I’m David Knapp, Associate Broker with Keller Williams Auburn-Opelika and team lead of StillWaters Realty Group, and this post isn’t about interest rates or listing prep. It’s about something that matters more to me than any closing table: what happens when people choose others above themselves, and what that looks like right here in East Alabama and West Georgia.
Before I get to the request, I want to start with a thank you.
Thank You for Sending Us to East Africa
This September, my wife Taylor and I traveled to East Africa. We didn’t get there alone. You prayed for us, supported us, and encouraged us. And every client who let my team serve them through a purchase or a sale this year had a part in it, too. That work enabled me to go. So thank you. Taylor and I are grateful.
Scenes From Our Time in East Africa
A few moments from David and Taylor’s trip to East Africa — reconnecting with the communities, churches, and people impacted by generations of ministry.
What Did We Find in East Africa?
Years ago, my grandparents served in East Africa. I grew up knowing that. This trip, I got to see it firsthand.
We met with dozens of pastors, men who were children back when my grandparents worked in the area. They were impacted by that work. The churches my grandparents helped start are still standing, and those children are now the pastors leading them. Today, those churches impact thousands and thousands of lives.
I sat with that for a long time. It’s an incredible picture of what walking in obedience can do. It’s what laying your life down produces. It’s what choosing others above yourself builds, and it keeps building long after you’re gone.
What Is a Missional Mindset, and Why Bring It Home?
A missional mindset means you live and work with impact in view. It asks what your time, your business, and your relationships are building beyond the next deal.
I got into real estate because I wanted to create a legacy for my family and own a business that lets me pour into others. East Africa reminded me that legacy doesn’t have to wait for another continent. My grandparents’ work proved that the impact outlasts the person. I want to bring that same mindset home to Auburn, Opelika, Phenix City, and every town we serve.
So I’m opening up an opportunity for you to partner with me.
What Is ABEL Ministries?
ABEL Ministries is a faith-based ministry serving East Alabama and West Georgia. It makes a difference in men’s lives every single day by giving them second chances.
Here’s what that looks like on the ground:
- Recovery programs that help men walk out of what held them down
- Housing, so a man in recovery has a stable place to live
- Jobs, so he can support himself and his family
- Support and discipleship, raising men up through a faith-based program
The goal is quality citizens and second chances for whole families. When a man’s life turns around, his children get to grow up in a functional household. That ripple is the same one I saw in East Africa. One life changed becomes many.
How Does Real Estate Connect to Second Chances?
I’ve had the honor of serving this ministry. I’ve helped a number of men whose lives ABEL has impacted buy or sell real estate, and I’ve served at their meetings.
If you’ve worked with me, if you’ve seen how I do business, you know I don’t treat a transaction as just paperwork. A home is stability. For a man rebuilding his life, a home can be the proof that the second chance is real. Helping someone get there is some of the most meaningful work I do as a broker.
That’s why I want to support ABEL beyond the transaction, and why I’m asking you to join me.
What Is the ABEL Ministries Gala?
On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, ABEL Ministries is holding a fundraising gala at Oasis Church International in Phenix City. Here’s what to expect:
- Dinner served to every guest
- Testimonies, firsthand, from the men whose lives are being impacted
- A chance to meet those men and learn what’s changing in their lives
- An opportunity to sow into a ministry making an impact right here, right now
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM Eastern (6:00 PM Central for those of us coming from Auburn and Opelika)
Location: Oasis Church International, 800 Martin Luther King Jr. Pkwy S, Phenix City, AL 36869
I Have a Request for You
I’m sponsoring three tables. That’s 24 seats, and I can get more if we need them.
Would you consider coming and joining us?
You don’t have to be a past client. You don’t have to live in Auburn or Opelika. If we know each other in some capacity (friends, family, church, business, social media), I’d love to have you at one of our tables.
RSVP here: https://forms.gle/9sKEyc6b18aiWP3z6.
We’ll save your seat. If we run out of seats, that would be awesome, because I can get more.
Can You Sponsor Your Own Table?
The short answer is yes. If you’d like to sponsor a table and invite your own people, reach out and we’ll get you the information: [SPONSOR CONTACT]. Business owners, church groups, families, other agents: this is a great way to bring your circle into something that matters. Let’s support each other in that.
Why This Matters to StillWaters Realty Group
In three years, I want StillWaters Realty Group to be known as the team of choice in the Auburn-Opelika area. I also want it to be known for generosity. We run our business at a high level so we can be generous and take care of others. The gala is one of the clearest ways I know to live that out this fall.
My grandparents never saw most of what grew from their work. The pastors I met in September are the proof that it grew anyway. I’d love for our community to plant something like that here.
Save Your Seat
If you’ve read this far, thank you. RSVP at https://forms.gle/9sKEyc6b18aiWP3z6
or reach out to me directly:
David Knapp, Associate Broker | StillWaters Realty Group, Keller Williams Auburn-Opelika
1747 Ogletree Rd Suite C, Auburn, AL 36830
334-750-1700 · davidknapp@kw.com · stillwatersrealtygroup.com
AL License #044998
Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/akrMcS_BTAU
Have a blessed day.
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