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June 2001 Table of Contents
Just A Little Talk With...
Kathie Hill
Operation Christmas Child
Children Leading in Music; Children Leading in Missions
The musical, Operation Christmas Child, has been a "work-in-progress" for several years. "I have always tried to write children's musicals with clear Biblical messages," says Kathie, "but our children often end up only singing about what God wants us to do and never actually doing it." That's why Kathie Hill Music and Word Music have teamed with the staff of Operation Christmas Child to create an "interactive" musical in which children can lead their church or school in both music and missions.
Is it really possible to send a message of hope to children who have so little, that a simple gift would be etched forever in their hearts? Through an outreach called Operation Christmas Child, millions of shoeboxes filled with small toys, school supplies and necessity items are given each year to children in more than 85 countries around the world. The organization behind this massive child's outreach is Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization with whom, veteran children's writer, Kathie Hill has created a tool for children's choirs to participate and promote this ministry.
Last year, Samaritan's Purse volunteers and partners delivered over four million shoebox gifts to the youngest victims of war, drought, famine and poverty. As president, Franklin Graham states, "We're taking the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as we take these gifts, we distribute these through the churches around the world because we want these children to know that there is a God in heaven who loves them, cares for them, who's provided a way for them to be with Him in heaven one day, and that's through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ."
Kathie Hill knows how Operation Christmas Child opens doors for the gospel, as her co-writer for Promise U and Fish Tales, Melody Mosley Morris, has sent back photos and first hand accounts of distributing hundreds of boxes in Kosovo where she and her family serve as missionaries. "God not only gave Melody the opportunity to verbally share the gospel with classrooms of Kosovar children, but just weeks before she sent several songs to be included in Operation Christmas Child. God blessed Melody and God blessed the project, because hers are the three best songs in the musical!" admits Hill.
Operation Christmas Child is made possible through the combined efforts of churches, schools and entire communities and through presenting the musical and participating in the project, Kathie Hill hopes children's choirs will be the instigators and leaders of their local efforts. But how do you create a musical that will impress the participants and audience to be involved in the ministry and still be fun to perform?
"Even though many children know about Operation Christmas Child, I started with the premise that the mission was a mystery to be solved by the end of the musical," reveals the writer. With "operation" as part of the title and the universal need to involve more boys in choir, Kathie set the musical at Fort Faithful, where special peace keeping forces have been summoned for "Operation Christmas Child." In keeping with her flair for wacky, comical characters, Hill staffed Unit 12-25 with the likes of Private Eye, Private Elvis Presby, Private Gomer Smyle, Sergeant Smarter and Major Minor. But it is Colonel Sanders who alone knows just who the "Christmas Child" is and what's inside the many gifts to be delivered. Through a humorous, yet touching scenario, Operation Christmas Child emphasizes the gift of Jesus and the motive for sharing our blessings with others.
Incorporated into the story line and included in the Director's Aide is a video message from Samaritan's Purse president, Franklin Graham, along with footage of children across the globe receiving their Operation Christmas Child boxes. These images, combined with the songs, script and choreography, costume and set ideas included on the Instructional/Movement Video will tickle your congregation's funny bone and touch their hearts to participate in this vital ministry.
The Operation Christmas Child Ministry is a simple, inexpensive program everyone can participate in. Instructions are in the Operation Christmas Child choral book and Director's Aide and Video along with production helps, Scripture memory aids and activities to teach children more about music and missions. At the Kick-off Party for the musical, children wrap and label empty shoe boxes which they will begin to fill with "starter gifts" as they progress through the Special Forces "drills." Children then take their boxes home and when completely packed and secured, the gifts are delivered to the nearest Operation Christmas Child collection center or drop-off point as indicated on the Samaritan's Purse's website, www.samaritanspurse.org.
"This mid-November drop off date provides a great opportunity for choirs who normally don't do Christmas musicals," Kathie says. "I've already heard from churches who will present Operation Christmas Child before Thanksgiving, leaving their calendars free for an adult Christmas program," explains the creator. When used at Christmas, choirs can perform songs from the musical in a November Dedication Service prior to delivering their packed boxes, then use empty wrapped boxes in their December performance. These boxes can then be given to the audience to create an Operation Christmas Child box for next year. But no matter when Operation Christmas Child is performed, Kathie suggests that an offering be taken to help Samaritan's Purse defray the tremendous cost of international delivery.
What does participating in this project mean to a child? In a recent workshop performance of Operation Christmas Child presented to Samaritan's Purse regional representatives, one of the young singers shared a letter she received from her shoe box recipient. "The little girl lived in Bethlehem, Josie explained, and as the letter related the current political and military turmoil in Israel and it's toll on her family, it was like a hand reaching across the ocean for help," reflects Ms. Hill. "How wonderful that Christians in Boone, NC were praying for her all because of Operation Christmas Child, and how wonderful for Josie to know that her participation in the musical would insure that thousands more shoe box gifts would reach children just like her Israeli friend. It is my prayer," concludes Kathie, "that this scenario will be repeated over and over as children's hearts are touched to reach out to others through Operation Christmas Child."
Kathie is the Dove award-winning writer of over 25 children's and youth musicals, a popular conference leader and clinician and the director of the older children's choir at her home church in Nashville, TN. Contact her at www.kathiehillmusic.com
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