Description: Brad Bloom, publisher of Faith & Fitness Magazine introduces the primary purpose of fitness in the church — ministry! This seminar lays the all important foundation for churches to do fitness ministry. Today, more than ever before there are more fitness options. There are the large big box clubs, community centers, low-cost gyms and specialty facilities. How many gyms in your community provide serious support to meet the spiritual needs of members with the Christian faith? You can bring the next big fitness trend to your city. It’s time to think BIG. After attending this seminar you’ll be equipped to propose launching a church fitness ministry or begin a process to evaluate and improve your existing fitness ministry.
SURVEY: 1. Who has a fitness facility? 2. Who has a fitness ministry? 3. Who is considering starting a fitness ministry? 4. Who is a pastor or senior leadership? 5. Who is a professional in the industry? Who is simply enthusiastic about fitness?
SCENARIO: I visited a church – pastor NOT interested. I visited a YMCA that doesn’t have a Christian emphasis. There I find a couple holding hands both with their Bibles open. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
YOU HAVE AN ASSIGNEMENT TO DO NEXT WEEK: Visit a local fitness facility and observe. Keep these things in mind:
1. Every person there has a spiritual need.
2. Every person there needs that need to be met, he or she won’t really be “fit” until it is met, and if they don’t truly get that need met they will try to get it met.
3. That gym is NOT going to meet that need.
4. Your church is the only organization in your community that will meet that need.
5. If your church is the in the least bit outreach minded or concerned about the members of your own congregation then you need to start a fitness ministry this year.
Review articles in the CULTURE DEPARTMENT.
HOW TO GET STARTED:
1. Spiritual Survey
2. Get church leadership support. If you can’t get that support you can still do fitness ministry but you should prayerfully consider taking the initiative.
3. Build a team.
4. Start with something simple and start it within the next 3 months.
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5. Set goals, tie it with your church mission, plan well, market it even better and charge a fee.
6. Execute with thorough team prayer and PROFESSIONALLY (on time, clean, customer minded, sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit)
7. Get participants to complete an assessment, then as a team review the assessments, evaluate your program and document that.
8. The program isn’t complete until you take next steps to IDENTIFY THE NEXT PROGRAM AND INITIATE PLANS.
LIST AT LEAST 3 GOALS FOR YOUR FITNESS MINISTRY.
WHAT IS FITNESS MINISTRY?
It is more than playing Christian music, prayer, Bible passage, devotional.
1. Relationship building – Not a “fitness director” but a FITNESS PASTOR”
2. Being genuine — from pretty to stinky
3. Dialing into the “physical body”. Pastor’s wife wanted segregated classes. Photo in magazine – reader response “It caused me to lust”. Anorexia, low self-image, steroid use, beauty, eating, pain, mental determination.
4. Engaging people and bringing energy to our faith.
5. Working toward measurable transformation – strengthening the body, renewing the mind, emboldening the spirit.
6. BE LIFE
PROPOSED GOALS:
1. Grow fellowship
2. Increase Biblical knowledge
3. Strengthen members to quit making excuses and develop commitment
4. Build a lifestyle that fully trusts in God and is dependent on God, humbleness
5. Equip members to be OTHER-MINDED
DISUSSION TIME:
1. How are your expectations for fitness ministry different than your expectations for sports and recreation?
2. Where can you do fitness ministry?
3. Who can be on your fitness ministry team?
4. How will your church leadership respond to this ministry?
5. What is keeping you from doing this ministry?
6. What kind of help do you need/want to do this ministry?
