KICKO has been faithfully ministering in Knoxville’s inner city since 1995. Since its inception, more locations have been added, more relationships built in our inner city community, and more lives touched and transformed. But there is always more!

We want to be faithful with the favor and relationships God has given us. We believe there is a grander scheme that God has in mind, and we are hoping to partner with area churches to see that manifested. We are calling it Community Transformation (CT).

This partnership isn’t a 6 month, 1 year, or even 2 year commitment. John Wesley (Founder of Methodism, 1703-1791) said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” “As long as you ever can,” that pretty much sums up our commitment timeframe for the Community Transformation initiative.

We believe each community is different, and therefore this process will have certain phases that are similar but never identical in any two locations. We believe that we are whole people and must be reached and transformed wholly with the message of Christ. While KICKO will continue to specifically target Knoxville’s inner city children and youth, we would be shortsighted to not recognize the need to touch their families and communities holistically. We invite you to join us in a messy journey to reach a community and see it transformed through the power of God one person at a time!

Here is our three-fold approach:

Prayer—
Prayer isn’t an option, nor is it the crutch for lack of anything better to do. We believe prayer is essential to preparing the soil of each heart, to seeing generational habits and addictions broken, and to allowing us to receive Divine strategy. Prayer unites us, gives us compassion for others, allows us to align our motives and desires with God’s, and is the life-force to anything lasting.

Six months of prayer and prayer walks will be the minimum for any given community adopted for our Community Transformation initiative before the next steps are taken. Prayer and prayer walks do not end at this point, in fact they should never end. They are the ‘game changer’ for CT to occur.   

House Churches or Bible Studies—
Extending God’s Kingdom is the greatest way to chase out darkness with light. The conversion and discipleship of individuals in a CT community will be key to seeing indigenous spiritual leadership raised up to become mobilized to reach their own community for Christ. Opening their home for a House Church meeting (i.e. Women’s Bible Study, Men’s Bible Study, Family Bible Study) is one of the most organic responses to this process. We believe key individuals are ripe and ready, and some even waiting.

Following the 6 months of monthly prayer and prayer walks we hope to see the first House Churches planted.

Adopt-A-Community Servant Evangelism—
With a trash bag in hand as a name tag describing ‘Servant’ we believe servanthood and humility will be crucial to breaking down stereotypes and barriers in reaching each CT community. It is during this time that each door is knocked, each person seen spoken to, and felt needs unveiled. While trash going door to door, picking up trash along the way, we offer ourselves as servants to this community asking of any needs they might have. Discerning the path of right response we will see felt needs creatively met, GED’s finally obtained, work ethics restored, legal jobs acquired, entrepreneurs redirected, mothers raised, fathers restored, and family healed. Each community will have its own struggles and needs. No two CTs should look alike, as holistic Community Transformation unravels.

The Adopt-A-Community Servant Evangelism should be weekly and started shortly after the initial 6 months of prayer and prayer walks are complete (prayer does not stop after 6 months).