Free & Fit NYC 2017-2018 Summary - Interview with Founder Tim Cheux
Free & Fit NYC 2017-2018 Summary - Interview with Founder Tim Cheux
Sports Alpha partnership with Trinity Grace Chelsea in Manhattan New York City
Alpha weekend away with Mile Square Church and New York City members
Free & Fit Summer Camp with sixteen bags of supplies at the Centre for Food Action Where were you at the start of September? My first year personally in New York has seen me coaching Soccer, Squash, Tennis and Track and Field this past twelve months. During the Fall I coached Soccer managing some very passionate and challenging teenagers. The scripture of Psalm 17:12-13 refelcts my struggles and my rewards during this period! They’re like lions eager to tear me apart, like young and fearless lions lurking in secret, so ferocious and cruel—ready to rip me to shreds. Arise, God, and confront them! Challenge them with your might! Free me from their clutches and rescue me from their rage. Psalm 17:12-13 In all seriousness, they were not that bad, but we certainly had some challenging moments. Free & Fit New York City has also been very rewarding and challenging. The first nine months, from January to September 2017, saw us meeting in Central Park. At that time we had only twenty active members without a home, estaished community or mission for our future. However, in September opportunities and doors opened in new ways that we did not anticipate or expect. Through our relationship with Trinity Grace Chelse and various commercial local Chelsea based organisations we were able to offer our first Sports Alpha course. What have you achieved this past year?
Today, just ten months later, we have an established Youth Group of over thirty active members, an Adult Community of over thirty members attending events in New York City and an Adult community with twenty members who have attending events in Hoboken, New Jersey. Its quite amazing how quickly things can change and develop in your favour. As a Christian, I found this to be a real answer to prayer and response to some very perserverant event organisation and advertising across New York City. The scripture which helps me reflect this story is taken from Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Proverbs 3:5 Through waiting, praying and being patient I learnt to grow and shape my own outlook to not be reliant upon my own understanding, but to trust instead God. Very easilly said, not easilly done. What happened on the Free & Fit Adult New York City program throughout the course of the whole academic year? Historically, like I said we have ran and co-ordinated a full Adult Sports Alpha project with thirty active members in New York City as part of a partnership with Trinity Grace Chelsea. We continue to work in New York now with monthly Monday gatherings and social events. In the Fall of 2017 we met some really excellent and talented professional athletes whilst completing Sports Alpha and this helped us to launch a one to one and group Faith & Fitness facilitation program. Then in the Spring we drew closer to our Christain foundations as we built a more intentional discipleship based group. Again, we attracted similar numbers of five to ten regular guests each week with new and exciting people attending our events. We followed the principles of Hebrews 10:25 at this time. This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. Hebrews 10:25 During this period I felt as if the group was growing in stature and strength in friendship. A really rewarding and character shaping period for me personally. Have you established any resources or a new mission and vision? Yes! At the end of 2017 we completed our twelve part blog, video and one page document entitled the Free & Fit Challenge. This resource has been developed to be used used as part 12 session program. I trained and offered these resources via a forty day and forty verse workout in Lent working through the entire chapter of Romans twelve. Exercising each day with a workout routine alongside a verse from Romans 12. Secondly, a thirty one day Challenge in May on the Beatitudes in Matthew five verses one through thirteen with sport and scripture. Then finally, a thirty day Challenge in June on the Fruit of the Spirit and Galatians 5:22-23 focusing on each fruit, completing thirty sets of specific workout reps and praying and meditating over the scripture. What is the Free & Fit Challenge? The Free and Fit course has been created to build strong social skills, charge healthy physical bodies and to instil a well balanced and sound mind. Participants who complete the full course over 12 sessions will learn how to work effectively with their team members to build strong values of power, love, and self discipline. What is the Free & Fit Mission? The Free and Fit mission is to reduce loneliness through Sports, the Arts, Social Justice and Service. What is the Free & Fit Vision? The vision of the Free and Fit community is to engage, motivate, improve and hence find freedom in a physical and spiritual state. As such the freedom that leads to a peaceful heart; leads to a healthy body. The course is built upon the core value of learning together to be disciplined and motivated in our faith as well as our fitness. What have you accomplished as part of the Free & Fit Youth Group? As part of an intiative with five interdenominational churches in the Northern Valley Free & Fit ran and co-ordinated a Youth Project with over 30 members this past year. This included a Youth Alpha project with regular attenders of five to ten each month, we ran and co-ordinated a monthly movie outreach program of eight to seventeen members, we completed a Why Christmas and Why Easter Alpha series, we completed a full weeks Summer Camp with 17 campers, fundraised over $7000 towards the Youth project and co-ordinated one off youth events including Tubing, Free & Fit sports activities, Plogging (Walking, Journey or Running whilst picking litter) and Bowling. What have you achieved as part of the Free & Fit Adult group in New Jersey? As part of both our New York City and New Jersey adult Free & Fit community groups we completed two independently run retreats to the Poconos with over 16 guests. These two weekends were run inline with the Free & Fit curriculum and Alpha weekend programs. As part of our work in Hoboken we started a new Social Justice project of “Plogging walking, jogging or running” whilst picking litter along the Hudson River. As part of the project we gained coverage in the New Jersey Conservation Society and developed a strong rapport with the newly launched Jefferson Coffee shop who introduced us to Mile Square Church. A new church plant in Hoboken. As part of our partnership with Mile Square Church we co-ordinated and organized an adult Alpha program. This included five to ten regular guests and deep and meaningful conversations as we explored and learnt more about the Christian faith. What are your plans for 2018 to 2019? We already have began plans to start a partnership with one of our core members and their Purpose software “Purpose Match.” As part of of plans we intend on inviting our Youth and Adult members to join our brand new mentoring program and to establish and learn more about their life’s purpose. Details can be found out about all our future events and our Free and Fit London project on our website at www.freenfit.org Love and Blessings F&F Team. Join Tim at Free and Fit events by signing up to our events online at our website below. Free & Fit Website: https://www.freenfit.org/ Free & Fit Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCf4gjFopw_eyr6-w7c3bxiQ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pg/freeandfitchallenge Twitter&Instagram: @freeandfitnyc Email: freeandfitnyc@gmail.com Freedom // Fitness // Fellowship Free & Fit Challenge © Copyright 2017 Free & Fit NYC/NJ © Copyright 2017 Free & Fit London © Copyright 2017
