I want to do a gym ministry too!

So you want to have a garage gym too.

We hear that a lot, especially from young men that walk in to our facility and fall in love.
But here is the thing....
Running a gym is not easy.
Running a ministry is not easy.
Running a gym ministry is NOT easy.
So before you run out and buy a squat rack, lets take a look at what it takes to run a full time gym ministry. 

0500-0545 quiet time

0600-0730 military athlete class 

0730-0755 breakfast/put on meal for the fellowship dinner

0800-0930 lady's class 

0930-1100 kid's class

1100-1200 grocery shopping

1200-1230 lunch for me and William

1230-1430 Nap time for William

Clean house prep freezer meals prepare for fellowship dinner 

1430-1530 run with William in stroller

1530-1700 play with William

1700-1745 prep for military athlete class

discuss coaching strategy
determine modifications for various ability levels

1800-1930 military athlete class

1930-2100 fellowship dinner

2100-2200 cleaning up the gym 

2200-2300 work on programming for the gym

Take a look at that schedule for a regular Monday in our world. Everything that is bold is a gym specific activity. Go ahead and add up the time, I'll wait. 

That is 12.25 HOURS spent doing things for our gym ministry. And this is the schedule if it all goes exactly as planned, meaning no one stays after to discuss nutrition or asks us to take a look at the pain they are having in their [insert any body part here] or to talk about personal issues. 

Please do not hear me as saying that you can't run a gym ministry or that it is impossible. It isn't. But it is VERY challenging. Having a ministry in your home will take up every last ounce of strength that you have to give it, just running the day to day. If you are going to take up a ministry in your home you HAVE to have a quiet time, you have to have a good place you are being fed, and you have to have a great mentor to help you sort out your priorities. 

If you do not have these things and you are trying to run a ministry from your home you will fail. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Running even a super small ministry puts you in the devil's cross-hairs. Do not allow yourself to become easy picking. Use the armor that God has given you to protect your heart and mind. 

So my challenge to you today is, what are you doing to protect your ministry?

Some of you may be saying but I don't have a garage gym, why does it matter? Do you have a spouse? DO you have kids? Do you have co-workers? There is your ministry field. Those are the people that God has hand placed in your life for you to have an impact upon. 

So, what are you doing to protect your ministry?