It is that time of year again! Please consider participating in this fun way to bless a child somewhere in the world with a shoebox full of fun gifts AND the Gospel of Jesus!

Just pick up a box in the church lobby or grab your own recycled shoebox or a plastic shoebox,  and choose the age and gender you would like to give your box to (2-4 years, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years). Then pack a box with a "wow" item (a doll, a large truck, a soccer ball and pump, etc.),  personal care items such as a toothbrush, washcloth, hair brush, headbands, etc., school supplies such as pencils, notebooks, pens, colored pencils, etc., and other fun stuff like flashlight and batteries, clothing, crafts and puzzles!  Pack your box completely full!  You can also include a photo of yourself and personal note in your box. Samaritan's Purse has a tracking feature so you can follow where your box goes. Click on the link below to go to the Operation Christmas Child "How to pack a shoebox" website. Boxes are due back at the church November 23rd.

There is a $10 shipping fee per box, you can include that in your box or pay it online at through the link below.

Please note the list of things no longer allowed in OCC shoeboxes:  SOAP; candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; scary or war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

Rise Up  is a weekend that we can be reminded that Jesus loves us and He changes us when we choose Him.  It is also an opportunity to introduce the people in our life to Him.  The last two years it has been amazing to watch as people make decisions for the Lord.  Some have been people hearing for the first time, some have been people who have been walking the edge of a decision and during Rise Up decided it was NOW.  Others were people who had walked away and decided it was time to return to the grace that God offers us.
 
It takes a lot of help to be able to put on an event like Rise Up. If you are interested in volunteering, here are some of the opportunities available:
 
* Greeting/hospitality team - offering a friendly smile as people come in and maybe even answering some questions. - possibly selling tshirts for Rise Up too.
 
* Prayer Team - praying over each night and for prayer requests as they come in during the evenings.
 
* Decision Counseling  - Each evening there is opportunity for people to come forward and give their life to Christ.  We are looking for "counselors" who can walk them through this.  (training provided)  This tends to be lighter on Thursday and have more need on Fri/Sat.
 
* Meals for worship team and stage crew - this team comes hours before the event to do sound check and run through and typically are the last people out each night.  We want to be able to feed them dinner before the evening starts. 
 
*Set Up and Tear Down - This crew works Wednesday evening (possibly) and all day Thursday to make sure we are all ready to go. Then on Saturday night for tear down.  Duties include moving in our stage pieces, set, music equipment and helping get it all put together.  And then the reverse on Saturday night after the event.
 
*Baptistry  - For people who choose to be baptized at Rise Up, we want to make sure we are prepared for that.  We need 2-4 people who can help us, get the baptistry moved in on Thursday afternoon (between 3 and 5) and then be responsible for filling and draining it.
 
If you are interested in any of these opportunities to help, please fill out the Rise Up Volunteer form.

If you have any questions about Rise Up and the help needed, you can contact Kirsten at [email protected]  or 970-216-4040.  

Thanks for considering being a part of Rise Up!