Boxes Away!

It's nearly time for this year's batch of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to begin their journey across the world to bring children joy. Each box is accompanied with the message of God's love and the good news of salvation in Jesus. Our church loves doing this ministry each year.

We have 32 boxes so far and more to come in this week before they're delivered to the drop-off location in Havelock on Wednesday.

Help After the Hurricane

Immediately after Hurricane Florence, two friends drove from Florida to help Pastor Adam.

Ted and Mili visited our community several years ago, stayed for a month or so, and attended our church. They grew to be dear friends. They came when the storm was still churning south of us, when the devastation was fresh, when there was no electricity or A/C. They assisted in some of our more desperate situations for some ladies who had not evacuated and needed help. What a blessing they were to everyone!

Hurricane Florence ripped our church sign from its posts.

 Today a work crew of kids and adults arrived at our church from Christ the King PCA Church in Raleigh, NC. They wanted to help us clean up after the hurricane.

An elderly church member who evacuated for several weeks because of the storm had a large yard full of debris. He was eager to mow!

 But first the debris (mostly from pine trees) must be raked up. That's what they did -- mountains of it!

Our county will be in recovery stage for many months as all the duct work, insulation, furniture, yard debris, roofing, and other items are stripped from homes and yards and piled near the roads to be collected. Driving along our roads now is often navigating among tall, leaning piles of wood and trash. We appreciate so much those who want to lend a helping hand. Thank you, friends, for coming!

A Community of Churches

Oriental's churches have a lovely relationship. We are all friends, we love to sing together, and we love to worship together. We're not just churches who happen to sit on the same streets; we're happy colleagues in Jesus's kingdom work. 

One shared ministry is the Ladies' Prayer Shawl group each Thursday. Ladies from various denominations (or perhaps no church at all) meet at the Methodist fellowship hall. We knit, crochet, pray, chat, laugh, and support each other. Today's group was particularly large!

 I believe we ended up with fourteen around the table today. We have sent 1614 items in ten years to those grieving, ill, or caring for a loved one.

 We make prayer shawls, lap robes, and little soft bunnies to give to newborn babies.

 The Prayer Shawl ministry receives some donations that buy the yarn we use.

 Each week the finished items are placed on a table. We all stand around it with our hands touching the precious pieces they have made, and we pray for those who will receive them. Sometimes we cry a little.

What amazes me is that the two Methodist ladies who started this ministry could have kept it to their own church, but they didn't. They included us all, and shared the joy!

Another community church event is our rotating Fifth Sunday Sing. This past Sunday night our church hosted it for the fourth time, and it was just as wonderful as the first one, back in 2014. Our choir sang "The Old Rugged Cross," and "Freely, Freely," both requested by church members. Rev. Weaver from the Methodist church gave us a rousing rendition of "Wade in the Water" on his saxophone. The Episcopalians sang sweet familiar songs from our favorite red songbook, and the Free Will Baptist choir had everyone singing along with "In My Heart There Rings a Melody!" 

The crowd moved to the fellowship hall, visiting over cookies and snacks, and many stayed and talked at the tables for nearly an hour. Thank you, dear friends, for the friendliness of our neighborhood, and the unity and love we feel among our churches!

It's Shoebox Time!

Is your church sending Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes this year? Our church filled 22 boxes last year, and this year we're going to surpass that number!

This year we purchased boxes from Samaritan's Purse which are just the right size, and already Christmas bright -- red and green.
As the church members brought in their boxes, we stacked them in the fellowship hall. We had 22 boxes, but we weren't finished yet. This year we determined to have a "shoebox party" where we all bring in more items and fill boxes at the church. It's so much fun, and it feels so much like Christmas to be boxing presents together for the children.

Three ladies look over our stash of gifts to see what we lack.

We had separate piles of candy, toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and clothing.

Then on Tuesday evening after Bible study, we each grabbed a box and started to pack it for a child.

Each child should certainly receive a stuffed animal and some candy.

When we were done, we had 42 boxes total! And we have several more still to come in.

Jill packed a box for a boy.
And so did Nick. He's all smiles!

If you have never participated in this wonderful program, consider it. Shoeboxes are collected in churches and community centers all over the country, and overseas. You can pack a single box at home yourself and bring it in, and bring such joy to the heart of a child this Christmas.