10 Things Many Churches Can Learn from My Gym
- Chuck Lawless
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
If you’ve missed the first two articles in this series on physical exercise and spiritual disciplines, I encourage you first to get caught up with those articles linked below. Then, come back to read about this comparison between my gym and a church.
Now, for the connection between my gym and a church . . .
Several years ago, I started working out at a gym that offers high intensity interval training. It’s been good for me, especially as a 65-year-old with a family history of heart disease. Honestly, I think many churches could learn some stuff from my gym, like . . .
The gym leaders intentionally plan. They know exactly what they want to accomplish each day because they’ve planned ahead. They have goals in mind, and you know they have direction and purpose. Too many churches, on the other hand, operate from Sunday to Sunday, with little planning. Too much gospel effort is only haphazard.
They emphasize community. They want gym members to think of themselves as a team, helping each other, encouraging each other, pushing each other. No one has to feel alone in the heavy-duty workouts. In many churches, though, “community” is more a buzzword than a reality. Many church members attend every Sunday while still living on an island in that church’s fellowship.
The leaders know each of us by name. I was surprised by how quickly they learned my name and by how often they use it when they see me. I feel like they know me. They recognize me. They don’t let me come and go without addressing me—which is what I’ve experienced in many churches. We often call each other “brother” and “sister” precisely because we don’t know each other’s names.
They genuinely coach each of the participants. They watch us working out. They evaluate our form. The coaches gently but firmly correct us when necessary. They want us to get the most out of the experience, so they drive us in that direction. Churches, though, sometimes let members just come and sit. Or, they give members “jobs” and responsibilities without giving them any training—and then get upset with them when they don’t do their roles well.
They assume we have a desire to grow. Granted, members pay a fee to be a part of the gym, and the leaders understand that commitment. They assume we come because we want to increase in strength and endurance--so they push us, sometimes beyond our perceived limits, to help us grow. On the other hand, I’ve talked to some discouraged pastors who are convinced their members are comfortable just like they are. Those shepherds give up on the sheep too soon, in my judgment, and they get what they thought they would get: uninvolved, non-growing members.
They honor faithful “stick-to-it-ness.” They welcome new members with excitement, but they also celebrate long-term members who reach their goals. They recognize those members and honor them for their persistent work by having them sign a public “goal met” poster. Churches, though, sometimes forget to thank and bless those members who serve faithfully week after week, usually without recognition. Indeed, they are not looking for recognition—but it is still right for churches to express gratitude to them.
They view the work as both individual and corporate. They start with us individually where we are, and each of us gets attention from the coaches. At the same time, they want us to get to know each other. They want us to see each other as a team because they know we will accomplish more together than alone. Churches need this kind of balance, too. God never designed us to loners in the work of the gospel, but many churches don’t do a good job of intentionally emphasizing the “family” nature of the church.
They want to make a difference in the community. They're not thinking spiritually, but they do watch for needs in the community. For example, they gather school supplies for kids at the beginning of the school year. At Christmas time each year, they collect items so others less privileged can celebrate the holiday. Many churches already do the same, of course, but most of us can likely do better throughout the rest of the year. It should be that our communities miss us if our churches were not there.
They've checked on me when I've not attended faithfully. That has not always been the case, but I can point to times when someone from the gym reached out to me because I had not been there in some time. That extra attention (I was still paying monthly, so they were not losing money by my absence) meant a lot to me. Again, churches can learn here. By the time some churches recognize that a member has been absent, he or she is often long gone—and then the church only wonders what happened.
They know the body matters. That's their focus, of course, because they really do recognize the significance of being in shape. After all, we have only one body to steward. We believers could give more attention to our physical well-being, too; in fact, our "out of shape" tendencies are not a good witness to the world. That’s one of the points of this entire article series.
How does your church compare to my gym? How might your church be stronger?