By Brad Bloom, Publisher
Are you ready to unwrap something really big? Me too!
FITNESS FIRST
Did you know that December 2019 marks the 168th anniversary of the first YMCA in the USA in Boston. Fast forward a few years and The Jack LaLanne Show first debuted in 1951 in San Francisco and nationwide in 1959. He became a celebrity preaching exercise and good nutrition. Around 1968 Dr. Kenneth Cooper first introduced the term aerobics. The Jane Fonda Workout ushered group exercise into popular culture in the 70’s. We all started dancing in Miami to Zumba in 1999. CrossFit was founded in 2000. American Ninja Warrior first came on the US scene in 2009 the same year we started using the Fitbit. Orangetheory Fitness began in 2010 and Peloton followed in 2012.
Yep, from ClassPass to online personal training and more the fitness culture is alive and well AND constantly evolving into better science, new experiences and cool expressions of active living.
AND NOW THE FAITH
When it comes to Christianity, the fitness lifestyle has been going strong since — we’ll since at least the birth of Christ. Joseph and Mary led the first 90-mile expectant-parents endurance race to “oh little town of Bethlahem”. Christ’s disciples journal quite a bit of group exercise and organic meal prep. Paul one of the New Testament authors often used athletic metaphors to describe the challenges in Christian living. More recently in the mid 1800’s Muscular Christianity came on the scene to offer a physical context and lifestyle approach to a strong faith in Jesus Christ’ teachings. Since then programs, gyms, resources and support like Holy Yoga, Faithfully Fit, Praise Moves, Wholy Fit, The Daniel Plan, The Lord’s Gym, Faith Rxd, Pray Fit, Run For Christ, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and tons more have begun and grown to offer a wide range of ways to do fitness with a distinctly Christian faith experience.
YOU CAN UNWRAP NEW POTENTIAL
I began Faith & Fitness Magazine in 2003 to provide a tool to help people better understand how the Christian faith truly shapes and impacts physical fitness and to equip Christians to climb higher and grow faith-centered fitness as an important part of the fitness culture.
In this issue I hope to offer you a convenient way to review some of the best that we’ve highlighted over the years, a snapshot of what you can anticipate new from several Christian fitness ministries, businesses and leaders, a conversation on what can and should distinctly guide the faith and fitness culture and keys to driving the future of fitness ministry.
These five keys (attentiveness/innovation, clarity, humility, all-in and big-as-God results) helped us identify three businesses to receive Faith & Fitness Magazine’s 2019 Fitness Ministry Award. I know there are many more out there who have heard God’s calling to use fitness as a means to minister to others. I believe as we dig deep and apply these five keys, we’ll see the Spirit of God released in some really amazing ways.
Together (and certainly only with the divine guidance of God) I know we can create fresh products, innovative powerful and effective services and design fellowship-rich places that will truly help people to build both physical and spiritual strength.
So let’s get started, unwrap the fun, release the potential and discover all the fullness of life that Christ intends for humanity. It’s time to give more than you ever thought possible because God wants you to get more than you can handle.
Train strong in Christ,
Brad Bloom, Publisher
