Do you make preparations for Christmas throughout the year? One family friend used to buy all her Christmas cards for the coming year in the January sales. Later she developed the habit of writing her cards in January too. She did the same with birthday cards - they were all ready to go, with the date written in the top right hand corner, to be covered by the stamp. It meant she was ready, ready and prepared when the time came round again. The disadvantage was that news wasn't new by the time people received their card; and people moved away, people emigrated, and unfortunately people died; so it isn't a plan that I would follow myself.

But many of us go through the year putting things that we have bought aside for Christmas. Now you can turn that habit to even better use, filling shoe-boxes with gifts for Operation Christmas Child. 

After sharing the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus said “Go and do likewise.” That is the mission of Samaritan’s Purse – to follow the example of Christ by helping those in need and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel. One way in which they do this is running the shoe box scheme providing small useful gift to children so that they can join in with the joy of Christmas. Its great fun you get a large shoe box,  cover it with Christmas wrapping paper and then follow a leaflet what you can and shouldn't put in. You put a label on the box saying whether it is for a boy or girl, and for what age. You add a contribution online for the costs of sending the boxes you have filled, and then you can sit back and let Samaritan's Purse do the rest. Go online www.samaritans-purse.org.uk to see where your box/present might end up.

We are going to work with Harbinger School - a member of staff has volunteered  to run the appeal from their end. We hope that lots of our Church contacts will want to fill shoe boxes and use Christ Church as a place for them to be collected, before they are packed into aeroplane holds planes and sent to their final destination. 

We are also looking for someone from Christ Church to co-ordinate our appeal. Could this be you?