Mission Anchorage: Serving the Community

8/25/2016

Making Connections, Meeting Needs, and Opening Doors

Mission Anchorage demonstrates the effectiveness of Alaska Missions' strategy, as meeting needs opens doors to deeper relationships, and the Gospel is made tangible in the lives of Alaskans. Each summer, this long-standing project in Alaska's population center sees growth in relationships with those we serve, and it's taking people from apathy to curiosity about Christ.

As part of the Mission Anchorage program, mornings are spent on service projects for people in need in the community and with local churches and ministries. As relationships in the parks deepen and trust grows, we are also able to organically identify needs of the people around us and step in to help.

This summer, a single mother of four young kids and one on the way made her way to Arctic Benson Park in Anchorage. She was met by Alaska Missions' summer missionaries and volunteer mission teams who fed her hungry kids nutritious lunches, played with them, and taught them Bible stories. From that initial connection, an opportunity grew for Mission Anchorage to meet another, more personal need.

This mother conveyed a need for help at home due to a hoarding problem, and Mission Anchorage stepped up to meet her need as part of the morning service projects. A team of mission volunteers went to her home and performed electrical and plumbing repairs, as well as did a major cleanup of her home and property. What started as a connection in a city park ended up with an invitation to meet needs at home!

This was one of many service projects performed over the course of the summer. Other projects included lawn and garden maintenance, minor construction, sorting and cleanup of storage units, replacing carpets, painting, and craft works at Wayland Baptist University campus; Birchwood Behavioral Health, a not-for-profit Christian ministry providing residential childcare and counseling; and ReMade, a volunteer-run resale store (facilitated by Love INC of Anchorage) whose proceeds go to help empower people who are making positive changes in their lives.

If you love kids, have a heart for the needy, and want to make a difference in Alaska's population center, then Mission Anchorage is for you. Prayerfully consider joining us in 2017 and impact Anchorage for Christ!