Aug. 23, 2012
For Immediate Release

By Christina L. Kern, office assistant

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — Campbellsville University will serve as Taylor County's Operation Christmas Child drop-off location this year. An Operation Christmas Child kickoff and informational meeting for Adair and Taylor Counties will be held Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. EST at Columbia Baptist Church, located at 201 Greensburg St., Columbia.

Last year 3,806 Operation Christmas Child boxes were collected in Taylor County, and this year's goal is to collect 5,000 boxes, according to a letter from Dr. G. Ted Taylor, Operation Christmas Child Taylor County relay center coordinator and professor of Christian studies at Campbellsville University.

“We need your help to reach our goal, but more importantly, the shoe box gifts open doors for presenting the Good News of Jesus Christ,” Taylor said.

The national collection week for Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts is scheduled for Nov. 12-19. Gifts may be dropped off at Campbellsville University.

The informational meeting will also feature a shoe box recipient, Timur Nesbit from Kazakhstan, who will share his story of how the gift changed his life.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse. Each year they deliver millions of shoe box gifts around the world to needy children. According to their website, “The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.