Is it a church? Gym? In fact, this Hastings Spot is both.
A few years ago, when Chad Kirchoff was hired as pastor of the Lutheran Church, he convinced his followers to make big changes.
The basement kitchen and adjoining Sunday school room have now been replaced by an open space that can accommodate more than a dozen cardio and weight machines, as well as a mirrored weightlifting area. A well-maintained, shiny fitness center that smells of sweat mixed with antiseptic spray.
With stained glass windows, rows of chairs and a small sanctuary, you wouldn’t know the second floor is a regular church.
The sign out front reads, “ReDo Fitness: Church of Muscle.”
Kirchoff had to work hard to make sure the concept didn’t “look weird” or that people wondered if it was “thrown into the baptismal waters.”
“When it started to grow, our mission was to reach beyond the walls and barriers that people have and help them improve their overall well-being, their mental well-being, their spiritual well-being, whatever it is, their physical health. It was to inspire,” Kirchev said.
It seems like a unique place, but Shepherds of the Valley’s move to combine faith and fitness is something that’s happening elsewhere in Minnesota and across the country.
A trademark Catholic workout called SoulCore involves praying the Rosary while working your core muscles.of rabbi, california Leads a combo prayer and exercise class—alternating between singing psalms and falling on planks and lunges. I teach “Dance Blast” and other fitness classes to Christian music.
Swedberg, who trained to be a fitness instructor in an international non-profit program, says, “I am a body, soul, and soul that Deuteronomy 6:5 teaches, ‘Love God with all your heart.’ I love it because it integrates mind, power.” She works to spread “the gospel of Jesus Christ through fitness classes.”
“It covers all of our checklists,” says Swedberg. “Get in shape, spend some spiritual time, earn fellowships, socialize, have music that encourages your heart and soul. And you will laugh. In one hour, they can tick off all the things that make their lives better.”
Religious scholar Cody Musselman, a postdoctoral fellow at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at the University of Washington, said there are “many outlets” to combine faith and fitness today.
“Some traditional religious leaders are concerned about declining attendance, so fitness can be a way to try to win back congregations, or churches and synagogues can be relevant to your daily life. This includes training to start a Fitness Ministry or a Health and Wellness Ministry.
For many faith leaders, it is, “How can I lead your congregation to a better physical life as well as a better spiritual life?” Musselman said.
long history
While current secular fitness outlets like SoulCycle attempt to offer spiritual connection and community in a way that many feel like churches, the connection between faith and fitness is actually very old. something, says Musselman. The YMCA began in the 19th century with a movement called “Muscle Christianity.” The movement sought to make faith more attractive to young men.
Kirchoff, one of the founders of the Snap Fitness franchise. Securing initial funding from the Lutheran Church Expansion Fund, he opened the gym to anyone, not just the congregation. It’s free to use, but donations are welcome.
He decided that no crosses or scripture quotes should be displayed on the walls of the church gymnasium. He wanted it to be a welcoming place for non-Christians to exercise.
However, there is a corner with a bible by the fountain and a prayer request taped to the wall. On Monday nights, he hosts a broad philosophical discussion group downstairs, with weights clanging and ovals swirling around him.
On a recent weekday afternoon, high school boys lifting weights filled most of the space while a few adults were doing cardio. Leo Brabec, 15, said he usually goes to ReDo Fitness after school to maintain his routine of “push/pull rotation” workouts.
When a friend first told him about going to church, he was unsure, but he became a regular at the gym. “As time went on, I thought this would be a nice place to go. There are a lot of good people here,” he said.
Jim brought in some newcomers on Sunday, but “not as many as I’d like,” Kirchev said.
The hardest part is asking for help. In order to continue the business, it is necessary to maintain sufficient income from donations.
Recently, he began collecting scrap metal donations in the church parking lot, found community volunteers to help clean, remove snow and other tasks around the church, and sent regular gym goers a month if possible. asked for a donation of $15.
He has hope for the future.
“Sometimes I think, ‘Is this real?'” he said. “It’s 1,300 square feet, but it looks bigger,” he said. “This community is growing.”
