God’s love is trickling down through the actions of youth in Kentucky Changers, according to Pastor Jimmie Cox of Bethany Baptist Church.
When the Russell Creek Baptist Association, of which Bethany Baptist Church is member, saw a local need for home repairs in Adair County, they contacted Kentucky Changers. This organization serves to connect Baptist associations, homeowners and youth in a very special way.
Low-income homeowners participate and reap benefits at the same time by hosting the volunteers, who provide home repairs during a co-educational project.
Earlier this week 10 volunteers between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, were installing insulation and vinyl siding on the home of Cheryl Rippy on Greensburg Road in Adair County. The teens also helped install a deck Tuesday, their second day on the job at the Adair County residence. Cox said he expected the job to be completed today.
“They’re very hardworking youth, and what they’re doing is a great witnessing tool,” said Cox, one of the five adult crew managers on site.
After a full day of labor, half of the house still showed the green insulation house wrap where siding was needed, and bulky pieces of wood and sawdust from the deck scattered the lawn.
Besides helping homeowners who would be unable to finish these projects alone and connecting them to local churches, the lives of youth participating in Kentucky Changers are affected through the weeklong program.
The aim of the program for the youth is to help them turn their faith into action.
“It doesn’t stop at the work sites. When the youth aren’t here, they have worship time and devotion time at the churches they stay at,” Cox said.
In addition to the group service this week through Bethany Baptist, Cox said there are two other crews working in Adair: one hosted by Columbia Baptist Church and one hosted by Cane Valley Baptist. While each church had separate projects, all three crews were under the same mission as the rest of Kentucky Changers: “Missions as a lifestyle and not a location.”
The Kentucky Changers working on the Rippy residence were comprised of youth from Lincoln, Madison, Pulaski, Ohio, Mulenberg, Hopkins, Christian, Green and Adair counties.
