Church fitness ministry can be a powerful way to strengthen a congregation and reach out into the broader community. Certainly a big challenge for churches is to develop programming, services and approaches that facilitate effective ministry. However, one of the biggest challenges is to simply have an effective facility. The Imagine Center is an excellent example of a church that has developed a quality facility. Jillian Wells director of the Imagine Center to time to share with Faith & Fitness Magazine how this facility was founded, grew and today serves a growing base of members.
REDEMPTION WORLD OUTREACH CENTER
Redemption World Outreach Center is one of the largest churches in South Carolina, with over 11,000 members. Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Redemption World Outreach Center was founded in 1991 by Senior Pastor Ron Carpenter. The church also has satellite campuses in Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina.
According to its website, Redemption World Outreach Center was formed with the primary goal of bringing the word of God to people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. Through the word of God, Redemption aims to break poverty mindsets, remove religious barriers, and destroy the walls of racism that divide people. Anyone who attends a Sunday service, or watches their weekly telecast will find out that this isn’t just rhetoric. Redemption World Outreach Center is truly a special place, where you’ll find a beautiful mix of people from different races; ages and socio economic backgrounds all coming together to worship as one.
Located on the primary Greenville campus, the Imagine Center was created to educate, empower and serve. All profits from the Imagine Center are put directly back into Upstate community development, inner city outreach, job connection services, teen impact, crime prevention, small business startup initiatives, and other community programs focused on improving quality of life right here at home.
Several months ago, I had a chance to interview Imagine Center Facility Director, Jillian Wells. I wanted to learn more about the work being done at the Imagine Center and the positive impact their fitness and recreation ministry is having in the Greenville, South Carolina community.
JILLIAN WELLS – IMAGINE CENTER FACILITY DIRECTOR
Rob: How did you initially become involved with the Imagine Center?
Jillian: I first moved to Greenville back in 2002. I actually worked as a Meteorologist and news reporter for Fox Carolina, and a career move for this job is what brought me to Greenville. I eventually left the TV business and transitioned into a sales career. I’ve always been passionate about working out and leading a healthy lifestyle, so I was blessed to be hired as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Imagine Center when we first opened in June of 2009. I thoroughly love working here, and I was promoted after a couple of years to the Facility Manager.
Rob: What prompted RWC to begin a fitness ministry, and how long did the process of planning the Imagine Center take?
Jillian: I wasn’t involved in the decision process, but from what I know, our Pastor, Ron Carpenter, wanted to incorporate not only a spiritual teaching, but the whole body—as intended by Christ, it’s spirit AND body. By offering a facility that included fitness education and equipment to incorporate a healthy lifestyle, the congregation could live in the body God intended them to have. In addition, by offering a fitness club to non-church members, we could hopefully spread the word of God to others never intending to come to church. And through paying memberships, funds could be used for outreach programs put on by the church. In addition, the facility could double as a place for at-risk teens to play basketball instead of being on the streets, church league teams could play and practice and other outreach programs could be held at the facility.
Rob: What challenges or obstacles did you face as you explored the process of launching a fitness ministry?
Jillian: Everyone has been on board and very supportive of the fitness ministry. Our challenges do not come from the church, rather from non-church members assuming you have to be a church member to utilize the facility, and our location is not very visible from the road. Therefore, we’re still trying to get the word out that the Imagine Center is here.
Rob: How many members does the Imagine Center have, and how much does it cost to join?
Jillian: We have approximately 2100 members and our membership is $34/month for 1yr contract or $29/month for a 2yr contract. Redemption members receive a special $25/month rate. All additional family members living in the same household can join for $15/month each.
Rob: How many full and part time employees does the Imagine Center have?
Jillian: 5 Full-time and 40 Part time employees. This covers our Front Desk/Receptionist (coverage during all open hours, including 24hrs throughout the week), Sales, Café, Operations/Housekeeping, Group Fitness Instructors (we have several of these employees who only teach a few classes a week, but we offer nearly 70 classes each week, so there are several group fitness employees), and Childcare.
Rob: What attributes separate the Imagine Center from other facilities in your area, and how do they factor in the decision as to whether or not someone decides to join?
Jillian: Our facility is very unique, from the state-of-the-art Sprung structure, to all our equipment, amenities, and family-friendly atmosphere. Our customer service is outstanding, and everything we offer is included in our membership—free group fitness classes, free childcare and full access to our 3 basketball courts, indoor track, cardio/free weight areas, café, full-service locker rooms with sauna, showers and towel service, ladies only area, cycling studio, and we’re open 24 hours! We also offer personal training for an affordable price. You cannot find another facility with everything we offer for the price. There are several other good facilities in our area, but none truly compare to what we offer.
Rob: What role do you see fitness ministry playing in the church as a whole in the future?
Jillian: I feel our continued efforts and education on health/wellness will spread through the church congregation and continue to bring more church members to become gym members.
Rob: What percentage of your fitness ministry members are also members of your church?
Jillian: Approximately 40%
Rob: Has the Imagine Center met the expectation level to date?
Jillian: Yes, we are close to where we expected to be at this point—if anything we’d like to have more church members as gym members, but it’s a continued effort to educate and encourage members to join. We will always continue to shoot higher and set high standards for the years to come.
Rob: What advice would you offer other churches that are considering launching a fitness ministry of their own?
Jillian: I suggest opening the facility to everyone (not just church members) and make sure to market the church fitness ministry to everyone. Offer great facilities and equipment, as this will set you apart from other fitness clubs, and provide an experience people cannot get anywhere else. There will likely be other gyms in the area, everyone had workout equipment, everyone has classes, but make sure you have “something” that sets you apart. For us it’s our Christ centered atmosphere, community outreach and all the amenities at an amazing price. Find your niche and make it work for you.
