Franklin Graham shares ‘first gift’ of Christmas as Samaritan’s Purse prepares to deliver 13M shoebox gifts
Franklin Graham joined Fox News annual Christmas tree lighting celebration in New York City on Friday night delivering a message about faith generosity and what he called the first gift of Christmas God giving His Son Jesus Christ The president and CEO of Samaritan s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also highlighted this season s goal for Operation Christmas Child which will send more than million of its gift-filled shoeboxes to children in over countries Graham appeared live on Fox Square alongside hosts and hundreds gathered for the framework s holiday kickoff presenting one of the gift boxes packed by his -year-old granddaughter The box filled with a Minnie Mouse stuffie school supplies and a handwritten note she helped prepare with the help of her family represented the kind of gift Samaritan s Purse has distributed worldwide for nearly years This year we ll have about million of these boxes Graham commented Each one has about gifts in it And what we want to teach children is the importance of giving God gave His Son Jesus Christ and we want the children of the world to understand the importance of receiving a gift and for the children who pack them the importance of learning how to give FOX NEWS TO PRESENT TH ANNUAL 'ALL AMERICAN CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING' ON NOV Graham thanked Fox News employees who packed more than shoeboxes ahead of National Collection Week Nov To have the help of Fox packing boxes it s been wonderful Graham mentioned It s a great partnership Hosts on stage encouraged viewers to participate by scanning the QR code displayed on-screen which directed them to Samaritan s Purse packing instructions FOX NEWS KICKS OFF HOLIDAY SEASON WITH SIXTH ANNUAL 'ALL-AMERICAN CHRISTMAS TREE' LIGHTING CEREMONYThe segment came during the ceremony s faith-themed portion with Graham grounding the moment in the biblical foundation of Christmas Christmas is about giving he announced God gave the first gift His Son Jesus Christ who came to take our sins At Christmas we honor Jesus Christ and remember what He did for us Operation Christmas Child run by Samaritan s Purse is in its National Collection Week through Monday Nearly drop-off locations are open nationwide for families and churches to deliver packed boxes containing toys hygiene items and school supplies SPECIFIC FRANKLIN GRAHAM S SAMARITAN S PURSE LAUNCHES AIRLIFT OF FOOD AID FOR GAZA FAMILIES AMID WARThe project involves roughly helpers and reaches deep jungles city slums mountainside villages and more than remote Pacific islands according to Samaritan s Purse Shoeboxes collected in the U S are combined with gifts from around the world to reach children in challenging or isolated regions At Samaritan s Purse we have the opportunity to share the true meaning of Christmas with millions of children around the world through Operation Christmas Child Graham explained Fox News Digital in an particular comment I am so grateful for each and every person who makes this project feasible and for every shoebox that opens the door for us to tell another child the Good News of Jesus Christ Families can also build a shoebox online by selecting items digitally and adding a photo or personal note Operation Christmas Child began in and has since delivered more than million boxes to children in more than countries and territories Countless distributions are coordinated through local churches that pair the gifts with evangelistic programs and locality outreach This is an opportunity for children to give to someone else and not want anything in return Graham stated We live in a selfish world but this teaches the next generation the importance of giving As the Christmas tree lights reflected off the crowds gathered in midtown Manhattan Graham s message tied the ceremony back to the reason millions of families participate in the annual shoebox drive God so loved this world that He gave His only-begotten Son he announced That s what Christmas is all about Anyone can pack a shoebox in person or build one online at SamaritansPurse org OCC-FoxNews A QR code provided by Samaritan s Purse can also be embedded or displayed on-screen
