Shoeboxes Collected!
Thanks to ECS parent Kim Britt who organized the ECS Operation Christmas Child Project and who led our Chapel service on Shoebox Collection Day, Monday, November 14. ECS is so thankful for her leadership and gift of time to help our staff and students to bless children across the world with gifts and the message of hope that we have in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Thanks to everyone who donated a shoebox filled with gifts and special messages. Altogether, 74 were packed and delivered to the school to be shipped to children across the world by Samaritan's Purse.
Serving Others Chapel Service
During Chapel, Mrs. Britt challenged the students by presenting a message based on the scripture from Matthew 20:28: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and give his life as a ransom for many."
She posed the question: “Why do we serve others?” Her answer: “Because Jesus served us first. He is the ultimate servant.”
Students were given Santa hats and asked to look inside where they found descriptive words and messages about God’s character:
God is…
- Loving: He created us in order to love us.
- Compassionate: He weeps when we weep, forgives, and forgets.
- Just: He hates when people are mistreated. He loves justice and will have justice over all evil in the end.
- Holy: He is perfectly good and perfectly wise. He is incapable of being anything else.
- Faithful: He will never leave us and always hears us.
- Powerful: He is in complete control.
- Servant: He sacrificed his only son so we can live forever in heaven, even though we are sinners.
Mrs. Britt told the students: “So when we really understand the goodness of God and all of his amazing character traits, service becomes something we want to do, not something we should do out of obligation or striving." Students were challenged to continue to serve others out of an overflowing of thankfulness and love for who God truly is and what he’s done for us.
She also discussed how Jesus served his disciples on earth by washing their feet in the upper room. Jesus (King of Kings) took on the role of a lowly servant in John chapter 13 to show his disciples how to humbly serve each other. He set the example for us.
The staff and students of ECS prayed as a group for the children who would receive these shoebox gifts, that their hearts would be open and receptive to the message of Jesus, and that they would feel loved and seen by him. Students then formed a line from the huge mountain of shoeboxes inside the chapel, through the foyer, out the door, and wrapped around to the side of the building to the car for loading. Each and Every student put their hands on each and every box as they passed them down the line. Students were inspired to say a blessing for the child receiving each box as it passed through their hands.
Praise God for such a wonderful opportunity for ECS students to serve as Jesus served.