DALLAS—About 160 middle school and high school students from nine churches across the nation sought to change the world by serving in low-income Dallas neighborhoods.
They worked with World Changers , a ministry of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention that provides opportunities for teenagers to share the gospel through acts of service.
“We feel that today’s students want to make a difference,” said Jonathan Wilson, the strategy and development coordinator for World Changers. “We believe through this effort God’s love can be shown … and communicated to Dallas.”
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Chelsea Owens, a student from Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston, serves with a World Changers team making repairs to homes in low-income areas of Dallas.
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World Changers crews spread across 16 Dallas locations bringing sub-standard housing up to par and bringing hope to communities, Wilson said.
Joyce Rider sat happily on her front porch as a group of eight students and three adults came to her house with paint buckets, brushes, wood planks and hammers.
“It meant everything to me that they would this,” Rider said. “I am so proud of them and appreciate them very much for helping me.”
The crew painted and refurbished wood siding on the home Rider has lived in since 1959.
Matt Spencer, a student from Caribbean Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, was thankful to have ministered to Rider.
“If Jesus could give away his life for people, then I can come and let people know about Christ by helping them,” Spencer said.
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Through service projects, students had the chance to live out their faith.
“If we show them the good that Christians can do, they might … want to be a part of it and become a Christian and follow Jesus Christ,” Spencer said. “Life doesn’t always give you what you want or need. But God does, and he always works it out for the good.”
While World Changers supplied the labor force, local housing agencies provided a list of homes needing modifications and renovations.
“There are a lot of people here in America that are in need,” said Chelsea Owens, a student from Metropolitan Baptist Church in Houston. “Doing missions isn’t just about going to another country. There are people who don’t know Christ right here. Missions can be in our backyard.”
World Changers partnered with other local organizations like People Helping People, a department of the city of Dallas that paid for the jobsite materials.
Wilson describes it as a win-win situation for the community and participants.
“World Changers can repair five to six homes with the same funds that a housing agency uses to hire a contractor to repair just one home,” he said.
Matt Spencer, a student from Caribbean Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, works on a home in Dallas as part of a World Changers team.
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NAMB estimates by the end of the summer, World Changers will have donated $16,767,000 worth of free labor to project cities across the nation.
Baptist churches and associations also play a vital role in the projects, Wilson said.
“The churches do a fantastic job of providing lunches daily for the workers,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for students to see there are churches everywhere that love and support them.”
Casa View Baptist Church in East Dallas housed volunteers and served evening meals. Park Cities Baptist Church’s Disaster Relief team brought shower-mobiles, shampoos and soaps to Casa View nightly.
In the midst of a struggling economy, Wilson said World Changers is thankful for volunteer students, adults and congregations.
“Many of them have made sacrifices to do this,” he said. “They’ve put their money where their faith is.”
That faith draws Shawn Edwards to participate in World Changers. Edwards—Dallas project coordinator and associate pastor at North Park Baptist Church in North Richland Hills—believes after students serve, they are never the same.
“I’ve seen the impact World Changers has on students’ lives,” he said. “I want to do everything I can to help change lives by giving them hands-on mission opportunities like this.”
Vickie Tarleton—missions communications specialist for Dallas area projects and student at Truett-McConnell College in Georgia—said although students come to help others, they inevitably are blessed.
“They come in everyday with stories, and are excited about what they’ve done. They get to meet new people, make lifelong friends, connect with churches and even get opportunities to lead people to Christ,” she said.
World Changers aims to equip students with knowledge so they can touch the world through service, Wilson said.
“A lot of it is … letting students know they are a part of God’s plan to offer redemption to the earth … and share God’s love and salvation to people,” he said.
More than 23,000 participants served in 100 World Changers projects across 85 cities throughout the United States and in 28 international locations this summer.
“There are a lot of students out there who want to make a difference for Christ,” Wilson said. “There really is hope for the nation.”
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