In the early 1980's, World Impact started ministries to the whole person, while keeping its priority of evangelism and discipleship. In 1982, the Los Angeles Christian School was opened and Morning Star Ranch was acquired to disciple young men from the inner city. By 1984, World Impact began job training opportunities (Inner City Enterprises), a thrift shop (The Sonshine Shop), and the Newark Christian School, while writing a culturally-conducive “through-the-Bible” curriculum. Out of these experiences, Keith wrote No Quick Fix, explaining the need for ministry to the whole person and the importance of whole families. In 1986, the Wichita Village property was acquired, from which the Good Samaritan Clinic was launched, an old Y.M.C.A building was remodeled for ministry in St. Louis, low-income housing was developed in Newark, and God provided THE OAKS camp, 65 miles north of Los Angeles. In 1988, the Chester, Pennsylvania, ministry opened, and ministry centers in San Diego and Fresno were remodeled.

During the 1980's, the efforts of evangelism and discipleship were bearing fruit and new believers were forming into worshiping communities, leading World Impact to plant culturally-relevant churches in the inner city. The massive numbers of immigrants from Central America and Asia, along with the growing numbers of urban poor, underscored the need to not only evangelize and disciple individuals, but to establish new churches among the poor. In 1990, church planting became the primary strategy to evangelize, equip, and empower the urban poor.

• In 1981, Morning Star Ranch in Kansas established a two-year discipleship program for young men from the city. Keith wrote The Making of a Disciple.
• In 1982, we opened the Los Angeles Christian Elementary School, which emphasizes academic competence, Christ-like character and self-confidence to prepare our students for a lifetime of discipleship.
• In 1984, we started Inner City Enterprises, a job-training program which taught young people how to work.
• In 1985, Keith wrote No Quick Fix. World Impact started the Newark Christian School and thrift stores in several cities (Sonshine Shops). In Newark, we renovated abandoned row-houses and rented them to families involved with our ministry. Later, many of those families bought these homes.
• In 1986, the former-St. Louis YMCA building was remodeled into a Ministry Center with the help of thousands of volunteers and inner-city workers. An 11-acre, 88-unit apartment complex (The Village) was acquired in Wichita for use as a worship center and the Good Samaritan Clinic. We acquired a 172-acre camp, The Oaks, 65 miles north of Los Angeles and built a prayer chapel.
• In 1987, a 10,000-square-foot gymnasium was built for our Los Angeles ministry and Christian School.
• In 1988, Ministry Centers in Fresno and San Diego were acquired for worship and job training. Our Chester, Pennsylvania ministry opened. We acquired a school building in Chester to start the Frederick Douglass Christian School. We started Saturday-night Celebrations across the country for urban believers.
• Massive immigration took place in our cities during the 80s. Millions came in from Latin America and Asia. Our Los Angeles Celebration Church went from English speaking, to English and Spanish, to all Spanish. Fresno missionaries ministered to many Hmong, Vietnamese and Cambodians.