Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine….
Ephesians 3:20-21, ESV
Have you ever seen God turn what seemed like a small idea into something so wildly wonderful that only He could be responsible? You will if you come shop at The Gift Goes On, Council Road’s beloved purchasing-for-a-purpose event on November 19th! But to fully appreciate its wonder, you should hear how far it has come from where it began.
An Odd “Little” Idea
When God gives us an idea, it often sounds a bit odd. Such was the case almost 17 years ago when God gave me an idea for a women’s Christmas event. I knew the idea had to be from Him because it really didn’t sound like me at all.
I had been a Bible teacher, disciple maker and author, deeply committed to helping women connect the dots from God’s Word to their everyday lives, but the truth is that I was floundering personally. I was coming out of four years marked by deep grief and depression over the deaths of both my parents and my ministry as I had known it. Thinking surely it was time for me to again use the ministry gifts God had given me, I was begging Him for direction.
During this time, I was driving down the road and thinking about the upcoming holidays - of how tired the mere mention of them seemed to make my girlfriends and of how much I had previously enjoyed choosing some gifts that impacted those even beyond my intended recipients. (Think: buying gifts from a company like TOMs shoes who donated a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair you bought.) Suddenly, I had an idea…
What if you could create a fun Christmas event where women could do a lot of their Christmas shopping at once and if you could gather vendors who would donate part of their proceeds to a greater cause? That would help my friends and allow them to do even more than buying great presents!
These are not the kind of ideas that a worn out Bible teacher has.
And yet…the idea wouldn’t let me alone, so I assumed it was some sort of odd idea from God. With the help of a couple friends (shout out to Monica Gonzalez Brown ahd Heather McAnear!), The Gift Goes On was born. It was so very tiny with only 5 vendors in our small Chapel. To our surprise, the place was packed to capacity, women shopped like it was their job, and everyone seemed so happy that a small percentage of the proceeds went to some missional causes we had chosen.
Growing Pains
The next year we moved to our CUBE auditorium, doubled our vendors and added a respectable store front vendor, included a table of Auction items, and chose new ministries to benefit. Again, the place was packed to capacity. Some of the Vendors sold out and I think the auction proceeds alone doubled what we were able to give the year before! But it was year 3 that changed everything.
Needing more space, we asked our Outside the Walls pastor, Clint Chamberlain, if we could use the CUBE Commons area for TGGO and if there was a ministry our pastors were particularly excited about that we might donate our upcoming proceeds toward. He immediately mentioned that we were starting something called The Karis Adoption Fund to make adoptions more financially possible for families of faith. Christmas + giving kids a family??? Yes, please! Clint was so excited that we would give our proceeds to the fund that he asked if we’d mind making TGGO a community-wide event instead of just for CRBC women.
Immeasurably More
Fast forward another 11 years and The Gift Goes On has grown from a tiny shopping event for CRBC women to a community-wide event that has helped 199 children find families of their very own! 199 orphans turned into sons and daughters!!!
Managed now by Carisa Wilsie and the Karis Board, with Heather coordinating up to 40 shopping vendors, TGGO has hosted sellers of everything from treats for pets to fine art. Along with the food trucks that have joined the party, each donates at least 20% of their proceeds. Some of these (the Simple Modern, Foods to Go, and the Ornaments booths), plus a dozen auction table contributors and several big ticket raffle contributors donate ALL their proceeds to help make adoption affordable for families of faith. Along with sponsorships, approximately 1 million dollars has been contributed since the beginning!
Men, women, teens…you are going to shop for someone this Christmas, so do it at The Gift Goes On where your purchases will help change someone’s life forever! We have some exciting new vendors and silent auction donors (including Bald and Bearded’s nfl inspired designs), as well as some beloved favorites like Plenty, Paper + More, Classic Charms Permanent Jewelry, and Preacher Pottery. Come shop at The Gift Goes On and see what God is doing!
The Gift Goes On
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
4 PM - 8:30 PM
The Cube at Council Road Baptist Church
7903 NW 30TH, Bethany, OK
Meet the Author!
Bible teacher, author, inspirational speaker, and disciple-maker, Vickey Banks is passionate about helping women connect the dots between God’s Word and their everyday lives. She loves serving as Women’s Ministry Director at Council Road and as a Lifeway Women’s Ministry Trainer, pursuing a Master of Biblical Studies at Moody Theological Seminary, celebrating her people, and getting lost in a good story.