{"id":32120,"date":"2025-11-24T10:51:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T15:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/?p=32120"},"modified":"2025-11-24T22:08:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T03:08:43","slug":"tusculum-students-from-the-discipleship-living-learning-center-prepare-shoeboxes-for-children-in-need-across-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/tusculum-students-from-the-discipleship-living-learning-center-prepare-shoeboxes-for-children-in-need-across-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Tusculum students from the Discipleship Living-Learning Center prepare shoeboxes for children in need across the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 Tusculum University<\/a> 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\u2019s Purse.<\/h3>\n
\"Students

Students stand by the boxes they packed. They are joined by faculty and members who assisted with the project.<\/p><\/div>\n

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<\/a>, organized the event and partnered with the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, director of spiritual life<\/a> and special projects, to involve the students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope the students experience the joy of giving,\u201d Dr. Krist said. \u201cPart 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Krist\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cool thing about this project is that it does not just support the physical needs of children all over the world,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Operation Christmas Child is an initiative of Samaritan\u2019s Purse, an international relief organization that follows Jesus\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.

Dr. Kathleen Krist organized the event.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Discipleship Living-Learning Center, which is part of the university\u2019s 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 \u2013 one for males and another for females.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s director of spiritual life and special projects.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Purse and learned more about the Operation Christmas Child initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne component of leading a Christian life is performing service work,\u201d Swatsell said. \u201cOne 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\u2019s not just about us and it\u2019s not just about us growing as individuals. It\u2019s about showing the love of Christ and growing together in community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rylee

Rylee Durrence shows the contents of one the shoeboxes.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Luke

Luke Smith shows a box he packed.<\/p><\/div>\n

Luke Smith, a freshman who is living in the men\u2019s house and seeking a degree in sport management<\/a>, enjoyed assisting with the shoeboxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just makes me realize that we\u2019re doing good things for kids who need it that don\u2019t have a lot. It helps me to want to do better, be better and help more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another student in the center who supported the effort was Rylee Durrence a freshman pursuing a degree in sport science<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s 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\u2019t heard that before,\u201d Durrence said. \u201cWhen we get to give them something they need or something they can play with, that\u2019s such a meaningful activity for us to do. It teaches us about spreading the Gospel to others and the importance of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional information about Operation Christmas Child is available at https:\/\/www.samaritanspurse.org\/what-we-do\/operation-christmas-child\/<\/a>. Further details about Tusculum\u2019s campus ministries are available at https:\/\/site.tusculum.edu\/campus-ministries\/<\/a>. To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GREENEVILLE<\/strong> \u2013 Tusculum University<\/a> 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\u2019s Purse.<\/h3>\n

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<\/a>, organized the event and partnered with the Rev. E.J. Swatsell, director of spiritual life<\/a> and special projects, to involve the students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope the students experience the joy of giving,\u201d Dr. Krist said. \u201cPart 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the full article…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[131,91,7,19,142,146,1,6,148,147,149,172],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nTusculum students from the Discipleship Living-Learning Center prepare shoeboxes for children in need across the world :: Tusculum University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/tusculum-students-from-the-discipleship-living-learning-center-prepare-shoeboxes-for-children-in-need-across-the-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tusculum students from the Discipleship Living-Learning Center prepare shoeboxes for children in need across the world :: Tusculum University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GREENEVILLE \u2013 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\u2019s 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. \u201cI hope the students experience the joy of giving,\u201d Dr. Krist said. \u201cPart 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.\u201d Read the full article...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/news\/2025\/tusculum-students-from-the-discipleship-living-learning-center-prepare-shoeboxes-for-children-in-need-across-the-world\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUSCULUM UNIVERSITY NEWS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-24T15:51:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-25T03:08:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www3.tusculum.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-min-22-300x204.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jim Wozniak\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" 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