More Numbers for OCC--4/14--Dr. Luis Bush at OCC Global Connect Conference

Dr. Luis Bush, international facilitator of Transform World Connections and the 4/14 Movement brought a message on Saturday morning at the Operation Christmas Child Global Connect Conference.

This numbers thing is getting a little confusing.  Last night I blogged about how OCC is heading toward the goal of 10:4 (10 million boxes and 4 million children being discipled per year from the US).  And I mentioned how that made me think of the 10/40 window.

This numberophile was excited again this morning to learn about how OCC fits into the 4/14 Movement.  But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself...

Dr. Bush began by saying, "Operation Christmas Child can transform a whole generation.  OCC can transform a community."

He told how he, as a 13-year-old boy running the streets of Sao Paolo, was led to Christ by his older brother.  Dr. Bush then talked about how around the year 2000 he began to identify the concern of the 4/14 window--the years between the ages of 4 and 14 when a child is most ready to receive the gospel.  This is a demographic perspective rather than a geographic perspective like the aforementioned 10/40 window.

Operation Christmas Child is uniquely able to meet this challenge.  It's a moment in time of great opportunity.

We live in a time like no other.  Minds and hearts are open to release and raise up children as agents of great mission.  We can raise up a new generation from the 4/14 window to change the world. This could be the time.  This could be the hour.  And you (I) could be the agent God is calling.

He presented some startling statistics about the decline in the percentage of those who identify themselves as Christians--
--in the Builder's Generation - 60%
--in the Baby Boomers - 30%
--in Baby Busters - 15%
--in Gen Y -  4%

Youth are asking "Where are the hearts of the fathers?" and there is a growing despondency.  A survey of youth in China revealed that 47% reported they had thought about taking their own lives in the past 3 months and 37% reported they had actually attempted to take their own lives in the past 3 months.

In a study of declining civilizations it was found that the extent to which a culture fails to respond to the challenges it faces will lead to its decline.

There is no more significant response to the challenges in our society than focusing on children.  Dr. Bush believes that to see children raised up as agents of mission will take four steps:

1)  Reach the children (the OCC shoebox gifts lead to a gospel opportunity)
2)  Root the children (The Greatest Journey discipleship program)
3)  Request the Lord to save them (bathe our ministry in prayer)
4)  Release the children to ministry--(even with an attrition rate of 50%, with the program growing at the present rate 1 billion children could be released into ministry by 2021.

Dr. Bush concluded by saying, "As a volunteer you can influence the face of global missions in our generation."

(Wow!--way to translate the cause, Dr. Bush.  Well done!)

10/4 for OCC at Global Connect

So what does 10-4 mean to you?  Well, if you were a trucker with a CB radio, the phrase means 'okay' or 'I hear you' but as Randy Riddle spoke to us this morning at the Global Connect conference for Operation Christmas Child, 10:4 took on a new meaning.

Randy explained to us this morning that the five year goal of OCC is to, by God's grace, provide by 2017--

10 million gospel opportunities (shoeboxes) sent around the world from the US
4 million children discipled every year by OCC-US

And why this 10:4 goal?  Because...
--there is urgency in the gospel
--billions of children are waiting
--God has blessed OCC as a way to usher children into His kingdom
--discipleship and multiplication are the mission fulfillment of OCC

The picture above is of sweet little girls waiting to receive OCC shoeboxes on my trip to the Dominican Republic in 2009.  The biggest thing I learned on that trip is how many are still waiting.  I remember the children who stood outside churches at distributions and peered in through the barred windows with their little hands wrapped around the bars.  When the gifts ran out, some of them were left waiting.

The OCC staff has been strategizing plans to increase the number of shoeboxes so that millions more children can receive a gospel opportunity and it was thrilling to hear Randy bring the structure of those plans to us today.

That 10:4 goal reminds me also of the 10/40 window--that area of the world where the most unreached people live.

Whatever longitude or latitude children live between, more of them are being born every day and they all need to hear about Jesus.

After hearing these goals and counting the cost, I'm ready to redouble my efforts and the efforts of my team to pray and plan and pack.

Hey, good buddies, are you with us?

And all the people said, "10-4"

OCC--Friday Evening Global Connect--Skip Heitzig

Back again for another evening session at the Operation Christmas Child Global Connect Conference on this Friday night.  It's still hard to get used to being in such a large group of people praising God together.

The evening began with Dennis Agajanian's amazing guitar rendition of "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus".

Franklin Graham then came to the podium (casual tonight in his baseball cap despite all the SP & BGEA board members there in suits) and said of being at OCC shoebox distributions, "I never get tired of when a little child will tug on your jacket and look up at you with big eyes and say 'thank you'.  So, thank YOU."

Tommy Coomes Band followed with a worship set of 'Everlasting God', Our God', and 'Awesome God'.   It felt a little like deja vu because we sang two of those last evening, but then I realized it's probably not easy to get translations in five different languages of many worship songs.  That could explain a limited set list.  And those three are all great belt-it-out worship songs.

Next, Izabella McMillen introduced a shoebox recipient from Rwanda--Alex Nsengimana, who shared a heartwrenching story of being orphaned at a young age and living with a grandmother and uncle who he then saw killed by a member of the enemy tribe.

After going to the capital city to live with an aunt, fleeing that home and living on the street for two months, and then being in a refugee camp for several weeks, Alex and his brother finally went to live in an orphanage.

It was there that they received shoebox gifts and Alex remembers receiving a comb that he used for three years and also the treat of a candy cane.

As he began to read the Bible he learned of the need to forgive those who had wronged him and he also developed spiritually as he sang with the African Children's Choir.

Just a few weeks ago Alex returned to Rwanda to distribute shoebox gifts with OCC and God opened doors for him to meet the man who killed his family members and offer forgiveness to him.

Alex ended his amazing story by saying, "God is using each of these boxes for His glory and changing the lives of kids.  Your hours and time are not in vain."

After two standing ovations for Alex, Franklin Graham came back to the stage and reminded us to "Pray that God will use these boxes.  And He does."  He then introduced Skip Heitzig, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Albuquerque and a friend of the ministry.

The Body of Christ---

God is doing two great endeavors--
1)  Evangelism
2)  The Church (Jesus said, "I will build up My church.")

What do people assume when they look at our lives? One hundred million gifts show the world there's a God who loves people.

Skip talked of going to Baghdad, Iraq and driving 24 hours each way from Jordan to get there.  They met with two cabinet members there and the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "We always thought Christians hated us but I'm overwhelmed by all these gifts for children and now I know you love us."
Skip thanked us for all the hours, the miles, and the prayers invested in shoeboxes and assured us, "It's worth it!"

Shoeboxes are a reflection of the Body of Christ.  Each shoebox is different but they're all for the same purpose--to show the glory of God.  They are only done as we come to work together.

Jesus wants the Body of Christ to be His best representatives of Him on earth and there are four ways for us to do that--

1)  Recognize Variety--
--we have different gifts but the same Spirit
--God loves to create variety in nature and even Jesus' healings were done in a variety of ways
--sometimes we want to create spiritual molds but God requires the right to use people we don't like or agree with
--even those who have the same gifts will use them differently
--don't fight the variety God has planned for the body--embrace it.

2)  Emphasize Unity--
--the head of the Body is Christ and He keeps it together
--what happens when one part of the body won't cooperate?  The whole body suffers
--the world looks at the Body and often sees a spastic, stifled expression of God
--whatever member of the Body you are, that's where God has placed you

3)  Maximize Equality--
--If the whole body was and eye, where would be the hearing?
--the church at Corinth was elevating certain gifts but all parts of the body are useful
--even the parts that seem invisible are important (can't live without those kidneys)
--the church is guilty of putting people on pedestals and setting them up for failure while making others feel inferior
--unnoticed does not mean unimportant

4)  Minimize Self-Sufficiency--
--the eye cannot say to the hand "I have no need of you"
--our society has a 'Lone Ranger' mentality that cannot enter into ministry
--we're part of the greatest organization in the world--the Body of Christ

The God of the universe not only condescended to be born as a baby but He condescends to use us.  We're on the winning team.

"Brothers and sisters, let's give the Devil a black eye.  If we recognize variety, emphasize unity, maximize equality and minimize self-sufficiency we will send him running."

OCC--Al Newell--Global Connect

Today Al Newell came to the podium sporting a pair of Mickey Mouse ears with the instruction, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," and he had plenty to say.

First he confided, "If they'd offered me 100 tickets on the 50 yard line at the Super Bowl in exchange for ONE ticket here I'd have laughed at them."  Clearly, this Global Connect is the place to be.

Al went on to expound on the High Impact model of volunteer ministry from a framework of the life of Gideon from Judges 6-8.

He first reminded us of the definition of High Impact, "Restoring a biblical model of volunteer ministry and experiencing organization-wide, powerful ministry effectiveness."

It begins in the heart and every principle is biblical.

The word 'volunteer' really means servant or, more precisely, bondservant--one who chooses to the role of a servant.  And the piercing question:  Are YOU (am I) a bondservant of the living God?

Seven Principles:

1)  Jesus loves you and has an impossible mission for His bride.
--100,000,000 with the process of multiplication added in is not far from a billion
--in Exodus 19 Moses gave God's covenant to the people and basically said, "Will you marry me?"  Keep my covenant and you will be my special treasure.  But we easily lose our first love.  In Judges 8:33 we read how easily God's people played the harlot and wandered away.
--Al outlines four temples in the Bible: 1) Moses' tabernacle 2) Solomon's temple 3) Zerubabbel's rebuilt temple 4) the Living Temple (God's dwelling in us)
--When is the time for building?  Set your heart and soul to serve the Lord your God.

2)  God has an impossible mission for you -- If you feel weak and overwhelmed join the club.  God has you right where He wants you--dependent on Him

3)  God does not see you as you see yourself
--God sees you as a masterpiece
--God designed you in the womb for a purpose
--We are priests unto God and have the power of God
--We are living stones and valiant warriors

4)  A little task is a big deal to God
--in Judges 6 Gideon was working at a small task
--Are you faithful to the little tasks?
--Our faithfulness shows our heart

5)  God chooses the qualified but improbable team
--Gideon's army was whittled down to 300 who were truly qualified
--Jesus prayed all night and then chose 12 men who were improbably but qualified

6)  Exhausted but pursuing (Judges 8:4)
--They were 300 crazed lunatics chasing 120,000 Midianites
--One man in God's power is everything
--"Brother and sisters--YOU are those crazy fools"
--You are the pursuers by faith
--Look at examples of the heroes around you and persevere

7)  Finish the job
--Gideon killed the two kings and finished the job
--Jael finished the job

WILL YOU FINISH THE JOB BY GOD'S GRACE?

**Personal Note:  As Al talked about being exhausted I watched an international volunteer sitting in front of me begin to cry.  She was wearing headphones to hear the message via an interpreter so I thought language might be a barrier between us.  I didn't know the exact cause of her pain but I identified with it.  I know what it is to be exhausted, spent, too weak to carry on.  So when the session ended I rushed to her and put my arms around her and we just held onto each other for a long, long time.  She said in English "thank you" and I hugged her again before turning away.  It was just a hug, but it may be the most moving experience of the week for me.

OCC--Louie Giglio--Immeasurably More

Tonight was our first general session for the Operation Christmas Child Global Connect Conference and it was a mind-blowing experience to be worshiping with brothers and sisters from 102 countries around the world.

After Randy Riddle led us in a time of rousing praise to God (complete with noisemakers) in celebration for 100 million shoeboxes, he was joined on the stage by former shoebox recipient Izabella McMillen who reminded us, "I would not be able to stand here today without your faithfulness."  Seeing the video of Izabella's story helped us focus on what each of these precious boxes means to the child who receives it.

As he came back to speak of the history of OCC in the United States, Randy Riddle spoke of the exponential growth of those early shoeboxes by saying, "When it was paired with the gospel it became something God blew His breath on and it exploded."

And Franklin Graham said, "It's something God has done and we want to give Him the glory."

Ross Rhoads, pastor of the first church to pack shoeboxes in 1993 told of how their church collected 11,000 boxes in just 14 days that first year--a foreshadowing of God's hand on the project.

Executive Director of Samaritan's Purse Canada, Sean Campbell, spoke of the  boxes his country packed in that inaugural year of 1993 and joked that it was the only year Canada packed more boxes than the US.  On a more serious note, he spoke of the Bible's warning that in the end times "the love of many will grow cold," and reminded us that packing shoeboxes is a way to keep our love alive.

Sean told the story of giving a shoebox to a 10-year-old boy in a psychiatric ward in an Eastern European country.  When he pulled a Beanie Baby out of his box and smiled, his doctors were amazed.  The doctors explained that the boy's parents had been executed in front of him four months earlier and this was the first time since that he had smiled.  "It's all about the Prince of Peace," Sean said.

After some phenomenal guitar and worship music by Dennis Agajanian and the Tommy Coomes band, Franklin Graham introduced Louie Giglio--

Speaking about the global presence in the room, Louie said, "We are better when we are in the company of people from the whole world."

There is a plaque in the Georgia Dome that commemorates that largest gathering ever held in that venue--a Billy Graham event.  Louie said we're here to remember the legacy of a faithful God.  "We're not here tonight to underestimate the power of God....We're here to celebrate that God will expand His kingdom."

He admitted that he can't comprehend 100 million shoeboxes.  It's supernatural.

But we also can't fully comprehend that God emptied Himself and took on the skin of a baby and appeared as the gift of God to the world in that original mission of Operation Christmas Child.  Into a manger came majesty--majesty in a mess.

How amazing that God gave the news of His coming first to the shepherds.  They were too dirty to go to church and God said when you can't make it to me, I'll come to you.

What Louie felt God wanted him to bring to us tonight was a personal encouragement that the God of 100,000,000 shoeboxes is on our side.  There are huge hurdles in each of our lives tonight where we're trusting God and the truth of Ephesians 3:20 is that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine.  To HIM be glory.  We're in partnership with the God who does immeasurably more.

When you walk in the door of God's faithfulness, it marks you.

You can count shoeboxes but you can't count changed lives.  You can't quantify the healing God brings through a shoebox.  You can't count the immeasurably more.

In that night glory came into the mess of a manger and peace with God is now possible.

Those who were rebels against God can become the worshipers of God.

It's not just on a grand scale;  it's on a personal scale.  We cannot count God out because God can do immeasurably more.

I AM--the God who spoke the world into being.  It's the power of the gospel to do immeasurably more.

Louie went on to say that the Old Testament word for glory meant 'weight'. He explained the working of an elevator where a weight or counterbalance is used to make the elevator rise.

The weight came down in the presence of Jesus and we were lifted up.  His resurrection was the counterweight to our sin and rebellion.  When the weight of the gospel comes down our worship comes up.  The gospel and worship are never separated.  Without the gospel there is no worship.

It's not about serving because we 'ought to' it's about the privilege that we MAY serve.  When the weight comes down, craziness (worship / service) goes up.

We all have a supernatural testimony.  Sin makes us not just bad, but dead.  The gospel is what makes us alive.

God can do immeasurably more than we can imagine.  100,000,000 is a huge number but God can do 500,000,000 or billions.

God knows the name of every kid on earth and I think there's a shoebox waiting for every one of them.

OCC Connect--Finding Your Joshua

God blessed us with a great trip down to Orlando for the Operation Christmas Child Connect Conference.  This place is amazing!  The service and surroundings here at the Hilton Orlando are extraordinary and seeing so many of our brothers and sisters from around the world is beyond words.  I can hardly wait for us to all worship together in another hour.

Dinner tonight was a buffet of international foods that were beyond compare.

We got here in time this afternoon for the last of the three pre-conference sessions and I chose to attend one entitled "Finding Your Joshua."

After giving us two minutes to list all the things we do for Operation Christmas Child in a typical week the presenter asked us, "Who would do those things if God called you home or moved you to another place?"

I thought of the myriad of strange tasks I do in a week--from sorting stuffed animals to writing blogs and fielding phone calls.  Truthfully, many of those things don't have anything to do with my job as an Area Coordinator and I probably need to gain more focus.

But even when I assess only the true tasks that fall into my job description, I'm not sure who would do those in my absence.

It was sobering to realize that Joshua was on the scene right from the crossing of the Red Sea and that Moses worked for many years to prepare him to assume leadership.

Who is my Joshua?  I don't know, but I realize I need to focus some serious prayer toward asking God to prepare that person who will take the baton from me when I finish my leg of this OCC race.

Is it you?

Seeing Jesus

My husband and I were preparing to lead our small group in a study of the proofs of the resurrection.  As we looked at attitudes and beliefs of the disciples following the resurrection it became clear that most of them did not believe in the resurrection--at least not at first.

In Luke 24 we read the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus who were unknowingly in the presence of Jesus.  In verse 24 the disciples said, "Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see."

Apparently even seeing the empty tomb was not enough.  They needed to see Jesus.  And, because He loved them, He appeared to many of them so they could grasp the important truth.

And, really, not much has changed.  Because unless we see Jesus we usually don't believe.

This is what my Operation Christmas Child journey has done for me.  I know these simple gifts have power to change the lives of children and families around the world, but they have also changed my life.

OCC has allowed me to see Jesus in ways I never could before.  Little by little He has wooed me to trust Him for greater things and in the process of seeing the miracle of His provision I have SEEN Him.

I am leaving in less than 12 hours for the Operation Christmas Child Connect Conference in Orlando, Florida, where we will celebrate the 100 million boxes God has provided through a series of miracles over the past 20 years.

I'm hoping to blog through this weekend so stop back and visit.  Together, I know we'll see Jesus.