LONDON, ENGLAND (ANS) -- Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse UK is partnering with the National Day of Prayer and Worship to mobilise thousands of believers towards London's Wembley Stadium, to join with them in praying for some of the poorest and most vulnerable children around the world.

Esma & Resye from Kosova receive their shoeboxes

Operation Christmas Child is the largest project of Samaritan’s Purse and on September 29th, as tens of thousands of Christians gather together at Wembley there will be a time of prayer for the children in over 105 countries who’ll be receiving OCC shoeboxes this year.

“We’ll be coming together to pray for some of the neediest children around the globe, including those who are orphaned, living in poverty and disease and victims of trafficking,” said Samaritan’s Purse UK Executive Director Simon Barrington.

He added: “We’re also coming together to praise God and celebrate all that’s been done through the 94 million acts of compassion that have been carried out through Operation Christmas Child over the last 22 years. Each one of these shoeboxes is an opportunity to share God’s love and for Churches overseas to point children to Jesus Christ as their saviour at Christmas.”

NDOP Wembley poster

“NDOP Wembley is delighted to be partnering with Samaritan’s Purse, as we strongly believe in the importance of praying for our future generations both in the UK and around the world. It’s particularly important to mobilise the thousands who’ll be gathered at Wembley Stadium to pray for the most marginalised of children being reached with the gospel through the wonderful work of Operation Christmas Child,” said GDOP London Convener Jonathan Oloyede.

NDOP Wembley organisers say the event will be an historic opportunity for the church of the British Isles from every denomination, stream, and tradition to unite at Wembley Stadium to pray for our nation.

Excited girl in Liberia

Last year, hundreds of thousands of children and adults from across the UK got involved in OCC - including many churches, schools and workplaces - wrapping, packing and sending nearly 1.1 million shoeboxes full of gifts to disadvantaged children in Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Simon Barrington believes prayer is fundamental to the work of Samaritan’s Purse, and is the key to the Church reaching out to children in the UK and overseas, which is why the charity is partnering with NDOP Wembley:

“Children have often been neglected by the Church and neglected in mission. Prayer is vital to reaching the next generation, so I think this is a significant moment when the church comes together to pray for the world’s children and to pray for the global Church as we all seek to bring the good news of Jesus Christ and the life of Jesus Christ into our neighbourhoods.

“We also need to pray for a fresh outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the children of the UK and on Churches as they seek to present the Gospel to them in a relevant way. They are the future and the present and the real hope for our nation.”

To find out more about Samaritan’s Purse in the UK, visit

www.samaritans-purse.org.uk

To book your tickets today for NDOP Wembley call +44 800 756 5451 weekdays 8:30am – 5pm or you can book your tickets securely online at www.ndopwembley.com

Follow on Facebook: ndopwembley Twitter: @ndopwembley

Peter Wooding is an award-winning TV, radio and print journalist and media consultant under the name of Peter Wooding Productions (www.peterwoodingproductions.com). Having previously spent 10 years as news editor with UCB Radio in the UK, he has travelled extensively reporting from countries including Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Dubai, South Korea, Zambia, Gambia, Mozambique, Croatia, Israel and India. He now reports regularly for CBN News, ASSIST News Service, GDOP London, Russian Ministries, Whispering Word and Sorted Magazine. Peter and wife Sharon live in North Wales, UK with their three children. Passionate to see God’s Justice and Mercy impact lives, Peter is director of a new UK ministry Mercy Projects International (www.mercyproject.org.uk) to help at-risk young people in Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Kosovo, the Middle East and beyond. Contact Peter for consultation at: peter@peterwoodingproductions.com or tel. +44 1244 549167/+44 7500 903067