Are you Ready for The Gift Goes On?
By Carisa Wilsie
It feels like fall is finally arriving! Fall is wrapped up in crisp mornings, falling leaves, football and pumpkin spice. But most importantly, fall ushers in the Advent season. I love that Council Road focuses on Jesus during Advent. A precursor to advent at CRBC is The Gift Goes On (TGGO). It is such an amazing opportunity for our church to show the love of Jesus while we are Christmas shopping, and while we point people to the work of Christ as we move into the Advent season. To the community, TGGO initially looks like just a shopping event, but it is much more! For those new to CRBC, here is a description of TGGO.
TGGO was started in 2011 with a group of ladies led by Vickey Banks and Heather McAnear to raise money for missions. The next year, TGGO fundraising went exclusively to the Karis Adoption Fund. CRBC started the Karis Adoption Fund that year with a $10,000 donation to help families in the process of adoption. We have gradually moved from serving families at CRBC, to families all over the OKC metro area, then to all of Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. We also have served a few families in the Ukraine who are Christians adopting within the country. We grow to new areas as we see there is a new need. To date, over 160 children have benefitted from the Karis Adoption Fund!
Our fund manager is Lifesong for Orphans. They receive the applications and then join the Karis board to approve requests. I am chairperson of the Karis Adoption Fund board. Karis provides adoption assistance through matching and outright grants and no-interest loans. Private adoptions can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 from estimates I have seen lately. The average need for families who apply to Karis is around $40,000. We don’t want finances to EVER be a reason that a child who does not have a mom or dad can’t go live in a forever Christian home. Lifesong partners with other organizations that help families to raise matching funds, and one of these organizations also serves widows so that we can pull together serving orphans and widows at the same time (James 1:27). How amazing is that?
To serve these families, we needed a fundraising mechanism that would raise large amounts of funds! TGGO started by raising over $12,000 in one night in 2012, which was amazing! CRBC has embraced TGGO, and it has grown more and more every year. Last year, in the midst of a pandemic, with a smaller and more socially-distanced event with online shopping and auction, we were able to raise over $104,000! As we counted the funds that night, tears just flowed down my face. I couldn’t contain my gratefulness to God for all of His faithfulness in a year that I feared would be hard to raise funds. In total, TGGO has raised $479,640.24. With sponsorships already promised this year, we will go over half a million dollars, all because YOU are committed to changing orphans into sons and daughters. All money raised goes directly to families in the process of adopting as we ensure there is no overhead for TGGO or the Karis Adoption Fund.
TGGO raises money through many different avenues. We have popular OKC storefronts and local artisans who offer high-quality products for everyone on your Christmas list. From clothing, home décor, jewelry, leather goods, kitchen spices, bath salts, toys, photography and art gifts, pottery, plants, water bottles, ornaments, food...the list is endless. Many of our favorites are returning, and we also have a few new exciting booths this year! Our vendors give 20 percent of their sales from the night and online sales. Their generosity every year amazes me.
TGGO also has a silent auction. This year the auction will take place both online and in person. We have amazing packages for your Christmas list or for your family to enjoy. We have the hottest toys, latest technology gadgets, kitchen items, home décor, family game and outdoor packages...all with 100 percent of funds going directly to adopting families.
TGGO raffle is always a favorite. We always get the hottest items for the raffle, and the tickets are all 100 percent donations to Karis. We will unveil the raffle items soon, so check back here and on social media. We have the best food trucks so you can grab dinner before you come inside or catch a treat on your way out. The food trucks donate 10 percent of their revenue, which is very generous given food cost and truck expense. There is a $5 admission donation at the door that goes directly to Karis.
What has elevated fundraising in the last few years is the sponsorship program. Local businesses donate and get recognition at the event and online. The sponsorships have helped raise more money at TGGO than we ever thought possible. That businesses would devote funds to support the cause of the orphan, even many outside of Council Road, shows the heart of God’s people. If you are interested in being a sponsor for TGGO, please contact me at wilsie@councilroad.org or see www.thegiftgoeson.com.
How can you help?
1. Shop November 16, from, 5-9 p.m. at the Cube or online! Shop with us knowing that your purchase has a purpose for changing orphans into sons and daughters.
2. Spread the word. Invite your friends, especially those outside of CRBC who may not hear about the event. Share the social media posts. We are on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @thegiftgoeson and @thegiftgoeson1. Promote our website www.thegiftgoeson.com. Tell business owners you know about the sponsorship opportunity.
3. Volunteer that night or prior. There are a lot of needs for an event with 500 to 600 people in attendance. Sign up under the volunteer tab at www.thegiftgoeson.com or see https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A084FAEA928A2FD0-volunteer3.
4. Pray for protection for those in key roles at the event: leadership, vendors, food trucks, volunteers. We want everyone to be healthy and safe. Pray for good weather the night of the event. Pray for promotion of the event to reach the right people. Pray we can broaden the reach of the Karis Adoption Fund in the same way as we promote TGGO. Pray that people will see the heart of the Gospel in everything we do!
Hope to see you November 16 from 5-9 pm at the Cube! Watch social media for all of the updates
Author Bio
Carisa Wilsie, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and orphan care advocate. She is involved in state efforts to better the lives of children with compromised beginnings in Oklahoma. She does life with many bright, compassionate and encouraging people that hold her up. She is a wife and mother to three who were born out of her heart through adoption. Most importantly, she is a Christ-follower and strives every day to live out her unique calling.