CARROLLTON, Texas — Tuesday night at a church in Carrollton was about more than just celebrating the gift that brings the congregation to church for a Christmas Eve service. It has also become a traditional moment for the church to offer gifts of its own.
The Christmas Eve service at Freedom Church was standing room only, with the congregation greeted in the foyer by a pianist offering both Christian and secular Christmas music. Traditional hymns, communion, and a candlelight rendition of Silent Night would be part of the service. But so would a portion of the service that pastor Kendall Bridges said has become a 5-year tradition.
"I don't think I ever want to do Christmas Eve again without just being a blessing to somebody," he told the congregation. He was talking about where church leadership looks at their year-end budget to see just how many organizations and people they might be able to monetarily bless.
"I think when people know you've got somebody in your corner, it changes everything," Bridges told us. "You can get through anything if you know somebody's got your back."
And with almost $70,000 to give away, they covered a lot of backs.
Several missionaries, teachers and church leaders in the Freedom Church effort to reach non-English-speaking congregations received upwards of $10,000 to continue their work in the DFW area and abroad. The church supports missionaries in Tunisia and Brazil and supports local efforts to reach Spanish and Bulgarian congregations, just to name a few. Another $10,000 was gifted to the American Warrior Association, a veteran services organization closely allied with Carry the Load, to continue their work to reduce veteran suicides and other impacts on veteran and first responder families.
And then gifts to individuals like Adam Threadgill, a young father raising his toddler daughter Ryder on his own.
"Adam here's $1,000 to help you," Bridges told him on stage as he also presented Ryder and other children with Christmas gifts they opened on stage. "Thank you for being a great single dad."
"It's amazing," Threadgill told us afterwards. He'd been in a minor car accident within the last week. His deductible happens to be $995. "It just shows that there's still there's still people that are good that are going to do good things that are going to help people no matter what. And I love that."
And another $1,000 went to Veronica Alvarado, a single mom of five who has two children with her here in the Carrollton area while her ex-husband raises the three older kids as they finish high school in Colorado.
"Thank you for being a faithful single mom,"Bridges told her as her children were also presented with Christmas gifts. "I know it's not easy. But thank you. You guys are loved."
"There's been times when I've struggled to buy groceries for the week," Alvarado told us. "And just having myself to rely on it's really nice to know I have this church family that is here to help me."
"I think for us showing that kind of support for these families lets them know they're not alone," Bridges said, promising that this is a Christmas Eve gift-giving tradition the church will continue as long as it possibly can.
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