from Jean Catton at Grays Baptist Church

Many thanks to all who contributed to the Shoebox Appeal last year in which 700 boxes were brought into Grays Baptist Church by other churches, schools and individuals.

We have been asked by Samaritans Purse to operate as a Drop-Off Point again this year.

Grays Baptist Church will be open between 10am and 2pm on the following dates in November:

  • imagesMonday 5
  • Wednesday 7
  • Friday 9
  • Monday 12
  • Tuesday 13
  • Wednesday 14
  • Thursday 15
  • Friday 16
  • Saturday 17

If these times are inconvenient, or there are any queries, please contact me on 01 375 374 275.

Let’s see if we can beat 700 this year!

Let’s see if we can reach 1000 shoeboxes! – Ed.

From the Operation Christmas Child website…

Samaritan’s Purse is calling on all UK churches, schools, workplaces, families and individuals to help achieve a remarkable milestone – delivering the 100 millionth gift-filled shoebox to a child during this year’s Operation Christmas Child (OCC) campaign.

Over the past 22 years, Operation Christmas Child has delivered 94 million shoeboxes to needy children in over 100 countries.  To lift this total to 100 million and beyond, UK staff and volunteers have embarked upon a nationwide drive to find and encourage even more people to help bring joy to children around the world this Christmas.

“We’re asking everyone across the UK to help us achieve this remarkable milestone”, says Samaritan’s Purse UK Executive Director, Simon Barrington. “It’s great way to celebrate Christmas – showing children, most of whom live in the most difficult circumstances, that God loves them and cares for them and that He’s not forgotten them.”

>>> Samaritans Purse made a full and heart-stirring presentation about this at the National Day of Prayer at Wembley last Saturday (29 September).

To find out more, and what to put in your shoebox and how to pack it, please look at this website:

  • http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/SP logo   RGB

For other information, please go to

  • www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/