Your congregation looks to you for spiritual and emotional guidance, in the hopes that you will lead them to a better place. to be a strong leader, you must take care of the temple that God has given you, and respect your physical health in addition to your spiritual and emotional health.

The Physical-e-Fit program offers you the opportunity to encourage your members to become more physically active.

Pastors participating in physical activity at the 2004 Mid-year retreat

How does your District Measure Up? Trained Churches in the Physical-e-Fit Program.

Reverend and Mrs. Williams

The Health-e-AME Physical-e-Fit team would like to extend a warm welcome to Bishop and Mrs. Williams. Bishop Williams offers some encouraging and enlightening words about the Physical-e-Fit program: “One of my greatest interests has always been the relationship between psychological and spiritual components with health and sickness. I believe that spiritual and psychological factors can bring about a physical sickness in many cases, something that I have spoken about in workshops for a number of years. Many have gotten sick after their spiritual life has been altered, resulting in mood swings and other responses. When the spiritual, physical and psychological comes together in balance, the body benefits. I encourage and support the work of the Health Commission team. The Health-e-AME Program has been doing an excellent job statewide and we want to expand that work. The Health-e-AME Physical-e-Fit Program has been attending all annual conferences across the state to encourage healthy lifestyle changes and to recruit churches to be trained to implement physical activity programs in their churches to help congregations live healthier lives. I participate in physical activity regularly by walking and by using my stationary bicycle.”

Getting started with a program is sometimes the most difficult part! Here are some tips for taking those important first steps towards improving the health and well-being of your congregation:

• Talk to the Health Director or Physical Activity Coordinator in your church to learn more about the Physical-e-Fit program. Provide feedback about the types of programs you'd like offered in your church and how they can be put into place.


• Announce the Physical-e-Fit programs that are taking place in your congregation during Sunday sermons and encourage members of your congregation to take part.


• Adopt healthy policies for your congregation. For example, encourage that every church event that includes food has available healthy options. Emphasize that every meeting that lasts more than 45 minutes include a 10-minute physical activity break (you can use the CD/audiotape provided in the program).

Now that you have successfully established your program with the help of your Health Director or Physical-e-Fit Coordinator, it's important to keep the momentum going. Try some of these ideas to ensure success:

• Discuss the importance of physical activity and a healthy diet in your sermons, and tie these messages to scripture. For example, "Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" (Corinthian 6:19). For more information about physical activity, visit other portions of the Health-e-AME Physical-e-Fit website.


• Include 10 minutes of physical activity during your service. When set to gospel music, this activity can be both healthy and spiritually uplifting.


• Support health contests. Encourage members to form walking teams, and give awards and recognition for the team that walks the most miles or the most steps.


• If you are married, encourage your spouse to alsparticipate in and help coordinate physical activity programs in your church


• Recognize the hard work of your Health Director or Physical-e-Fit Coordinator and others in your congregation whhave made difficult lifestyle changes by announcing their accomplishments during Sunday services.

Your congregation looks to you to set an example, sit's important to include physical activity as a part of a well-rounded lifestyle. Other faith-based programs have found that the support of the Pastor and the Pastor's spouse is one of the best predictors of the success of the program.

Here are some ideas for being a good role model.

• Attend one or more of the physical activity programs being offered in your church. Your presence at the program and your participation in physical activity sends a very important message to your congregation.


• Wear your pedometer (step counter), and let everyone know you are wearing it. In some churches, Pastors announce their weekly counts during the Sunday service. This has worked very well.

We have designed several ways helping you get the message out to your congregation about physical activity.

These bulletin inserts are designed to provide information about the benefits of physical activity and tips for getting started and staying active. They are designed to fit 2 on a single page, sthey can be copied and cut in half to fit into your bulletins.

We have created "Move Your Temple" Meditations that can be read to your congregation. They are informational and inspirational, and include scripture with a message about physical activity.