greatest journey samaritan's purse

Emergency Alert: Severe Famine in Sudan

Celebrating 50 Million Children Discipled

God Is Using The Greatest Journey to Transform Lives in Latin America

Making Disciples in Mongolia

What God Can Do in the Heart of a Child

The Greatest Journey Begins to Draw a Family to Christ

Operation Christmas Child praises God for 50 million children discipled since 1993. ▶

Empowered by discipleship through Samaritan’s Purse, children all over Latin America... ▶

A new generation is coming to faith in Jesus Christ through Operation Christmas Child and... ▶

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The Greatest Journey

After receiving a shoebox gift, children have the opportunity to enrol in The Greatest Journey — 12 fun and interactive Bible lessons where they get the opportunity to discover who Jesus is and how to begin their own journey of faith.

Each lesson has a theme and includes a Bible story and fun activities for the children to do together as a class. It might include a game, a drama, a song, artwork, or some puzzles. Each week the children also learn a memory verse. At the end of the course they experience a special celebration event and receive a certificate and a Bible with the New Testament and selected Old Testament stories in their own language. 

Course Structure

Knowing the gospel.

1. The Great Creator – how God created the earth and made us in His image

2. The Greatest Problem – how sin entered the world through Adam and Eve disobeying God

3. The Great Saviour – the Christmas story and God’s rescue plan

4. Children are Important to Jesus – Jesus said ‘Let the little children come to me’ and shares the importance of childlike fait

5. God’s People Honour God – learning about giving and trusting Jesus through three stories: the fishermen trusting and following Jesus, the feeding of the five thousand, and the widow’s last coin

6. The Greatest Friend – the Easter story – Jesus died for our sins and came back to life so we can be His friends forever

Growing in the Gospel

7. Help Others – the story of Jesus helping a paralysed man by healing him

8. Stay Close to Jesus – the story of Martha and Mary and the importance of spending time with Jesus, even when things get bus

9. Trust in God – the story of David and Goliath and the importance of letting God be in control of every part of our lives

Sharing the Gospel

10. Hope in Heaven – learning about how Jesus ‘will wipe every tear away’ and how He has prepared a place in heaven for those for follow Him ‘from every nation, tribe, and people

11. Love Others – the story of the Good Samaritan and showing love to everyone

12. Tell Others – the importance of sharing God’s gift to us, the great commission, and the story of the Apostles and the Sanhedrin

Continuing the Journey 

• Heart – responding to the Spirit, praying, and having a relationship with Jesus
• Mind – learning about the Bible and exploring questions with other believers
• Eyes – enjoying creation and looking for opportunities to be a light for God
• Ears – listening to God’s word
• Mouth – sharing the Bible with others
• Hands and feet – helping others 

Memory Verse Examples

• ‘God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.’ (John 3:16)
• ‘I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.’ (Philippians 4:13)
• ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind. And, love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27)
• ‘If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples’ (John 13:35)

You can start a child’s Journey of faith today for as little as £5…

Can provide everything one child needs, including a trained teacher, all printed materials and a New Testament Bible.

Can provide five children with a trained teacher, printed course materials and a New Testament Bible.  

Can reach a whole class of 15 children with The Greatest Journey.

Donate to Where Most Needed today

Just £7 can help provide a week of hot meals for a child, and demonstrate the love of Jesus. 

Can supply a family in crisis with a hygiene kit, restoring dignity and showing that the Lord has not forgotten them.

Can give a dairy goat to a family in poverty, along with training to care for them, providing an income to buy food, clothes, and other essentials. 

A gift of just £7 over 12 months can help us provide life-saving medical care in the wake of a crisis. 

Over a year, a monthly gift of £18 can provide up to six families with tarpaulin, a practical and important relief tool for emergency shelter.

£50 a month for a year could provide eight families with a BioSand water filter, gifting them with life-saving clean water. 

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The Greatest Journey (VIDEO PSA)

Run Time: :60

Download: HD (93MB) | SD (86MB)

After sharing the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus said “Go and do likewise.” That is the mission of Samaritan's Purse—to follow the example of Christ by helping those in need and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel.

It only costs $6 to provide lesson books and a Bible for a boy or girl participating in this discipleship program by Samaritan’s Purse.

It only costs $10 to provide a Bible or Christian literature for a family in need through the Christmas catalog.

You are visiting the international website for Samaritan’s Purse, headquartered in the United States.

You also may be interested in visiting and giving through our affiliate sites:.

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• Samaritan’s Purse Korea
• Samaritan’s Purse United Kingdom

• About On the Ground
• Meet Kristy Graham

Apr 25, 2024

Jesus Pursues You

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Host Kristy Graham introduces listeners to Dr. Ed Carns, who has been working with Samaritan’s Purse since 1999 when he first went to a remote hospital in Cameroon with World Medical Mission. Before this, Ed served in the military, but an injury forced his career path to change. His orthopedic surgeon at the time encouraged Ed to become a doctor, and this prompting changed the trajectory of his life.

Along the way, Ed accepted Christ as his Savior when he watched a Billy Graham movie, but his full surrender to the Lord happened later when he agreed to go to Cameroon to serve as a doctor with Samaritan’s Purse. Here, he was mentored and discipled by a long-term medical missionary. This was transformative in his life as he learned to trust God fully. Ed recalls learning to do surgery in Africa and trusting God to help him beyond his own skillset.

“When you look at these crazy things that happen, you work with what you have, and you trust God to prepare you for what you need to do. And He has never failed me.” – Dr. Ed Carns

Kristy asked Ed to share stories from his time in the field with Samaritan’s Purse. He recounts performing his first solo appendectomy, surviving a fire fight in Afghanistan, and learning the power of prayer. Each story demonstrates God’s faithfulness and how Jesus pursues each person individually.

“The journey for me has been just unbelievable, because it literally changed my heart and saved my life and, taught me how to live my life for the Lord.” – Dr. Ed Carns

Kristy reflects on how when we are in the middle of a difficult time in our lives, it’s nearly impossible to see God’s hand at work. But God creates a beautiful tapestry, and when you look back, you can often see God’s hand more clearly. This was the case for Ed. His military career ended unexpectedly as a result of an injury, but this opened the door for him to become a doctor, which changed his life and taught him what it means to live in full surrender to God. Kristy and Ed end the episode by talking about how important it is to remain alert and keep our eyes fixed on God no matter what is happening around you.

If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories from On the Ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org .

Dr. Ed Carns has served in the far corners of the world with Samaritan’s Purse both with World Medical Mission and the Disaster Assistance Response Team. He shares his testimony of how God used people in his life to point him to Christ and encourage him in his faith. The stories he shares with Kristy Graham demonstrate how God pursues each person individually.

· Find out more about World Medical Mission and how you can volunteer at a remote mission hospital.

· Learn more about God’s love and how you can accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

· Listen to Opening Our Hearts to God’s Word , an encouraging episode about how the Bible can help lift our eyes beyond our current situation and toward our eternal hope in Jesus Christ.

Samaritan's Purse

10 Years of The Greatest Journey

Operation Christmas Child | 2:40 OC190439_TGJ_10_Year_Anniversary_v2 (1).mp4

Celebrate what God has done over the past 10 years through The Greatest Journey, the follow-up discipleship program for those who receive Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts.

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