The gift-wrapped shoeboxes of Operation Christmas Child are as "Christmas" as tinsel or holly for thousands of churches in the U.S. and abroad. A project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child partners with churches in more than 110 countries to get shoeboxes filled with gifts into the hands of millions of needy children worldwide. This involves the efforts of more than 500,000 volunteers. In 2012, Operation Christmas Child celebrated a milestone: delivering more than 100 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 130 countries since 1993.

It's one of the most impressive efforts of volunteer coordination you'll ever see. But it took strategy and a lot of hard work to get there. Leadership Journal's Paul Pastor caught up with Randy Riddle, the domestic director of Operation Christmas Child, for a conversation about shoeboxes and nurturing a healthy volunteer team.