Blessings That Keep Giving
by Heather McAnear
If you’ve been around CRBC much time at all, you’ve probably heard about The Gift Goes On, an incredibly fun and impactful shopping-with-a-purpose event, benefitting the Karis Adoption Fund. This year we had 35 vendors (both online and in-person), four food trucks and awesome raffle and auction items. I hope you were able to come join the fun!
I love the event but wanted to tell you about some other aspects of TGGO that have blessed me over the years. First, I love the way it brings our church together; it takes a village to host an evening like this. For more than a decade, this event has been steadily raising funds to help adoptive families with the financial burden, making it possible to place children in loving homes. I have been honored and humbled to be part of putting together this evening every year, along with our incredible team of faithful volunteers, decorators, word-spreaders, bakers, crafters, donors, organizers, shoppers and vendors who absolutely make it all possible. Thank you for participating. I smile ear to ear seeing our church’s involvement and enthusiasm.
Secondly, the event falls under our “outside-the-walls” ministry, and that is the perfect description for the impact of TGGO. To date, over 177 children have been placed in loving families because of more than $500,000 raised through The Gift Goes On. I still can’t believe that number! I love hearing the “God stories” from Karis families who are connected to Council Road, yet marvel at the fact that we will never meet the majority of them. The fund is now serving families in bordering states around Oklahoma, letting the gift spill over state lines.
Lastly, one of the most surprising blessings I have witnessed, as the vendor coordinator for the event, has been the connection our vendors have to adoption. Four of our new vendors this year have adopted children. Some didn’t even know about Karis when they reached out to join our event, yet when I explained that 20 percent of their sales would go directly to the Karis Adoption Fund, the responses were priceless. I’ve heard these remarks, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize it was an adoption fund-raiser! Both of my kids were adopted!” Or “How incredible…. I was adopted!” One of my favorite remarks and a goose-bump, kind-of-moment happened last year, when a brand new vendor said, “I was adopted, and I just realized this event falls on my ‘Gotcha Day!’” Only God could orchestrate that.
We have been able to build relationships with local shop owners who have told us over and over again how much they love TGGO, and how different the atmosphere is compared with other shows. That's only the work of God and the evidence of His Spirit among us. Only He can use a shopping event to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and connect stories across the globe, placing orphans in loving families. Only an incredibly kind and merciful God like ours continues to layer depth and meaning on this special event, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.
Author Bio
Heather McAnear is a wife, mom, author and speaker with a passion for sharing God's truth to help people use it for God's glory. She also hosts the Uniquely Beautiful Stories podcast on iTunes. She loves teaching young married couples with her husband, homeschooling their three children, traveling the world, enjoying good chocolate and long conversations in coffee shops. CRBC has been her church home for two decades.