After more than 25 years, the ministry returns to its downtown roots with a celebration of faith, community, and changed lives.
ALEXANDRIA, La. (UrbanCast: 10/28/2026) — More than 25 years ago, Global Impact Ministries began its journey on Third Street in downtown Alexandria.
Today, the ministry is preparing to return to the heart of the city, bringing with it decades of growth, community service, and personal stories of transformation.
On Saturday, October 31, Global Impact Ministries will host its annual Downtown Block Party from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the corner of Fourth and Johnston Streets.
The celebration carries a message that extends beyond one evening of family entertainment.
For Global Impact Ministries, returning downtown represents a homecoming and an opportunity to bring people together as Alexandria continues moving forward.
During a recent UrbanCast Let’s Talk interview, Dr. Tameka Hall, Director of Children’s Church, and David Hamilton, Director of the Changed Program, discussed the ministry’s journey and its vision for the community.
Coming Full Circle in Downtown Alexandria
Hamilton recalled the ministry’s early days in a building on Third Street, where its work began approximately 26 years ago.
Now, Global Impact Ministries is undertaking one of its most ambitious projects: restoring the historic Masonic Building on Johnston Street.
The ministry purchased the building in February 2025. Plans call for a new Alexandria campus that combines worship, community gathering spaces, recreation, and opportunities for local businesses.
Hamilton described proposed amenities that include an auditorium, a rooftop basketball court, and gathering spaces for young people and families.
He characterized the project as “going back to where we started from, but bigger.”
The connection runs even deeper.
During the interview, the guests recalled that Global Impact Ministries once rented space for its children’s church inside the same historic building it is now renovating.
What began as a ministry using rented space downtown has grown into an organization working to restore a landmark for future generations.
Hamilton emphasized that the investment is about more than renovating a building.
He said the ministry wants people from every background to walk through its doors and feel welcomed, respected, and valued.
The project also reflects a broader possibility for Alexandria: preserving its history while creating spaces where residents can connect, grow, and build relationships.
A Block Party That Changed One Woman’s Life
Perhaps the most compelling example of Global Impact Ministries’ impact came from Dr. Hall herself.
During the interview, Hall shared how she first encountered the ministry approximately 24 years ago.
She was pregnant with her daughter and struggling financially and emotionally.
Hall attended a church gathering on the Wednesday before its annual block party. She returned for the celebration later that week.
What she experienced left a lasting impression.
“I was broke,” Hall recalled. “I didn’t see myself as anything. I didn’t think I would live this long because of the lifestyle that I lived.”
But something happened when she attended that block party.
People welcomed her, showed her kindness, and made her feel that she belonged.
“That’s where I was sold because people loved on me,” Hall said.
She decided that Global Impact Ministries would become her church home.
Twenty-four years later, that same woman is Dr. Tameka Hall, serving as Director of Children’s Church and helping guide another generation of young people.
Her journey illustrates why the ministry continues investing in relationships rather than limiting its outreach to occasional events.
Hall explained that some children she mentored years ago have returned as volunteers. They now help teach and encourage younger members of the ministry.
The relationships that began years earlier continue producing opportunities for others.
For Hall, the annual block party is a reminder of the welcome she received and an opportunity to offer that same experience to someone else.
She hopes families attending Saturday’s celebration will leave feeling loved, accepted, and connected to their community.
Faith in Action Beyond the Church Walls
Global Impact Ministries has expanded its work well beyond traditional church services.
Its outreach includes transitional housing for men and women, community feeding programs, grocery assistance, transportation support, and other services designed to help residents facing difficult circumstances.
The organization reports that more than 100 volunteers support its various outreach efforts.
Hamilton also discussed the Changed Program, which meets weekly and provides mentorship and encouragement for people seeking to overcome personal challenges.
The program serves people dealing with addiction, isolation, and other struggles.
Hamilton explained that its commitment goes beyond weekly meetings. Volunteers maintain relationships and make themselves available when participants need additional support.
Hall described a similar approach within the children’s ministry.
She emphasized the importance of trusted adults, consistent mentorship, and understanding the challenges children face outside the church.
Those challenges may include transportation, food insecurity, clothing, or difficult circumstances at home.
Both guests stressed that meaningful community improvement requires relationships, consistent involvement, and a willingness to help people move forward.
The conversation also explored a broader question facing Alexandria: How can churches, businesses, organizations, and residents work together to produce lasting, measurable improvements in everyone’s quality of life?
For Global Impact Ministries, the answer begins with getting involved.
An Invitation to Celebrate Alexandria
That spirit of involvement is at the center of Saturday’s Downtown Block Party.
Under the theme “Good Times. Great People. Stronger Together,” Global Impact Ministries and Explore Alexandria Pineville are inviting families from across Central Louisiana to celebrate together.
The event will feature free games, free inflatables, free candy, and activities for children and adults.
Families can also enjoy a rock-climbing wall, mechanical bull, obstacle courses, music, entertainment, food trucks, and vendors.
Hall said the goal is not simply to draw a large crowd.
Instead, the ministry wants people to meet their neighbors, strengthen relationships, and experience the sense of belonging that first brought her to Global Impact Ministries more than two decades ago.
And the invitation extends well beyond the church’s membership.
“Bring your family. Invite your neighbors. Come and enjoy downtown with us,” Hall said.
Residents from Alexandria, Pineville, and throughout Central Louisiana are welcome.
The celebration also offers an opportunity to recognize the people and organizations working every day to strengthen the community.
For a ministry that began downtown, Saturday represents a meaningful return to its roots.
For Hall, it represents a chance to extend the same kindness that helped change her life.
And for Alexandria, it offers another reminder that progress is not measured solely by new buildings or development.
It is also reflected in stronger families, greater opportunities, and the lives of people who receive the support they need to move forward.
Global Impact Ministries is inviting the entire community to become part of that story, celebrate how far it has come, and share in the possibilities that lie ahead.
Event Information: The Downtown Block Party takes place Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fourth and Johnston Streets in downtown Alexandria. Admission and advertised games, inflatables, and candy are free.
Watch the Full Interview: Dr. Tameka Hall and David Hamilton will appear on UrbanCast’s Let’s Talk, airing Thursday, October 29, at 9 a.m.
