operation christmas child

[themumfairy]

I'm doing operation christmas child this year to show ds 1 and 2 the true meaning of Xmas. What sort of things do you all put in? Ideally for their own ages 6 and 8. Also any other charitable Xmas ideas welcome. I'll be 8/9 months pregnant in December so might not be able to get around much but want to show them that it's not all about presents as some are less fortunate

recent thread about OCC and why one should consider using a different scheme

Definitely do not give to this charity which is founded by a deeply homophobic and anti-Islam family who foist religious material onto the children they provide gifts to, many of whom are not Christians. There are many better charities to donate to.

Having chosen a different charity to do a shoebox for here are some ideas....

Flannel, toothbrush, toothpaste
Gloves, socks
Wrapped sweets
Mini playdoh pots,
Colouring pencils, notebook
Christmas card, postcard of your town
Christmas tree decoration

Just take DS to Wilkos or similar and let them choose some bits to go in.

I prefer to get gender neutral colours too.

We don't do OCC for most of the reasons listed in the other thread and haven't for the years my DDs school have been supporting them. Instead, we do the shoeboxes and phone the local Rotary club who collect them for their shoebox appeal. We try to do 3 or 4 but to give you an idea one we have done this year for a 3-5 year old girl contains
Brush
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Magic flannel
Soap
Hair bands
Notebook
Pencils, colouring pencils, sharpener and rubber
Polly pocket doll
Small bouncy ball
Yo yo
Hat and gloves

It's amazing what you can fit in a shoebox!

Actually, we have put exactly the same in the one for a 5-7 year old girl too apart from replacing the yo yo with a skipping rope

Toy cars, colouring pencils, rubber and sharpener in a pencil case and pad of paper.
I think that they are saying no food this year, but toothbrushes, hats, gloves etc.
Solar powered/wind up torch.
Yoyo?
If a girl a bead threading type set?

I am half way through getting my box filled for OCC.

So far it has, crayons, colouring book, toothbrush, toothpaste, pack of small cars and a skipping rope.

Next time I'm shopping I will pick up some gloves and socks. I find home bargains or B & M normally have some lovely little toys.

Myohmy please read about the charity first. Nice idea, terrible charity.

I handed mine in early at the weekend. I've read the threads and made my own mind up.
DS was so excited to hand it over

The charity has come under fire for apparently making the gift of the Christmas box conditional upon attending Sunday school.

This is simply not true. The charity gives the boxes freely and leaflets about Christianity are only delivered if it's felt to be appropriate - a culturally sensitive decision that is made with respect for the community.

There is no obligation for any child to do anything or attend anything. It is true that the charity has an American parent charity that peddles a conservative right-wing agenda. If this is not something you want anything to do with, then don't give. But the Christmas box itself is a loving gift and is handed out without conditions.

I wanted to post because some of the accusations on the thread linked to this one are utterly untrue. Others, such as those criticising any kind of evangelism, are fair enough.

Here is what I put in a box. (tweaked according to gender)

• Warm hat, gloves, scarf and mittens.
• Pencils, pens and notebook.
• Stickers.
• Comb.
• Depending on age - yoyo, small cuddly toy, bracelet, hair clips, little toy car or similar, small 'my little pony' or similar.
• Soap if it's allowed this year.

The boys' boxes are definitely harder but they are the ones that the charity is generally short on.

Wouldn't touch with a barge pole. Will be donating to a local charity instead

I am no fan of OCC (as anyone who has read previous threads will know) but I agree that the gifts do not appear to be conditional in the strict sense of the word - the children get them even if they don't sign up for the 12-step 'discipleship' programme OCC is used to promote.

However, they seem to be strongly encouraged to sign up, and the events at which boxes are distributed are very much designed to get children excited and fired up and ready to agree to bible study classes. See this video: or this explanation on the charity's website: The Greatest Journey

As you can see from that video and webpage, the fundamental aim of the whole thing is very much evangelistic - the charity sees the boxes as a tool for their missionary efforts, a way to get them into communities where they would otherwise struggle to get a foothold - and if you don't happen to agree with that particular style of American evangelical Christianity (the parent organisation, Samaritan's Purse, is run by the hardline, right-wing, anti-gay son of Billy Graham), then you would do better filling a shoebox for another charity (e.g. Rotary Club) or donating to another charity which helps children overseas in a more practical way.

One more link: Operation Christmas Child: Eternal Impact

"[Operation Christmas Child] gives a church an effective outreach tool. Local churches use gift-filled shoeboxes as a tangible inroad for evangelism. The shoebox gifts allow them access to places they might never be welcomed otherwise."

I suppose it always comes down to that chasm. I'm always surprised when charity alongside evangelism is viewed as wrong or manipulative. Evangelists see evangelism as an essentially honest act sharing a non-coercive message of love. They don't see the message as something dangerous that should be withheld.

Gift-giving alongside evangelism is natural for those who sincerely believe they are offering something good; a gift that will be helpful to those who receive it. At the same time, they are used to the Christian message being perceived in a negative way. It's true that gift-giving also creates an opportunity to present a widely misunderstood message when there might not otherwise not have been an opportunity to do so. This is perceived by the evangelist as simply giving the other person an opportunity to hear a message they might otherwise have dismissed out of hand without hearing the reality.

True Christians don't want to create converts by any means. Free will is at the heart of the Christian faith. They don't want to fleece communities of money or create people who will be under their control. They genuinely believe that Christ has something to offer. Consequently they are most likely to take that message to people who are most 'deserving'; they don't approach vulnerable people because they are easy to convert, but because they are perceived as most in need. It would be a poor sort of person, much less evangelist, who did not approach someone in difficult circumstances with nothing tangible in their hand. The 'message' would, quite rightly, ring hollow.

I understand there are those who believe evangelism is an inherently manipulative act, pushing an agenda that is, at best, of no benefit to anyone. There are ways in which Christianity has created that name for itself and deserves it. However, it's a shame if Christians are more misunderstood and vilified than they need to be. They are capable of good intentions and genuinely charitable acts.

Many conservative Christian organisations believe that practising homosexuality cannot be part of a Christian lifestyle. While I am certainly not putting forward a view on that here, it's reactionary to throw out every charitable venture connected to those organisations on the basis of it. The consequences would be grim for a great many people.

I think what it comes down to is whether the people packing the shoeboxes know about and support the evangelism (and by extension, know about the organisation behind it).

I understand that evangelists believe that they are doing good, but personally I do not share that belief. And surely they should be honest about their missionary activity?

My biggest issue with Operation Christmas Child's activities in British schools is that the vast majority of people who put together shoeboxes have no idea about the motivation behind the scheme, and only a tiny minority of them would actually share the worldview of Samaritan's Purse. Most parents are not given the opportunity to make an informed decision.

The way the organisation operates in the US is far more honest and straightforward, because many more people support that form of evangelical Christianity. I think their lack of transparency in the UK shows that they realise their support would plummet if people were more aware of what it is about.

I also have more fundamental concerns about the impact a wealthy, fundamentalist, anti-gay, anti-condom missionary organisation has in developing countries, for example US evangelicals played a major role in promoting very harsh anti-gay laws in Uganda. Samaritan's Purse also promotes an abstinence-only approach to HIV prevention in developing countries, which is so ineffective that I see it as criminally irresponsible.

Those activities are not something I would want to play any part in supporting, no matter how remotely, e.g. by packing a shoebox used to lure converts to a US-style church in Uganda or other developing countries which would then promote an anti-gay, anti-contraception agenda.

It's so tricky isn't it - I would really rather not have anything to do with this charity but DCs school are taking part and dd is DESPERATE to join in.

Wondering whether we just do our own thing or whether to say something to school? Or just suck it up and do the fucking thing so dd is happy.

From what I've read there are so many good alternatives to occ, I just don't agree with evangelism or want to be any part of it. Never mind the rather evil Samaritans purse!

FilthyRascal - maybe do like a poster further up this thread and pack a shoebox but then give it to Rotary instead?

Also, if you want to say something to the school, the British Humanist Society has just published a blog which summarises all the issues with OCC: humanistlife.org.uk/2015/10/14/why-parents-shouldnt-support-operation-christmas-child/

I don't think many evangelists see the Christian message in the way that it comes across if you are already a believer in another religion tbh. It just is not as simple as a message of love if it fundamentally contradicts your own beliefs.

As a Christian, I have no problem with them discussing my faith and the shoeboxes are given without regard to the race, creed, gender, religion or ethnicity of the beneficiaries.

expat From the myriad links that have been posted here about Operation Christmas Child's evangelistic message (direct links to the site itself), it would be difficult to accuse the charity of underhandedness!

expat I can see your point about not wishing to play a part in encouraging people in other countries to attend a conservative US-style church. 'Lure' is unfair though because it implies that the gift of the box is only given as bait - that is utterly untrue. There is a genuine desire to give children a Christmas gift.

Perhaps schools should take more care to inform parents about the charity's ethos and aims? It's dreadfully unfair to imply that Operation Christmas Child is not open about its goals - five minutes on the website would make it crystal clear to anyone.

[T]he mission of Samaritan’s Purse [is] to follow the example of Christ by helping those in need and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel.

Samaritan’s Purse is an international relief and development organisation that works through local churches to proclaim and demonstrate the love of God amongst communities in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. We are part of the global Samaritan’s Purse family...

Regarding the promotion of abstinence-only lifestyles being criminally irresponsible, I'm afraid you are taking on the whole of traditional Christianity there - nothing to do specifically with Samaritan's Purse.

For those who have suggested that the Christmas boxes are full of 'cheap tat' - they don't have to be! Look at the suggested lists of gifts upthread for gifts that will be both useful and welcome to children.

I have misgivings about this organisation and would look for an alternative. The shoebox idea is superb though, and is a great way of engaging young children with charity. I'd Google other local options.

stoppingbywoods - There may be plenty of links on here, but first of all, most of them come from the US website of Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child, not the UK one, which is still much less open about the extent of the evangelism (though it has become a little clearer in the years I have been following this topic). Here is the UK site and the US site - the latter has a heading for 'evangelism and discipleship', which the UK one does not, for example,

And secondly, most people encounter OCC through their schools, not through MN, and schools still seem to give parents very little information about the scheme: often it is just a note home or a line in the school newsletter to say the school is filling shoeboxes for 'needy children' or something along those lines, which is how OCC has always presented itself. Some of them give parents the 'how to pack a shoebox' leaflet, which now includes a brief mention of the Greatest Journey discipleship course (lacking in previous years), but certainly doesn't say anything about how each shoebox is a tool for evangelism etc etc - that only becomes clear when you go online.

How are parents expected to realise they should be googling and checking the parent organisation's website to find out what the real purpose of the scheme is? They (perhaps naively) trust the school to have picked an uncontroversial charity. And schools, also perhaps naively, trust charities to be upfront about the real purpose behind their campaigns.

I used the word 'lure' because it is very clear, time and again in links that I and others have posted, that Samaritan's Purse sees distributing shoeboxes as the only way to get into some communities and get access to their children. Eg, the quote I posted yesterday: "Local churches use gift-filled shoeboxes as a tangible inroad for evangelism. The shoebox gifts allow them access to places they might never be welcomed otherwise." What else is that but a lure?

And it is true that Samaritan's Purse is not the only Christian organisation which promotes abstinence and campaigns against condom use (I think the Catholic church has a lot of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa on its conscience), but they are actively going out and promoting that message in places with high HIV infection rates. The money spent on that would save lives if spent on condoms and anti-retrovirals.