170 Volunteers From 10 States Build Christian School in Week

When temperatures soared last week in Callaway County, Missouri, most people stayed inside. Instead, 170 volunteers from 10 states showed up to build a school.

The volunteers came from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and beyond. They gave up their paid vacation time to help construct Kingdom Christian Academy's new building. Most had never visited Fulton before.

Cal Blackwell and his wife have been organizing these volunteer crews for 37 years. They travel across America building churches and schools, and their team follows a simple philosophy. "We're grateful for what God's done for us," Blackwell said. "We want to give back."

The volunteers started construction at 5 a.m. each morning to beat the heat, working until 2 or 3 p.m. Most aren't professional builders. They simply follow guidance from experienced crew leaders and learn as they go.

Former KCA administrator Tammy Wickham watched the project unfold with amazement. The volunteers completed the gymnasium's wooden framing and trusses in just one week. "These are employed people who have jobs and a house and a car that they have to pay for, and this is their summer vacation," she said.

Everyone found a way to help. Kids ran hydration stations to keep workers cool. Volunteers who couldn't swing hammers sewed bags for foster children at a local shop. Families worked side by side teaching each other new skills.

The Ripple Effect

The construction project sparked generosity throughout Callaway County. Local churches opened their kitchens and classrooms. First Baptist Church provided breakfast space. Callaway Christian offered dorm rooms. Hams Prairie and Lighthouse churches cooked lunch for the crews.

Local families welcomed strangers into their homes. Wickham hosted four families and 10 teenagers. Three other residents did the same. Volunteers who couldn't stay with locals camped at the construction site or stayed at Westminster College.

The kindness inspired Wickham so deeply that she plans to join Blackwell's crew next year. "This is what the Bible preaches, that you're supposed to do and how you're supposed to love people," she said. "I'm overwhelmed, if you want to know the truth."

Kingdom Christian Academy has been meeting at Callaway Christian Church since 2022. Thanks to the volunteers' hard work, students could move into their own building as early as January.

Before the volunteers sealed up the walls, students and staff wrote Bible verses on the wooden studs in permanent marker.