Alaska, with it’s beauty, wildlife, varied cultures, brilliant sunshine, and lengthy darkness, is certainly a land of extreme adventure and excitement, but a God-given love for its diverse and stalwart people was the true and clear call that brought the early leadership team of Far North Missionary Fellowship to the North Pole, and Fairbanks area.

In the 60’s and early 1970’s, driving over the long graveled road across Canada and into the interior of this expansive state they came, bringing pull-behind camper homes loaded with all their worldly possessions, and a strong desire to serve.

Facilities were rented and a church was established. Land was soon purchased, a log chapel constructed, and ministry housing sites established. The ministry in North Pole grew and resulted in an outreach to the Fairbanks Alaska Native community. In the late 1970’s Far North Christian School was established to serve the families of the ministry and the community.

The ministries of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s included services at the North Pole church, the Fairbanks church and school programs, a children’s home in Dot Lake, AK, village trips by air, road, snow-machine and river boat, and radio programs. Several pilots offered aviation services to the ministry for teams who needed to reach off-road communities.

Co-laboring with other missions groups the ministry hosted college teams and supported further outreach into the Yukon River and other distant communities. These were busy years with children’s programs, summer camps and a strong outreach focus throughout the  Fellowship.

Southside Community is  a caption for the people of the Fairbanks campus, chapel supporters, and those involved in related events and activities, in a continuance of the vision of the early leadership for outreach to Fairbanks and the interior Alaska Native villages.