The Kirkmans are moving to the West Side - and we couldn't be more excited! God has been working on this move for a couple of years. We attended a Children's Ministry Day sponsored by the local Baptist Association that gave us our first glimpse at what the Challenge House ministry was all about. We visited all 3 houses - 2 were fully functional and the 3rd was under construction with a major renovation/remodel. Brad and I walked away from that day very impressed with the Challenge House movement going on here in Hopkinsville. Little did we know that the 3rd house was being renovated for us to one day live in!
"The goal of the Challenge House movement is to make it easy for people to live out their faith within an under-resourced neighborhood. While they are there to share not only their Christ-centered reason for relocating, they are also there to help connect kids and adults to opportunities of education, employment, and life skills." In simpler terms, we will be moving from the comfortable, safe, suburban house that we own, to living in a home we don't own in an "inner city" type neighborhood riddled with poverty and all that goes with it. We are doing this to show this neighborhood the love of Christ, to give them hope, to show them how to "take back" their community.
We are excited about meeting and befriending our new neighbors, about starting Bible studies, after school tutoring programs, and adult education opportunities, all of which will take place in our house! God has removed our anxiety about this move and replaced it with a great sense of peace. We are trusting him to protect us and to open doors of opportunity to share our faith. If God is for us, then who can be against us?! (Romans 8:31)
