Alaska churches get behind World Changers for first time

For the first time, Alaska churches are participating in the World Changers program, and the students don't have to leave the state to make a big impact.

Sixth-grade through high school-aged students from Nikiski and Fairbanks are working with the World Changers organization, which is a Southern Baptist organization. This week, they were in the Valley to do home repairs for those in need.

"World Changers stayed in our church and it sounded like fun," said Ashley Samora of Nikiski, who was doing a painting project outside of Wasilla Wednesday morning. "So I've been on that end of World Changers a couple of times, but this is the first time I've been on this end of the brush."

Betsy Joseph and Lili Martin spent Wednesday morning on a hot roof, caulking and putting down shingles. They are from Fairbanks, and they left a project helping build their own church to come help Valley residents in need.

World Changers officials said they know of one Alaskan who has gone to the Lower 48 to work on a mission. He was the recipient of World Changers work twice, and he decided he wanted to give back, and this summer, he is working in Cincinnati. Other than him, no other group has gotten together to go to the Lower 48. But helping in-state is just as important.

"We had a group from Fairbanks get together at the last minute," said World Changers official Chrisynda Moore.

World Changers began in 1990, when 137 volunteers got together to refurbish houses in Briceville, Tenn. Since then, more than 100,000 student volunteers have renovated more than 7,000 homes in 250 communities around the globe.

World Changers is a project of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. The North American Mission Board was founded in 1997 and is one of the largest relief agencies in the country.

The NAMB provides disaster relief, trains missionaries, endorses chaplains, starts new churches and equips existing churches in North American.

Headquartered in Alpharette, Ga., the NAMB has a budget of $123 million, almost 90 percent of which goes to ministry activity.