This year, Stephen Carrick, the teen-aged son of David and Laurie Carrick (he’s the pastor of Grace Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa), had a goal of packing 1,000 boxes for Operation Christmas Child, the program of Samaritan’s Purse that demonstrates God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. A little coverage by the Cedar Rapids Gazette last summer opened doors to provide additional supplies for the boxes and the project has energized the Cedar Rapids church.
“God has taken the idea of the shoebox and used it to impact the city of Cedar Rapids,” says Pastor Carrick. He told this story last fall at the Central Focus Retreat near Toledo, Ohio.
Christmas Boxes from BMH on Vimeo.