COLD LAKE - This holiday season, the Cold Lake Community Church has embraced the true spirit of Christmas by hosting its first Greatest Gift Christmas Market on Dec. 3 and 4.
The church was transformed into a hub of giving, welcoming anyone struggling to afford gifts for their loved ones to stop by, select, wrap, and take home presents - free of charge.
“It was kind of a group idea. We had a couple in our church that last year went and sponsored a few families… and this year they came and asked how we could do this for more people,” said Mark McMillan, lead pastor at Cold Lake Community Church.
This conversation led to the creation of a market designed to ensure “nobody would have to go without on Christmas morning.”
McMillan highlighted the broad appeal of the event, stressing its focus on inclusivity. “It’s not just focused on kids but focused on people of any age. Someone can get something for a spouse or an adult child. Kids could come and get a gift or two for their parents. And it’s open to anybody in the community that feels they need it this year.”
Proudly introducing the initiative, McMillan added, “This is a brand-new endeavor. This is the first year we’ve ever had this market,” aptly named “The Greatest Gift Christmas Free Market.”
Drawing inspiration from their faith, the church community sought to extend hope and joy.
“We believe that Christ was the greatest gift to the world, and we just want to extend that gift to others,” McMillan explained.
The market was stocked with new and lightly used items, primarily sourced through partnerships with local businesses, community donations, and an innovative collaboration with CityServe. “There’s an Edmonton charity that helps process Amazon returns to non-profits,” McMillan explained, adding, “It was a bit of a mystery, because you never know what you’re getting . . . baby stuff, household items, pillows, blankets, sheets, and all sorts of things.”
By mid-afternoon on the first day, attendance had already exceeded expectations.
“I would say we’ve already had probably 75 or 100 people come through,” McMillan said. Among the attendees were 12 students from the Cold Lake Outreach School who got a sneak peek during school hours.
As visitors explored the market, volunteers were on hand to wrap gifts, offering families the chance to preserve the element of surprise for Christmas morning.
“We have volunteers that are wrapping gifts for people . . . free of charge,” McMillan shared.
The market’s purpose extended beyond providing material gifts.
“We really hope that people will have hope,” McMillan expressed. “There’s a lot of hopelessness . . . people struggling financially, with brokenness in families, health, and addiction.”
For McMillan and the church community, the event was about breaking cycles of isolation and loneliness.
“We’re trying to create opportunities for people to connect in real life . . . and bring back some old-fashioned community-style events that connect people together.”
He emphasized the importance of events like this in building community connections, saying, "No man's an island, and I think it's true now more than ever. Even though we're digitally connected, many people are still relationally disconnected and can feel isolated and alone, even within a community."
The success of the Greatest Gift Christmas Market has already sparked plans for the future.
“I have a feeling that this will likely be something that we do again and hopefully we can expand it and even have more things,” McMillan said.
The Cold Lake Community Church would like to invite people to attend one of their three Christmas Eve services on Dec. 24 at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., or 7 p.m. McMillan described these services as family-oriented and open to all.
“Just one more way for people to be able to come and engage and be part of what we’re doing this Christmas.”
