Southeast Christian Church, CrossRoads transforming Louisville neighborhood

A few years ago, The Fuller Center for Housing set out to make the best of a bad situation after the housing market collapsed and foreclosures soared. The Fuller Center started a program — Save a House/Make a Home — through which banks and other property holders could donate houses in desperate need of repair. Fuller Center covenant partners would accept those homes and transform them into like-new homes for families in need of simple, decent places to live.

No covenant partner has done more in that arena than The Fuller Center for Housing of Louisville, Kentucky.

Working in partnership with The Fuller Center of Louisville, Southeast Christian Church joined forces with Greater New Beginnings Christian Church to renovate eight such homes in West Louisville last year.

Building upon that success, Southeast Christian is now working again through The Fuller Center and in partnership with CrossRoads Missions and other local churches to expand that work to 12 homes this summer.

“Transforming a neighborhood helps people move from the pew to the parking lot.” — Rob Minton, Executive Director, CrossRoads Missions

This year, Crossroads Missions will organize volunteers and oversee construction for the transformation project in West Louisville. It’s a massive undertaking with room for more than 4,000 volunteers, who can volunteer for hours, days or more. Families and small groups may volunteer to serve together.

“I love seeing what the body of Christ can accomplish when we work together,” CrossRoads Executive Director Rob Minton said. “When people show up to rebuild a house, it’s almost never the group we’d choose. Most are not decorators, homebuilders or men and women skilled in the trades we need. But when we get 10 or 100 volunteers together, they are able to transform a home. Their skill set is valuable to the kingdom.”

That excitement, Minton said, is contagious.

“Transforming a neighborhood helps people move from the pew to the parking lot,” Minton added. “Projects give them a chance to get them into the community and neighborhood. As people volunteer in West Louisville, they’ll see that their time, gifts and resources are making a difference. At the same time, they build relationships with other volunteers and homeowners.”

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in the Southeast Outlook