World Changers Meet Needs, Share Gospel in Cleveland

For teenagers, summertime means lounging by the pool, hanging out with friends, and maybe working a part-time job. 

However, for a week in early July, youth from across the country gave up their summer activities to do construction projects and community outreach while sharing the gospel. 

Two hundred and eighty teens and their chaperones gathered to work with Cleveland Hope, formerly known as the Greater Cleveland Baptist Association, where 47.5 percent of the population are unaffiliated with any religious organization.

“There were groups from California that flew in from San Francisco Bay,” said Beth Loseto, mobilization coordinator, Cleveland Hope. “There were groups from Oklahoma that took two days to drive up here. All kinds of different states came to Cleveland for a week.”

The group came to serve in a World Changers construction/community project. The ministry describes itself as “a hands-on mission experience, engaging students in meeting the needs of people in communities across North America. Students are able to put their faith into action by serving others and sharing the gospel.”

After arriving in Cleveland, the group was divided into twenty-four teams that tackled twenty-four projects. “Primarily it was construction, but there were also ministry sites as well,” Loseto noted. “For construction, sometimes they’re helping churches with their buildings.”

Construction projects included installing drywall, building ramps, and knocking down walls, to name a few. 

In addition, students had the unique opportunity to work in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood rehabilitating houses. The local development corporation provided the names of elderly residents who needed maintenance on their dilapidated homes.

The elderly homeowners are having problems with the city because their homes do not meet current city codes. “It’s really hard for these elderly residents,” Loseto said. “The city sends them fines and takes them to court if they don’t fix them.”

World Changers teams stepped in to do the labor at no cost to the homeowners. The development corporation provided grant money for the supplies. In four and a half days of work, teams were able to bring five homes up to code. 

In addition to construction projects, a World Changer team participated in community outreach sports camps at Bridge Church at Perry. An evangelism grant from SCBO provided funds to rent the school venue for sports camp as well as other needed supplies. 

“We are grateful for the generous support of our statewide family of churches,”  said Darin Avery, pastor, Bridge Church at Perry, and Cleveland Hope AMS

“Our 10-person World Changer crew helped Bridge Church at Perry host a two-day afternoon soccer clinic and a four-day morning sports camp featuring flag football, soccer, basketball, creative arts/dance, and ultimate frisbee,” Avery said. 

“We shared Jesus with the Hispanic and non-Hispanic kids who came, and also took steps towards a long-term goal of establishing an ESL program for these neighbors.” `

The four-day sports camp, attended by nearly 70 kids from the broader Perry community and nearby town of Madison, featured daily praise songs, memorizing John 3:16 and hearing Bible stories of Jesus’ love for people. 

“It’s hard to gauge the impact of an event like a sports camp, but we know that many gospel seeds were sown in the hearts of unchurched kids and their parents each day, and our free event creates a ton of good will and name recognition for Bridge Church in our community,” Avery said.

Loseto couldn’t agree more. “People don’t have hope and peace in our city, and it’s really obvious,” she said. “So, for that many believers to literally flood our city for a week has a huge impact.

“You can’t argue with youth who have paid $300 to come to our city to just serve,” Loseto noted. “That kind of puts all the arguments down to say ‘Wait, what’s the difference about these youth.’ It’s Jesus, and they want to know more about Jesus.”

Wait, what’s the difference about these youth.’ It’s Jesus, and they want to know more about Jesus.

World Changers’ youth volunteers were also impacted. During the week, 20 people accepted Christ as their Savior, and many of them were the students. “Many of these youth have the head knowledge of the gospel, but once they get to see other kids serving and see those that are lost, that head knowledge becomes heart knowledge.”

Cleveland Hope will be welcoming World Changers again July 5-12, 2025. Youth groups from Ohio are invited to be a part of this project. For more information contact www.world-changers.net.