An exciting discipleship program that teaches children to become faithful followers of Christ.
The Greatest Journey steps:
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When culturally appropriate, children that receive gift-filled shoe boxes are also offered a colorful booklet that is printed in their own language, titled The Greatest Gift of All, which explains the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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Following the shoe box distributions, local churches and our ministry partners are equipped with a 12-lesson Bible study course, titled The Greatest Journey, which introduces children to Jesus, shows them how to receive Him and follow Him, and equips them to share their faith with family and friends.
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When possible, children that complete all 12 lessons of The Greatest Journey receive a special New Testament in their own language, with favourite Old Testament passages.
A donation of $6 provides one child with a copy of The Greatest Gift of All booklet, The Greatest Journey discipleship course, and his or her own New Testament.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD BRINGS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO CHRIST
Maxime Kouda, a church pastor and head of the National Leadership Team in Senegal that coordinates Operation Christmas Child in the west African nation, is thrilled that more than 341,000 gift-filled boxes from Canada have been distributed there during the past six years, after 9,000 in Year One.
However, he wants the number of boxes contributed by Canadians to continue growing each year because he knows first-hand how many needy children there are in Senegal and other parts of the developing world for whom a gift-filled box can be life transforming.
“It tells them they are loved,” Kouda says. “It gives them hope.” And often, “it introduces the children and their families to the saving power of Jesus Christ.”
When distributing the boxes in partnership with local churches, Samaritan’s Purse offers each child an illustrated booklet in his or her native language that tells the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Children aren’t required to accept the booklet, but many do.
Also, a couple of weeks after shoe boxes are distributed, local churches partner with Samaritan’s Purse in offering a voluntary Bible study – known as The Greatest Journey – to children and families.
“People here in Senegal (where the population is 95 per cent Muslim) are generally hostile to the Gospel,” Kouda explains. “But when we distribute the shoe boxes, and show we really care about the Muslim children as well as the Christian children, we see an openness that wasn’t there before.”
For example, in one Senegalese village where a shoe box distribution happened in 2005, the village chief – a Muslim – remains one of the program’s biggest fans of Operation Christmas Child.
“I’m very happy to work with the Christians (including local church leaders)” to help children receive boxes,” says Salion Gueye, 81, who joined the local Islamic imam in officiating at the 2005 shoe box distribution in their village. “We’re glad to have received boxes, and we thank the people of Canada.”
Gueye still has the photos of the mother and daughter from Canada who packed a shoe box that his grandson received in 2005. “I’d like to meet those people and say ‘thank you’ to them for the happiness they brought to my grandson and my village.”
Kouda says at least 2,000 children and adults in Senegal have publicly committed their lives to Christ through Operation Christmas Child and its discipleship program.
“Entire families have made commitments,” adds Pastor Victor Dyatta, another member of Senegal’s National Leadership Team for Operation Christmas Child.
Dyatta recalls one child who dedicated her life to Jesus, then began attending a local church. Her mother wasn’t happy with this, and arrived at the church one Sunday to order her daughter home. The mother couldn’t get her daughter’s attention, and had to wait until the service ended before speaking to the girl.
By then, Mom had heard the pastor’s message of salvation. It pulled on her heart so much during the next few days that she began attending church with her daughter, and eventually made her own commitment to Christ.
“We have many stories like this” Kouda says. “Operation Christmas Child is helping our churches grow.”