Operation Christmas Child 2026
Pack a Shoebox. Share the Gospel. Bless a Child.
This Christmas season, Spicewood Baptist Church is once again partnering with Operation Christmas Child to share the love of Jesus with children around the world.
Through a simple shoebox filled with toys, school supplies, and personal care items, we have an opportunity to provide a meaningful gift to a child while helping take the Good News of Jesus Christ to families and communities across the globe.
We’re collecting items now—and everyone can participate!
Whether you donate a few items, pack an entire shoebox with your family, help us prepare for our packing party, or pray for the children who will receive these gifts, you can be part of this special ministry.
Our Shoebox Packing Party
Saturday, November 21
Join us at Spicewood Baptist Church as we come together to pack the items we’ve collected into Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!
Saturday, November 21, 2026
Spicewood Baptist Church Welcome Center
Our packing party is an opportunity for our church family to serve together as we prepare gifts that will eventually make their way into the hands of children around the world.
Families and children are encouraged to participate. It’s a wonderful way to help children see how something as simple as choosing a toy, packing school supplies, or writing a note can become an opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love to someone they may never meet.
Event Coordinator: Angela Caccavalla
More details about the packing party will be announced as November approaches.
What Is Operation Christmas Child?
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse that delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children around the world.
Each shoebox is filled with toys, school supplies, personal care items, and other gifts selected especially for a child. Through partnerships with local churches, these gifts are distributed as an opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 244 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 175 countries and territories.
But behind those enormous numbers is something much more personal:
One box. One child. One opportunity to share the love and hope of Jesus.
That’s why Spicewood Baptist Church is excited to participate again this year.
How You Can Help
There are several ways you and your family can be involved this fall.
Donate Items
Purchase individual items from the lists below and bring them to Spicewood Baptist Church. We’ll combine donated items with others during our November packing party.
A toothbrush, box of crayons, small toy, notebook, or soccer ball may seem simple to us, but together these items can become a wonderful gift for a child.
Pack Your Own Shoebox
Families and individuals are also encouraged to pack complete shoeboxes. Choose whether you are packing for a boy or girl and select an age group, then fill your box with a special “WOW” item along with toys, school supplies, personal care items, and other useful gifts.
Join the Packing Party
Come serve alongside your church family on Saturday, November 21, as we assemble the donated items into finished shoebox gifts.
Help With Shipping and Ministry Costs
Samaritan’s Purse recommends a $10 donation per shoebox to help cover collection, processing, shipping, ministry materials, and other project costs.
Pray
Prayer may be the most important thing we do.
Pray for the child who will receive each box. Pray for his or her family. Pray for the local churches and ministry partners who will distribute the gifts. And pray that every shoebox will help open a door for the Gospel.
What Should I Donate?
Start With a “WOW” Item
Operation Christmas Child recommends beginning each box with one special item that a child will immediately be excited to see.
Great ideas include:
- Soccer ball with a manual air pump
- Doll
- Stuffed animal
- Large toy car or truck
- Musical instrument
- Other high-quality toys that will fit inside a shoebox
Then fill the remaining space with additional useful and fun items.
School Supplies
School supplies are some of the easiest items to collect and are useful for children of many ages.
Consider donating:
- Pencils
- Pencil sharpeners
- Pencil cases
- Erasers
- Pens
- Crayons
- Markers
- Colored pencils
- Notebooks
- Index cards
- Calculators
- Scissors
- Rulers
- Glue sticks
- Small rolls of adhesive tape
- Coloring books or pads
When shopping for school supplies this fall, consider picking up a few extras for our Operation Christmas Child collection.
Personal Care Items
Simple personal care items can also make excellent shoebox gifts.
Suggested items include:
- Toothbrushes
- Combs
- Hairbrushes
- Washcloths
- Fun adhesive bandages
- Eating utensils
- Nail clippers and files
- Solid, non-medicated lip balm
- Solid stick deodorant
Please note: Do not donate toothpaste or soap. These items are currently prohibited from Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.
Toys & Fun Items
Every box should be fun!
Some great options include:
- Balls
- Frisbees
- Building blocks
- Toy cars
- Small figures
- Yo-yos
- Slinkys
- Kaleidoscopes
- Jump ropes
- Puzzles
- Finger puppets
- Binoculars
- Compasses
- Stickers
- Craft kits
- Playdough
- Dry watercolor sets
- Books and picture books
- Other small, durable toys
Think about what would bring a smile to a child’s face when he or she opens the box for the first time.
Clothing & Accessories
Useful clothing and accessories are another great way to help fill a shoebox.
Ideas include:
- T-shirts
- Socks
- Undergarments
- Flip-flops or shoes
- Hats
- Gloves and other cold-weather items
- Sunglasses
- Hair accessories
- Wristwatches
- Jewelry
- Small bags or backpacks
- Purses
- Flashlights
Remember that shoeboxes may be sent to many different parts of the world, so practical items that can be used in a variety of climates and settings are especially helpful.
Please Do NOT Donate These Items
Because Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes travel internationally and must meet customs and shipping requirements, some items cannot be included.
Please do not donate:
- Food, candy, chocolate, or gum
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Liquids or lotions
- Medications or vitamins
- Used or damaged items
- Seeds or other organic matter
- Breakable or glass items
- Aerosol cans
- Matches or fire starters
- Alcohol wipes
- Knives, saws, or razor blades
- Scary items
- War-related toys or military figures
- Wearable traditional camouflage
- Money
If you’re uncertain about a particular item, check the current Operation Christmas Child guidelines before purchasing it.
Make Your Shoebox Personal
One of the easiest ways to make a shoebox special costs almost nothing.
Include a note.
Tell the child that you packed the box especially for them. Offer a few words of encouragement. Tell them that you are praying for them. You can even include a photograph of yourself or your family.
These personal touches can help remind the child receiving the box that someone far away cared enough to choose their gifts, pack their box, and pray for them.
Pack a Shoebox as a Family
Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful opportunity for parents and grandparents to involve children in missions.
Instead of simply shopping for the items yourself, bring your children along. Let them help choose a “WOW” toy for another child. Talk about what it might be like to live somewhere very different from Spicewood. Let them help fill the box and write a note.
Then, before you bring your box to church, pray over it together.
Pray for the child who will open it.
Pray for that child’s family.
Pray for the church or ministry partner who will deliver it.
And most importantly, pray that the child receiving your shoebox will come to know the love of Jesus Christ.
A shoebox can become much more than a Christmas project—it can become a simple way to teach our own children about generosity, missions, prayer, and sharing the Gospel.
Where Do the Shoeboxes Go?
Operation Christmas Child distributes shoebox gifts through local ministry partners around the world.
Boxes are collected, processed, prepared for international shipment, and then distributed through local churches and ministry partners to children in communities around the globe.
You cannot select the particular country where your box will be sent. However, if you make the suggested donation online using an eligible tracking label, Operation Christmas Child’s Follow Your Box program allows you to discover the destination country of your shoebox after it has been processed.
More Than a Christmas Gift
The purpose of Operation Christmas Child goes far beyond the items inside a box.
Samaritan’s Purse works through local churches around the world to use shoebox gifts as opportunities to share the Gospel with children and their families.
That makes every donated pencil, toothbrush, toy, notebook, and stuffed animal part of something bigger.
At Spicewood Baptist Church, our desire is to know and make Him known. Operation Christmas Child gives our church family a practical opportunity to live out that purpose by serving together and helping carry the Good News of Jesus Christ beyond our own community.
Start Collecting Today!
You don’t have to wait until November to participate.
Start collecting items now.
Pick up a few school supplies while you’re shopping. Add a toothbrush or small toy to your cart. Pack a shoebox together as a family. Invite your Sunday School class or small group to participate.
Then join us on Saturday, November 21, in the Spicewood Baptist Church Welcome Center as we bring everything together for our annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Packing Party.
Together, we can turn hundreds of simple items into meaningful gifts—and use those gifts to help share the hope of Jesus with children around the world.
Questions about Operation Christmas Child at SBC?
Contact Angela Caccavalla, Operation Christmas Child Coordinator, or contact the Spicewood Baptist Church office.
We look forward to serving with you!
