GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University students who are enhancing their spiritual lives while completing their coursework are brightening the lives of children across the world with their participation in Operation Christmas Child, a project run by Samaritan’s Purse.
Eleven of the students who are part of the Discipleship Living-Learning Center dedicated their weekly gathering Wednesday, Nov. 19, to filling 50 shoeboxes with items such as toys, clothing, school supplies and toiletries. Dr. Kathleen Krist, assistant professor of chemistry, organized the event and partnered with the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, director of spiritual life and special projects, to involve the students.
“I hope the students experience the joy of giving,” Dr. Krist said. “Part of growing in faith and walking as a follower of Jesus, which is what the students are doing as part of the Discipleship Living-Learning Center, is generosity, especially around the holiday season. I hope they enjoy packing the boxes and are inspired to participate in this project next year on their own time.”
Dr. Krist’s hope is that, after graduating and embarking on the rest of their lives, these students will encourage their future families and churches to participate in this initiative.
“The cool thing about this project is that it does not just support the physical needs of children all over the world,” she said. “Every child who receives a shoebox also hears the Gospel and the Good News of Jesus Christ. They have the opportunity to begin following Jesus and to continue learning more about Him.”
Operation Christmas Child is an initiative of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization that follows Jesus’ example by helping those in need and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel. The program dates to 1993, and more than 232 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
The Discipleship Living-Learning Center, which is part of the university’s Christian Leadership Institute, was established at Tusculum starting with the fall semester. The center enables students who want to grow further in their relationship with the Lord to live in university-owned houses – one for males and another for females.
Through Bible studies, mentorship and ministry engagement, the center provides a Christ-focused environment where first- and second-year students are discipled, strengthened in their faith and formed for lives of service and leadership. Supporting them are peer mentors, who are older students also living in the house, and the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, Tusculum’s director of spiritual life and special projects.
The majority of the boxes the Tusculum students packed will be received by children ages 10-14, while a few of the boxes are geared towards 5-9-year-old boys. All of the children received a notebook, color pencils, No. 2 pencils, a pencil sharpener, a pencil pouch, a calculator, a toothbrush, a hat and glove set, two pairs of socks, a washcloth and a flashlight. Boys also received a yo-yo, a soccer ball and a comb. Girls additionally received a hairbrush, a stuffed animal and a jump rope.
Swatsell was pleased to see the students in the center participating in this project. Prior to assembling the boxes, students in the center had discussed where the boxes would go, watched a video about Samaritan’s Purse and learned more about the Operation Christmas Child initiative.
“One component of leading a Christian life is performing service work,” Swatsell said. “One of my favorite Bible verses is from Matthew 25, which talks about ministering to people in need. This is the chance that we as a group can minister to people who may need it. Hopefully, this is helping our students learn that it’s not just about us and it’s not just about us growing as individuals. It’s about showing the love of Christ and growing together in community.”
Luke Smith, a freshman who is living in the men’s house and seeking a degree in sport management, enjoyed assisting with the shoeboxes.
“I like how it helps our group bond and have a good time as we put together these boxes to help kids that do not have a lot,” he said. “It just makes me realize that we’re doing good things for kids who need it that don’t have a lot. It helps me to want to do better, be better and help more.”
Another student in the center who supported the effort was Rylee Durrence a freshman pursuing a degree in sport science. She still remembers participating in Operation Christmas Child with her brothers when she was younger. She thought it was nice for students in the center to tackle this project together.
“I think it’s really awesome that we get to make these gifts for children and also bring the Gospel to them because a lot of these kids haven’t heard that before,” Durrence said. “When we get to give them something they need or something they can play with, that’s such a meaningful activity for us to do. It teaches us about spreading the Gospel to others and the importance of that.”
Additional information about Operation Christmas Child is available at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/. Further details about Tusculum’s campus ministries are available at https://site.tusculum.edu/campus-ministries/. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.
