THE LORD'S
GYM:
Where resolutions meet success
The
new year is upon us, and as sure as crisp mornings and dew drops on the grass,
January means resolutions. We resolve to get closer to God, lose a
few pounds and return to the physical fitness we enjoyed only a year or two
ago. With the opening of The Lord’s Gym on Market Street at I-805, this
could be the year we succeed at all three!
The
multi-level, 24,000 sq. ft. facility is everything you’d want in a gym,
and probably more than you would expect. From the spacious, well appointed
locker rooms, to the state of the art treadmills (with the obligatory large
screen televisions, of course), stationary bikes and weights (both free weights
and pulley-style machines are available), The Lord’s Gym is just waiting
for you to walk through the door.
Interested
in something more challenging than bicep curls with a 100-pound dumbbell? The
gym is also the new home of Billy Moore’s ABC (for AnyBodyCan - founded
by Billy’s dad, the late Archie Moore) boxing program. One whole section
of the facility had been given over to the program, and one boxing ring is
already in place, with another to follow.
The facility also boasts a major league level batting cage, basketball court, spacious aerobic room (also being used by Adrian Ewings’ Steps of Praise), and a nutrition/juice bar for that post-workout refreshment. Childcare is part of the service, and a physical therapy program is part of the long-term plan. All this for $25 a month for adults, and only $5 a month for those 19 years old and younger, and there are no sign-up fees.
The
Lord’s Gym, however — as you might suspect from the name — is
more than just a place to work out. It is a safe haven, a gathering place, in a
neighborhood that has had more than its share of trouble. It is a place where
sweat melts away rivalries, and the sound of clanging iron provides positive
focus. It is a place where there truly is muscle in the ministry.
“We
want the gym to reach out to youth,” says co-founder of The Lord’s
Gym, John Block. “We want to lift up the name of Jesus, and we hope this
place will see lives changed.”
Block,
a former NBA star who counts Pat Riley, Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
amongst his friends and former teammates, is what many think of when they talk
about Christian leadership. His dream for The Lord’s Gym is as ambitious
as any of the projects he has undertaken — a list that includes the
development of Oakbridge Christian Camp and Conference Center in Ramona and the
Olympic basketball program of the African country of Benin.
“There
are a hundred churches in small radius of here,” Block said, “and
we want to work with them to reach young people.”
Block
is working with Lee Limperis, who has experience with the successful
Lord’ Gym program in Roseville, near Sacramento, and with former
professional football player, Carl Wilson. Together they are reaching out to
individuals in the area who are already involved in sports leagues and youth
programs, offering them the facility as a home for their programs.
In
the midst of a conversation, the energetic Block springs from his chair to
greet a local basketball coach who has stopped by to check out the
“new” facility where a Gold’s Gym once was housed, and to
meet the former San Diego Rocket. He leaves with a warm invitation from both
Block and Limperis to come back, take a tour, and talk over what The
Lord’s Gym can do to help.
“We
want to be led by the Spirit of God,” Block says enthusiastically, as he
folds his six-foot-nine frame back into one of the white plastic chairs in the
gym’s lobby. His excitement for what the facility can mean to the young
people of the area is infectious. His eyes almost sparkle as he talks about
what he envisions for The Lord’s Gym.
“We
don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but...” Before he can finish
his sentence, Block is already describing the potential of the program. As a
non-profit organization, working as a ministry versus a business, The
Lord’s Gym can work with community groups and local charities to expand
beyond the existing cinderblock building. The five-year lease the group has
taken on the building (with an option for more) provides the stability such an
outreach needs to establish credibility with the neighborhood, and could also
lead to an outright purchase of the property.
Block
would also like to see The Lord’s Gym become a meeting place for more
than sports. Although the adjacent property is currently a single-level parking
lot, he envisions an events center that could extend the influence of the
program on young people.
“We
want them to know that everyone here, whether it is me, Lee, Billy —
anyone associated with The Lord’s Gym — there are people here that
care about them in all aspects of their lives.”
The
well-worn sentiment takes on a sense of strength and freshness coming from a
man who interrupts himself to ask a stranger for a specific name when told of a
neighborhood kid who could use a believer in his life. Block scribbles the name
on a scrap of paper and says with conviction, “we’ll find
him.”
Such
conviction translates easily into the belief that The Lord’s Gym will be
exactly what this neighborhood needs — and more.
If
you would like to learn more about The Lord’s Gym, from membership to
ministry support, call (619) 263-3700.
o
Stu
Smith of San Diego is an Emmy-award winning television producer, and a member
of the Evangelical Press Association.