!["I enjoy the Christian lifestyle a lot more" ... John Kirk. Picture by Mark Bode "I enjoy the Christian lifestyle a lot more" ... John Kirk. Picture by Mark Bode](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/46a1b233-2ddc-4c97-8ef8-02609dfb5969.jpg/r0_0_3629_2218_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
John Kirk's faith flowed from him with the natural grace of a river. At age 23, he is a young man possessed ... by God.
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And now the Hllvue Rovers co-coach and striker has reached an important juncture in his life. His decision as a teenager to embrace his Christianity has led him to this point: wanting to work full-time with children in a Christian setting.
He's not entirely sure what form that calling will take. It may involve a youth-ministry role.
He recently started casual work as a teacher's aide at Carinya Christian School, but is a house painter by trade at Robert Haskard Painting.
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"I'm a Christian guy," he said. "So I believe God's given me the gift of working with young children and teens. So I wanna use that [gift] - and there's not many kids or teens in painting."
"It's probably only clicked recently, within the last two or three years, maybe," he said of his desire to combine his faith with mentoring children in some way. "But I just wanted to wrap up my [painting] apprenticeship first and get something under my belt."
Sitting at a bench at Anzac Park, as the sun hung low in a flawless sky, the Anglican said his faith was tested when he left home and his parents were not there "pushing" him "a little bit" to stay true to his roots.
Entering "the real world", he said, presented challenges. "I tried to push God away for a little bit, but realised that wasn't the way to live."
!["I love the coaching side of the game." Picture by Mark Bode "I love the coaching side of the game." Picture by Mark Bode](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/be2e37cd-e97f-48e4-9a5a-c01e08afc608.jpg/r0_0_3535_2875_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
In short, he said he enjoyed "the Christian lifestyle a lot more" than a non-Christian existence.
At Trinity Church in Tamworth, Kirk has immersed himself in his faith. He said he was "heavily involved" with the church's youth ministry.
"And really enjoying my time there," he said of Trinity, adding: "They've welcomed me with open arms."
Kirk was born in Orange, and was seven when his family moved to Tamworth.
Years later, his nine-month stint working in disability services in Moree ended when his current boss, Robert Haskard, asked him to join South United Football Club.
Kirk countered by asking Haskard for a job.
I love Tamworth. The Sydney traffic drives me barmy.
Kirk left Souths to join Hillvue last year. Along with co-coaching the Rovers' first-grade side, the Peel High alumnus also coaches the club's under-14 side.
Last Saturday, Hillvue won for only the second time since their Premier League return last season, when they beat Demon Knights 2-1. They play winless Tamworth FC at Riverside on Saturday.
"Loving it," Kirk said of his Rovers tenure, adding: "I love the coaching side of the game."
Kirk also loves Tamworth. He would move for the right job, but would hate living in a big city.
"The Sydney traffic drives me barmy," this man of God said.
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