There are still places around the world where the name of Jesus has never been heard.
That’s why we continue to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth through OCC gift boxes.” 

Join us on “The Greatest Journey”

Samaritan's Purse partners with local churches and ministry partners to deliver gift boxes to children, who are then invited to participate in the 12-lesson discipleship program called “The Greatest Journey.” Children are introduced to the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ and are taught by trained ministry staff. Upon completion of the program, they receive a certificate and New Testament Bible in their local language as a graduation gift. As disciples of Jesus, these children go on to share the Gospel with others, leading to incredible transformations of families and entire communities. Since 2010, over 31 million children worldwide have participated in “The Greatest Journey” discipleship training.

The Greatest Journey

  • Weeks 1-6 Know the Gospel

  • Weeks 7-9 Grow in the Gospel

  • Weeks 10-12 Share the Gospel

Volunteer with Operation Christmas Child

Volunteer at the Processing Center

Before the millions of gift boxes collected each year can bring hope and joy to children around the world, each one has to be carefully inspected and made ready for international shipment. Together with volunteers like you, we are able to inspect the collected gift boxes to ensure that the gifts inside are safe and suitable for the respective age groups of the children. 

In 2023, please join us at the Processing Center from December 6th (Wed) to the 8th (Friday). Whether you’re interested in serving as an individual or with a group of any size, sign up through the link below to have a direct part in blessing children overseas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Volunteer Year-Round!

Volunteers serve year-round to recruit and train participants, as well as to coordinate the collection of gift boxes. This requires leaders and prayer warriors, people with skills in logistics and administration, and those with the gift of communicating. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, sign up below to receive our newsletter.

Join us in Prayer

We look forward to God’s work being carried out all over the world through OCC gift boxes. Prayer is a pivotal part of the life-changing experience of a child receiving a gift box and another way to participate in the ministry. Join us in prayer!

“What’s the key to a successful ministry?”

Billy Graham was frequently asked this question by young pastors. Each time, Billy Graham responded in the following way:

“The three most important things you can do are to pray, pray, pray!”

The whole process of the Operation Christmas Child ministry begins and ends with prayer. This is because prayer is the most important thing that we can do. Partner with us as a prayer partner for God’s will to be done through OCC gift boxes. For individuals interested in signing-up as a prayer partner, please click the link below. We will send you monthly prayer requests and invite you to both online and in-person prayer meetings.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6 NIV)

Frequently Asked Questions

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Our mission is to provide local partners around the world with OCC gift boxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We ship these simple gifts overseas to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease; and to children living on Native American reservations in the U.S.

The program was started in the United Kingdom in 1990 by Dave and Jill Cooke. Three years after this beginning, the Wales-based OCC gift box project merged in a partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, allowing us to share 20 years of expertise in relief and aid work with the project, and expand the reach of the OCC gift boxes to more than 28,000 children that year. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled OCC gift boxes to over 198 million children in more than 100 countries.

OCC gift boxes—and our follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey—are powerful tools to share the Good News with millions of people around the world. We believe in the urgency of reaching communities with the eternal hope of the Gospel, and gifts are a great way to open the hearts of children and share the good news of Jesus Christ.

The OCC gift boxes are shipped out from our processing centers by the middle of December, and depending on the distance they must travel, some are delivered by Christmas—primarily those in Central/South America and Eastern Europe. Most of the gifts are sent via ship. Although the collection of Operation Christmas Child gifts is during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season, the delivery of some gifts is sometimes delayed due to international shipping. They may not clear customs in receiving countries until spring. In addition, many countries that receive the gifts must transport the gifts to rural areas using very poor roads. Distributions typically occur from late December through spring each year, extending the joy of Christmas to children that receive them!

Operation Christmas Child is unable to facilitate this; however, if you are contacted by your recipient child, you may be able to build a relationship with them.

Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child seek to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through each OCC gift box. One of our core values is to never be manipulative. We work in and through local volunteers in each country that understand their context and are respectful to the people they serve. At the same time, we do seek to share the Gospel wherever we go, which can be challenging at times. In some regions, we are not permitted to distribute literature, but we are still grateful for the opportunity to bless the children with gift boxes carefully prepared by people who love children. Boys and girls do not have to do or say anything to receive their gifts.

Everything you need to learn how to pack a OCC gift box can be found here.

You can use any OCC gift box, cardboard or plastic. Operation Christmas Child also has red-and-green boxes that are also available to order now.

Please do not include anything that might expire, damage the rest of the items in the box, or harm the child in any way. ​

    • Expired or perishable items: Food, candy, soap, lotion, medicine, toothpaste, anything with an expiration date. ​
    • Sensitive or used items: Liquids, glass, used goods, etc. ​
    • Dangerous items: Sharp objects, war-related items, cash etc.
No, they do not need to be wrapped as the gift box is the traditional way they’re handed out to the children. Since the gift boxes need to be processed first anyways, we ask that you do not add additional wrapping or packaging elements to them.
You will have the ability to track your gift box once you order it from the website. If you don’t receive your gift box within 10 days, please contact the Operation Christmas Child office at 02-2105-1800.
The average OCC gift box consists of 10-20 items and usually cost a total of 30,000 KRW on average. There isn’t a min or max limit to how much is spent on the gift box, but we ask for each gift box to be full of quality items. Our prayer is that when a child opens their box, they can tangibly experience the personal love of Christ through the donor’s generosity.
The 20,000 KRW donation is critical for Operation Christmas Child to collect, process, and ship OCC gift boxes to more than 100 countries. It also provides for each child’s ministry materials such as The Greatest Gift Gospel Booklet, the Ministry Partner Guide, the Greatest Journey Discipleship Material, and New Testament Bible. The 20,000 KRW also covers the cost of mailing empty gift boxes to each donor.

All gift boxes must be collected in the third week of November. If you signed-up through a church or group, you can make a collection request through the ‘Collection Request’ form (available from November 6th) or deliver them directly to the processing center. For individual participants, please send the packed gift boxes to the provided address by the third week of November.

The beneficiary countries for OCC gift boxes change every year. In 2021, the gift boxes were delivered to children in Gabon and Mongolia, while in 2022, they were sent to Ukraine and the Philippines. This year, the gift boxes are planned to be sent to children in Mongolia, the Philippines, and Ukraine (final destinations are subject to change). ​

Our goal is to collect and distribute millions of OCC gift boxes in over 100 countries this year. Because of the tremendous growth of Operation Christmas Child, the logistics involved in collecting, processing, and distributing this many boxes prevent us from designating specific boxes for certain countries or climates according to the contents. We can assure you, however, that whoever receives your box will need and appreciate your gift.

If you prefer not to physically pack an OCC Gift box, you can fund a gift box online. By making a donation of 40,000 KRW, we will pack it for you. You can access Fund an OCC Gift Box here.

If you are participating through your local church, please return your gift to your local church. Otherwise, please post your filled gift box to the location to be updated on our website.

While gift box collection only takes place in November, you can support OCC gift boxes throughout the year by making donations online.
[Donate to OCC Gift Boxes]

If you have ordered gift boxes, please return the packed gift boxes to the address below between November 13th to 24th.

For Individual Participants
Samaritan’s Purse Korea Warehouse​
120 Dabok-ro, Boksu-myeon, Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea 32703​
02-2105-1883

For Group Participants:
Please contact us beforehand if you plan on dropping off the boxes directly to ensure that there is staff available on site to receive the boxes.

Samaritan’s Purse Korea Processing Center
Swiss Grand Hotel, 353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03650
Contact: 02-2105-1800

Sign-up for the Samaritan’s Purse Korea newsletters and you will be able to receive timely updates and important information about the delivery of the gift boxes. (Newsletter Sign-Up)

Volunteers can sign- up to inspect OCC gift boxes and help with other needs at the processing center.

The processing center will be open for volunteers from Wednesday, December 6th to Friday, December 8th at the Swiss Grand Hotel (353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul).

You can manage your reservation by contacting us at (02-2105-1800) or [email protected]

Every volunteer in the processing center plays an important role in the ministry of Operation Christmas Child, ensuring the integrity and successful delivery of the gifts. Volunteers in the processing center form teams and perform all the tasks necessary to process the OCC gift boxes at one location. Teams are responsible for inspecting the gifts, sorting inappropriate items, working with filler items, separating boxes by age and gender, and boxing OCC gift boxes in designated cartons. Due to the fast-paced environment of the warehouse and changing needs, you may be asked to do different tasks.

Yes, please contact us at 02-2105-1800.

All volunteers must be at least 13 years of age. Due to the warehouse environment, we can allow no exceptions to this age requirement. At least one guardian needed for every six teenagers is required (youth volunteers include any volunteers between the ages of 13-17). The primary responsibility of a chaperone is to ensure the safety and appropriate behavior of your youth. For the safety of all volunteers in the warehouse, processing center staff reserve the right to ask any group not acting in accordance with safety procedures and outlined policies to leave the building at any time.

The processing center will be open from December 6, 2023 – December 8, 2023 from 9 AM – 5 PM and December 9, 2023 from 9:30AM – 1:00PM.​ Please note that the center will be closed on Sundays and Mondays and won’t be accepting volunteers then. 

**Every year, processing OCC gift boxes take place after National Collection Week, the 3rd week of November. 

Address: Swiss Grand Hotel(Convention Center 1st Floor), 353 Yeonhui-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03650
Contact: 02-2105-1800
*Parking available

The majority of the work at the processing center will take place sitting down. We recommend that you come dressed warmly as it may be cold inside the processing center. All volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes. 

Meals will not be provided at the processing center but there will be snacks available during break times. Eating meals inside the processing center is not allowed and so we ask that you utilize restaurants and cafes located nearby. 

First, join the waiting list for your preferred time, then search for other options available. We typically have the most open time slots during the week. After that, check back throughout the season—time slots open regularly as registered group sizes decrease.

Operation Christmas Child is a global program facilitated through hundreds of thousands of trained volunteers. Local believers in more than 100 countries deliver Operation Christmas Child OCC gift boxes, present the Gospel, and facilitate our follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. With this approach, local Christians who know the culture and language best are given effective resources with a solid biblical foundation to share the Gospel in their communities. We equip ministry partners—a local pastor or church leader—to be our volunteer representatives by providing thorough, detailed training for them to be able to facilitate a OCC gift box outreach event and present the Gospel. Trained National Leadership Team members, ministry partners, and The Greatest Journey teachers are volunteer roles filled exclusively by these national Christians. To learn more about these roles, visit our Volunteer Network page.

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide local churches who are our ministry partners around the world with OCC gift boxes as a way to reach children in their communities. For many children, this is the first gift they will ever receive. More important than the items inside the OCC gift box, the gifts are an opportunity to share God’s love—and the Good News of Jesus Christ—with children in need. In each OCC gift box receiving country, we partner with a volunteer National Leadership Team that consists of year-round volunteers from various church denominations. Together, they strategize how to reach children in their country with the Gospel. It is our desire to give one OCC gift box to a child in their lifetime, and this is the model used in our training. Local churches distribute OCC gift boxes to children in different communities each year. Because of this strategy, the economic impact on a community is minimal which allows us to reach millions of new children every year with the Good News of Jesus Christ and disciple many, with millions now sharing their faith with their friends, family, and beyond. According to Henry Manthanamba, Operation Christmas Child prayer coordinator in Malawi, “If OCC gift boxes impacted our local economy negatively, the government would never allow them. They see it as a blessing to the children of Malawi.”

In more than 100 receiving countries, OCC gift boxes are used by local Christians as a strategy for evangelism, discipleship, and the multiplication of believers and churches in their communities. More important than the items inside the OCC gift box, the gifts are an opportunity to share God’s love—and the Good News of Jesus Christ—with children in need. Local Christians who know the culture and language best are given effective resources in their own language and a solid Biblical foundation so that they can communicate the Gospel within their own communities through OCC gift box outreach events and The Greatest Journey discipleship program. For example, in Fiji, a pastor hosted an Operation Christmas Child OCC gift box outreach event in a rural community that had no church. He then invited the children to attend The Greatest Journey follow-up discipleship program. As the students gathered for the discipleship lessons, their parents grew curious and began attending too. The village elder 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! This is one example of hundreds of churches planted annually as a result of Operation Christmas Child in regions where we work. The evangelism and discipleship resources utilized by Operation Christmas Child were intentionally developed with input from local believers in 16 countries, from six continents, and are specifically focused on children. In the 11 countries where OCC gift boxes are packed, Operation Christmas Child provides an opportunity for participants to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission. Jesus said “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). In this church-to-church ministry model, churches who pack OCC gift boxes partner with local churches around the world who share God’s love with children in need and disciple them through The Greatest Journey.

More than 75,000 pastors and church leaders share the Gospel every year at outreach events where OCC gift boxes are delivered. The OCC gift box outreach events are planned and implemented by volunteers in the local church who know the culture and language best. Through our volunteer National Leadership Team, local believers are trained to present the Gospel in a child friendly way. We work with the volunteer National Leadership Team to develop an annual strategy for evangelism, discipleship, and multiplication of believers and churches in their communities.

OCC gift boxes are given to children regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or faith. We seek to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through each OCC gift box. Children do not have to do or say anything to receive the gifts. We work in and through local Christians in each country who understand the context in their area. Simple gifts—packed with love in Jesus’ Name—deliver hope and joy to children all around the world, regardless of their faith or religious background.

Operation Christmas Child is not intended as a solution for meeting physical needs, but rather a strategy for the local church to meet spiritual needs of children in their communities. The unexpected gift delights and sparks hope in the life of a child as they hear of Jesus’ love for them. OCC gift boxes are given freely in Jesus’ Name.

OCC gift boxes are distributed by volunteers from the National Leadership Team, who are trained and discipled to organize and lead outreach events. The gifts are distributed to the children at these events, which are often held at local churches.

Various individuals and church leaders volunteer to serve as part of the National Leadership Team of each receiving country. Often, these members are teachers, young adults, parents etc. who have a heart to serve and share the Gospel to these children. National Leadership Teams train local church partners on how to distribute OCC gift boxes, share the Gospel, and disciple children effectively.

The Greatest Journey is a discipleship experience offered by local churches to many of the children who receive OCC gift boxes. The 12-lesson program introduces boys and girls to salvation through faith in Christ and encourages them to grow as faithful followers. This connects children to local churches who can, through discipling relationships, teach and nurture the children in faith.

The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted everyday life for millions of people around the world. Yet, Samaritan’s Purse continues to share the eternal hope of the Gospel and to serve in Jesus’ Name. We want boys and girls around the world to know that God loves them and has not forgotten them during this time of fear and uncertainty. Children need great joy now more than ever. Most of all, they need the hope found only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Samaritan’s Purse is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in the respective countries to ensure that we are abiding by the local guidelines and government rules. Also, we are constantly looking for ways to gather the children in safe ways for outreach events. Our volunteers are also practicing social distancing and following strict protocols to maintain their safety and health. 

Donate

Unable to pack a box? Fund a gift box online or give to Operation Christmas Child so that unreached children can receive the Gospel and participate in discipleship training.

20,000 KRW

Please choose this option if you have already ordered a gift box

Number of OCC Gift Boxes

40,000 KRW

Please choose this option if you would like us to pack a gift box for you

Number of OCC Gift Boxes

Please choose this option if you would like to give to Operation Christmas Child.

Samaritan’s Purse Korea – Disaster Relief

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