The freedom of personal training

I used to think I had nothing in common with Michelle Bridges, Jillian Michaels, or any other celebrity personal trainer—certainly not in terms of carbohydrate intake or BMI. But after hearing Carmelina Read speak on training at the recent EQUIP Leaders Conference, I realized I was wrong.

It’s so easy to skim-read Ephesians 4:11-16 and conclude that the role of Christian leaders (teachers) is to “build up the body of Christ”. But our role is to equip God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ can be built up. This makes a huge difference. I am primarily a trainer, not a doer. 

Being a trainer frees me to think big about God’s plans. I naturally think about how much ministry I can fit into my week. But this leaves me oscillating between shrinking down God’s plan to a manageable size (I have no energy to think outside my patch) or feeling burdened by all I can't do (I can't do everything in my patch). This was never God’s plan! When I think about who I can train, and who they can train, and who they can train… I raise my eyes and can see everything coming under the lordship of Christ (Eph 1:9-10).

Being a trainer frees me to think small about myself. Phillip Jensen once said that a big danger for women in ministry is to feel jealous of those we lead. We naturally fear a woman who is more capable than us. But training frees me from this bondage. My insecurity turns into thankfulness. That woman is a precious gift entrusted to me for a time. How can I create opportunities for her to mature, and then set her free to fly? How can I let her shine, and not subtly take back glory for myself (“She’s great; did you know I trained her?”)? In fact, I want to dream big for every woman in my church, especially those I overlook. How has God gifted this particular woman and how can I equip her to best serve Christ?

Being a trainer frees me to think fresh about church structures. My natural tendency is to organize and manage neat programs (trellis) rather than prioritize the messiness of training in ministry (vine). My husband James says that the ‘church roll’ is unmined gold, and it’s so true. When I stop to think through each individual person on the growth group ‘list’, I refocus on training. And it changes how I relate to those serving around me. Rather than a quick thanks (if I remember) to our kids’ church and youth group leaders on Sunday, I want to check that they felt thanked, encouraged and developed that day. How are they going serving Christ in the rest of their week? What temptations or discouragements are they facing? What joys are they experiencing? How can I pray for them as everyday disciples? 

Being a trainer frees me to praise God. I look at my feeble ministry attempts and feel small and discouraged. But when I look at the new believer in my growth group or the widow developing pastoral care or the university student reading the Bible fortnightly with a teenage girl, my hearts sings at all that God is doing.

As I think about 2015, I want to be more like Michelle Bridges. Not focusing on my own sagging abs and increasing muffin top, but cheering on those women around me to use their gifts to serve Christ. Because, as we do, the body of Christ will be built up and everything come under Christ.

(Note: Any gold in this reflection is from Carmelina’s talk! So to hear more, listen here.)