Your Christmas shopping could change the world.
That’s what Rosalie Hunt believes, at least. In fact she and others at First Baptist Church, Guntersville, believe it so strongly that they decided to make their Christmas shopping an epic event Oct. 14.
“With the things you buy, you can keep people out of trafficking. You can help people in severe need make a meaningful living. You can help show them the Good News,” Hunt said. “It’s a tangible way to help people around the world from right where you are.”
The “it” is WorldCrafts, a fair-trade ministry that enlists the help of 50 artisan groups worldwide and sells their products on their behalf. Proceeds go to help meet the artisans’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
“We sell the products through our catalogs and website and at parties that people throw at their home, office or church,” said Emily Swader, marketing strategist for WorldCrafts, a ministry of national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU). “You can have parties that are very simple and parties that are very elaborate.”
And Swader said she would definitely classify First, Guntersville’s as a very elaborate party.
“It was just a delight,” said Hunt of the event, which featured $10,000 worth of WorldCrafts products displayed across a dozen display tables.
“We had nativity sets, scarves, jewelry, household items, you name it. People said over and over how nice the products were,” she said. “But even more than that they were impacted by the photos of the artisans displayed beside the products. They could see the people that they were helping, and it was a link from our people to the reality of making a difference in the life of someone on the other side of the world.”
Connecting with the need brought generous responses, Hunt said. More than $7,000 worth of WorldCrafts sold at the party, and several people made donations to WMU on top of buying products. One church member bought gifts for each of the 20 women enrolled in Marshall Baptist Association’s Christian Women’s Job Corps.
One nativity set priced at $80 was sold in a silent auction to benefit the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for missions — and it brought in a winning bid of $959.
“It all showed an attitude of helping that was very special,” Hunt said. “The day really was terrific.”
And it involved a lot of people.
Twenty volunteers planned and manned the WorldCrafts party, held between First, Guntersville’s two morning services.
“We wanted to involve as many people in the church as we could, and we wanted to have it at a time that was convenient and had a captive audience,” Hunt said.
During the party, GAs (Girls in Action) carried around baskets of cookies made by women in the church, and Acteens dressed in costumes from around the world and helped shoppers with their order forms.
“I feel our whole church really felt a difference because of the event,” Hunt said. “It brought out a lot of creativity and awareness, and it went along with the missions theme we have going into Lottie Moon season.”
Swader said themes, posters, step-by-step instructions and even recipes for parties are available on the WorldCrafts website.
“There are plenty of helps available for whatever size party a church wants to have, and you can use what we have or use your own theme,” she said.
More and more churches are finding this is a way to connect their church with needs around the world, Hunt said.
“I’m hoping that even more will hear about WorldCrafts parties and think, ‘Maybe this is something we could do.’”
For information about throwing a WorldCrafts party, call 1-800-968-7301, email worldcrafts@wmu.org or visit worldcrafts.org and click on “parties.”
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