The Many “C”s of the Toledo YMCA

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER: Conversations about the leadership of fitness facilities intentionally delivering a Christian-faith presences inevitably move quickly to questions based on popularized fears. How can diversity be maintained? Won’t any display of faith come across as heavy-handed or overt? Shouldn’t a fitness club leave the business of ministry to the church? The YMCA of greater Toledo, Ohio offers a powerful example of how well faith can be integrated into gyms. Keel offers a dynamic blueprint that simply builds – as it should be, on the needs of members. It is a holistic approach that should be duplicated in all kinds of facilities everywhere.

CHRISTIAN EMPHASIS IS THE STARTING C

Fitness is one of the biggest cylinders in the economic engine that drives a YMCA. The YMCA of Greater Toledo recognizes that while exercise is good for your body, faith helps a person in every way, both right now and in the future. This truth really came to life in the summer of 2005 when our YMCA hired a full time Director of Christian Emphasis to join the corporate staff. The Rev. Joshua Heaston had been a key
member-service employee at our Wolf Creek branch and the shift to full time ministry within the Y work was an easy one. Heaston notes, “The greatest part about my current ministry position with the YMCA of Greater Toledo is that I get the chance to spiritually impact hundreds of people that would probably never step through the door of a local Church.” Josh’s role has expanded to include pastoral care of many of our staff and members alike. In the time since taking the position Josh has performed funerals for staff families, baby dedications and has an adult baptism on the docket for the near future. Additionally, he regularly visits staff and members alike in the hospital, letting them know that those within our YMCA love and care for them.

JCC – A PARTNERSHIP YOU HAVE TO SEE

Like many YMCAs we walk a line between being a Christian organization and being an organization that is open to people of all faiths, or even no faith. This is magnified at times by our unique relationship with the Jewish Community Center. The YMCA and JCC in Toledo operate as an integrated organization, the first and only
relationship of its kind in the United States.

Yet interestingly, the JCC provided an object lesson in how to be faith-based and open at the same time. As our CEO Robert Alexander has often noted, there is no question where you are when you walk through the doors of the local JCC, yet at the time of the integration the majority of the members were not Jewish. This observation helped move our YMCA to its current status as an organization proud to live out Christian principles on a daily basis through a “non-threatening, choice environment”. Much like the dedicated lap swimmer who decides one day to venture into the fitness center to pump some iron, our facilities have multiple opportunities to experience Christian teaching for those who desire to take advantage of it. We like to say
that while few people come to the YMCA seeking spiritual truth, that won’t prevent them from finding it if it’s there.

THE MANY CHAPLAINS OF THE TOLEDO YMCA

With the YMCA of Greater Toledo serving over 250,000 people each year, the opportunities for helping members build the kind of healthy spirit mentioned in our mission statement are almost limitless and more than one person could hope to accomplish. Because of that, Rev. Heaston has looked for ways to allow others to live
out the calling God has put on their lives. He equips them and provides the opportunity for them to do ministry through the vehicle of the YMCA. Currently our YMCA has partnerships with more than ninety churches. There are fifty-six volunteer chaplains serving members and staff in the YMCA branches. These include men and
women, young and old, clergy and lay people.

Joel Schutte is Associate Pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Perrysburg, Ohio and has been a chaplain at the Ft. Meigs YMCA for the past three years. Joel said this about his chaplaincy work, “Our leadership team at Grace UM Church realized that in a zip code that has 33,363 residents, our YMCA has over 13,000 members. It was a no-brainer for me to serve several hours a week as a chaplain on their campus. The YMCA creates a natural environment where fitness and faith come together, and we wanted to be a part of it. Over the past several years I have met weekly with the executive team that ultimately oversees all of the members that walk through the doors. I feel that through serving the staff leaders I can
serve thousands of people that make the ‘Y’ a monthly part of their lives.”

Josh Plaisance, Lead Pastor of The Dwelling Place in Holland, Ohio serves at our Wolf Creek YMCA. Josh said this, “One of the benefits that the Chaplaincy program has been for me is to get out into the community and participate in real ministry in real people’s lives; there is realness to those who have not made the commitment to the Lord yet. I had the opportunity to partner and pray with a family whose son was diagnosed with a rare disease. This little 18 month old baby is facing a kidney transplant as he grows older, as well as the possibility of losing his hearing. This family was in distress as they didn’t know what to expect. I was so thankful to make a connection with them and be able to pray with them as they were going through all of the testing and the results. God opened a door and allowed me to be the extension of his arms into their real world.”

We are always clear to say the YMCA is not a church and doesn’t seek to be one. We encourage people to meet together with other Christians in that important fellowship and to continue to encourage each other in that way. Effective ministry starts where people are, not where we want them to be. Pure and simple, a lot of
people ARE at the YMCA.

Brian Keel is the Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of the Greater Toledo YMCA.