From Chaplain Lynn… 

It really breaks our hearts when we see our friends that have tasted freedom for many years find themselves back in the miry clay of addiction. When we’ve been clean for many years I believe we can let our guard down and forget we have an adversary who is going to and fro seeking whom he may devour. However we don’t beat them up when they fall by the wayside, we lift them up and build them up just like we would want somebody to do for us. I’m sure the guilt and shame is already a heavy load for them to bear but we come to remind them Christ yoke is easy and His burden is light. We come to cover them in prayer believing that one day they will come to themselves and remember that their Heavenly Father is running toward them with His arms open wide ready to throw a heavenly party because His child has come home! 

From the Desk of Melissa Reinert… 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3

I’ve been struggling lately. Things are getting hard. As I was driving recently replaying all the trials I’m facing over and over in my mind, it occurred to me: “It’s a season.” It’s not going to last forever. It will pass. I will live through these trials, albeit it seems so overwhelming in the moment, God is here with me and will see me through. He always has.

A wonderful sense of comfort flowed into my soul. My heart felt calm. The Lord gave me His peace that surpasses all understanding.

Naturally, I should be overwhelmed. There are bills, there’s inflation, there’s health struggles, there’s just so much to do and I’m tired. But, God! My heavenly Father has me. Things will get better, in fact, things already improved in that car ride. My mindset shifted.

It takes constant intentionality to keep a better mindset. It’s something I’ve been working on my entire life. 😊

When circumstances are difficult and beyond our control, it’s easy to lose hope and optimism. That’s why it’s so important that we prep ourselves. So how exactly do we prepare? How do we cultivate a get better mindset?

• We cultivate a get better mindset growing our faith. Hebrews 11:1, says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It takes work. We must regularly commune with God and build a strong relationship with Him. We do this by spending time in His word, worshipping, praying and serving others in His name. Growing in faith instills and empowers hope. We need hope that things will get better. That we will become better people through the trials we face. 
• We need to remind ourselves of the great things the Lord has done. Psalm 126:3 reads: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” Keep counting your blessings over and over. Write them down so you remember them. Write down the Lord’s provisions and His answers to prayer. Keep this journal handing for when you need reminding. This provides our hearts and minds with proof that with God, we can will overcome any of life’s circumstances.
• We need to understand that if God is for us, who can be against us? Remember, the Lord says in Jeramiah 29: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” What more comfort do we need than knowing that we are in the hands of our loving Father, the Lord God almighty Who created the universe and is indeed its master.

“Hello” from Valerie… 

For Lord’s Gym Ministries Community Liaison Valerie, there’s no place she’d rather be than in Price Hill serving her neighbors.

“I live in Price Hill,” Valerie said. “That helps me to understand what our friends are going through and their needs. I understand exactly how what happens here in the community affects them, because it affects me and my family too.”

Valerie, a Certified Community Health Worker, comes to Lord’s Gym Ministries through a partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“I love being at the Family Activity Center,” she said. “I love having a job that allows me the opportunity to openly share my faith. I can pray over people and share with them my testimony.”

Valerie said she grew up in a faith-based home and has always known Who God is.

“I haven’t always lived out my faith,” she said. “I’ve lived for my flesh and instant gratification. It wasn’t until 2010 that I reconnected with the Lord. I found myself in the Lord and realized that I want to live for God and not myself.”

According to Valerie, at that turning point, God had “graciously and lovingly” let her hit rock bottom. He then lifted her and inspired her to be the “mom and woman He created me to be.”

Valerie said that she’s excited that Lord’s Gym Ministries is now a big part of that. She’s looking forward to helping to redefine the community within the Family Activity Center, a community that encourages and lovingly expects respect and self-responsibility.

She also hopes to share her testimony more and prays that God leads and encourages her in doing this, as it can be a little intimidating.

“My human condition holds me back,” she said. “It can be hard because our friends here are my neighbors. They see me at the grocery store. They see me when I take my kids to the park. Sharing my story is so intimate, but I have to overcome my fear. Besides, the only thing that matters is how God feels about me. Also, I know that my testimony could be the thing that helps someone else… that helps them draw closer to God.”

Stop in the Family Activity Center Monday through Friday to be greeted by Valerie; always smiling and spreading the joy of the Lord.

From the Desk of Melissa Reinert… 

As we usher in a new year, our hearts are often filled with a renewed hope. Our minds are focused on new beginnings, and we often set goals to try new things. It should be an opportunity to set our sites on new spiritual growth in our lives, as well.

I have a challenge for myself and for you this year. I want to get myself not only thinking out side the box, but living outside of it. In 2023, I’m challenging myself to be more intentional and more adventurous. I want to learn new things. I want to try new things. Not only in my relationships and skillset, but also, spiritually. I challenge you to consider the same. We can do it!

Think of the disciples. They were not scholars and certainly were no saints – fishermen, a tax collector, etc. They didn’t have the natural talent for the positions Jesus would entrust them with. But see what they were able to accomplish. Do you believe that you can aspire to skills for which you don’t have the natural talent? I believe I can. I believe you can.

The secret is that you must be willing to do the work.

This is a very big component of the culture we live out for our friends at Lord’s Gym Ministries. We firmly believe they can leave behind destructive lifestyles; they can come out of the pit of poverty; they can live responsibly; and they can make a difference in their community.

It’s all about being willing. You have to do the work. You have to set aside your default or go-to reactions for discipline. You have to receive feedback too. You must surround yourself with Godly counsel, true friends who want to help you succeed in this journey.

You can apply this to your spiritual life as well. You want to be closer to the Lord? You must move toward Him. Loyally attend a Bible-based church. Talk to Him regularly. Read His Word. Live out His Word in love and action by following Jesus’ example and serving others in the way He’s called you to serve.

Then, you will leave behind your sin, you will rise out of the pit of spiritual poverty, and you will live life to the fullest and make a difference in others’ lives.

You must do the work.   

Partner Highlight…

Having a job is about more than earning money. It’s about dreams. It’s about accomplishment. It’s about the person.

“A job can truly be life changing for a person and that speaks to why our mission is we change lives,” said The Job Center Covington CFO Emily Goodman. “It is important to have the resources that you need to live; however, it also can instill pride and confidence in a person that he or she did their best today at their job.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment rate for the United States is expected to increase in 2023. “The US began 2022 with an unemployment rate of just 4 percent and it is currently hovering between 3.5 and 3.7 percent,” BLS reported. However, next year it is expected that the unemployment rate will again increase if inflation continues to rise.

In Cincinnati, the unemployment rate, as of November 2022, is 3 percent; in Kentucky, it is 4 percent. It has remains steady with 2021, but will surely reflect the national rate, as inflation continues.

Unemployment is a serious issue in the communities we serve, and Lord’s Gym Ministries has an amazing organization we partner with to combat this issue, The Job Center. The Job Center opened in Ohio in 2007 and has grown to more than 26 centers across 11 states. Last year, the Covington office, which shares a building with the Covington Lord’s Gym helped place 26,146 people in jobs.

According to The Job Center CFO Emily Goodman, the organization specializes in helping individuals find light industrial work. The positions can range from general labor to picking and packing in a warehouse setting to also manufacturing and food production. They also have forklift positions available. In addition, The Job Center has two other divisions that help people with job placement, MOR Talent Solutions is more skilled industrial, and Galaxy Healthcare is local and travel nursing.   

 “The success of the placement depends on the goal of the associate.  We specialize in temp to perm roles with the idea that within six months our associates will be hired full time by our clients,” Emily said.   

The mission is to “change lives.”

Emily has worked as an employee for more than 7 years, but previously served as the company’s CPA. Her history with The Job Center goes back 16 years. She said her work with The Job Center has been very rewarding. 

“I love helping people,” she said. “I love that God has given me the skillset that I have with accounting and compliance and that I can use that to help change a person’s life with a job.”

The Job Center partners with many great companies in the area which means great opportunities for their associates. 

“We work to find the best fit for our associate by understanding their skillset and what they are looking for in a job,” Emily said. “We want them to find a long-term home with our customers.”

From Scott…

Congratulations Zach on a fantastic report card! Woohoo buddy. You put in the work and it is showing. So glad to have you at the FAC and setting such a great example for all of us!

Discipline, as Zach is showing us, is when we choose to focus on the behavior and response we want. Discipline involves doing the work to accomplish our goals. In discipline we grow. Zach’s life embodies this mindset. He has been disciplined in his work, his education, and his spiritual life. He is seeing magnificent results in all these areas.

From Danny…

This weekend was the debut of our girls’ team. Super happy not only with the girls’ victory but with the performance of the other teams. Thankful to God for our coaches commitment!

From Scott Bowers…

It’s our second week of wrestling at the Lord’s Gym Family Activities Center on the second floor. 11 kids that night who have never wrestled before. Thank you Jacob and John Landers of Fellowship Christian Athletes.

A message from Scott Bowers…

I wanted to share with you about the impact we are having on the lives of those being served, as well as those serving.

The impact of the Gospel is real. And it extends outside the church walls. Just ask All Church Connections Pastor Brad Young. All Church is a generous and much-appreciated partner of Lord’s Gym Ministries.

“Our involvement with the Lord’s Gym has impacted our church members in numerous ways,” Brad said. “We want the people of All Church to see the impact their generosity is having, and the Lord’s Gym provides that in tangible ways. Overall, the Lord’s Gym has provided a wonderful outlet for our people to be generous with their time, money, and labor for the sake of the Gospel in practical and spiritual ways.”

These practical ways do include financial support, but also volunteer support in the form of coming down to our Price Hill or Covington locations to spend time with our friends in need. Help feed them, pray with them, or help coach or mentor our youth.

“All Church partners with the Lord’s Gym for a lot of reasons, but primarily because they are meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of our friends in East Price Hill,” Brad said. “They provide the tangible support and services needed as well as have a heart for Jesus that drives them to share the gospel and usher people towards faith in Christ through all that they do. We love the holistic care that the Lord’s Gym offers.”

There is strength in numbers, according to the Word of God.

In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, King Solomon writes: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

 The truth is we need each other.

 This ministry needs you.

I invite you to peruse our website, www.LordsGymMinistries.org to learn about opportunities awaiting you and your church. I encourage you to take it a step further and reach out to Tom Lipsey at TLipsey@LordsGymMinistries,org to learn about visiting one of our locations. During the tour you’ll meet our chaplains and supporting staff, as well as our many friends. You’ll get to see, first-hand, the work that’s being done by the Lord.

“…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Last week a woman named Tammy came in. It was her first time in the gym.

From Communications Coordinator Melissa Reinert:

Recently we held a few “Grateful Events” at Lord’s Gym Ministries. That’s what I call them. We invite our friends for pizza and an opportunity to write thank you notes to you – our supporters. It’s quite an undertaking organizing these events and for our friends to handwrite all these letters, but it is also very rewarding.

Several incidents stand out in my mind from these last events… A beautiful prayer of blessing for our supporters prayed by Brother Floyd in Covington. You could feel the sincere love and appreciation he has for you. Their help allows Lord’s Gym Ministries to operate, and therefore play an intricate role in Floyd’s spiritual and personal growth.

Then, there was the homeless gentleman in Price Hill. His cold worn hand slipped a set of 10 note cards in my hand. With a shy smile he said: “It’s the least I can do. Thank you for doing this. Thank you for all you do.”

A letter from one of our young people probably had the most impact on me. The young man wrote to one of you saying thank you for your gifts. But then, he asked: “Please give more.”

At first, I was a little taken aback. This is supposed to be just a sincere gesture of thanks. He had written several lovely letters. Why did he ask this in this letter. So, I asked, why? Well, my heart was changed toward this letter. He asked for more because he doesn’t want Lord’s Gym Ministries to go away. Ever. He wants the ministry around for him and his friends; as well as those who’ll need help in the future.

How beautiful. How selfless. He was thinking of others. This young man has been greatly impacted by the work we’re doing here, God’s work. When I say “we’re” I’m not referring to just our staff, but also, our supporters, our donors.

You are all making an impact. Know that. Relish in that. You are doing God’s work. You are the hands and feet of Jesus. Thank you.