YMCA Program to Promote Spiritual Well-Being

BY ASHLEY HASSEBROEK
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

The YMCA is known more as a place to gym and swim than as a place to learn about God.

But the Young Men's Christian Association wasn't founded 162 years ago as a fitness center. It was founded as a prayer group for London factory workers.

Today, YMCAs, including some in the Midlands, are trying to put the "C" back into the nonprofit organization by sponsoring Christian programming.

"While we're well-known for the physical component, we've not done as well with the spiritual component," said Bob Koley, director of grants at the YMCA of Greater Omaha. "We want to be strong in both senses."

Last month, the YMCA in Blair, Neb., held its first prayer breakfast, featuring Tom Osborne as a keynote speaker. About 130 people bowed their heads with area pastors to pray for the community, schools, churches and the world.

The YMCA in Fremont, Neb., has sponsored Christian rock concerts and lectures by Christian speakers. Leaders are working with church groups to start Bible studies.

And in the next few months, the downtown Omaha YMCA hopes to try a seven-week program called "Journey to Freedom."

The program is a part of Restore ministry, a venture started by a former YMCA worker in Tennessee. It is designed to help people struggling with problems, ranging from alcoholism to divorce, by pointing them toward a higher power.

The opening chapter of the ministry's manual encourages readers to make changes in their lives. It describes how James Naismith, a physical education teacher, invented the game of basketball, then quotes Moses' words to the Israelites as they stood before the Red Sea.

"(The program) is focused on bringing people to Christ in the broadest sense," said Koley, a retired Catholic priest who is leading the program in Omaha.

The local efforts are part of a broader trend nationwide.

Some YMCAs in Georgia now display pictures of Jesus and post the Ten Commandments. In North Carolina, they post Bible verses on their Web sites. In Tennessee, some YMCAs play Christian rock in workout rooms.

Other YMCAs have hired full-time chaplains to provide pastoral care for staff and members.

About 13 percent of the YMCAs nationwide have Christian emphasis committees, designed to create Christian-themed programming for members, said Brad McDermott, a spokesperson for the Chicago-based YMCA of the USA.

Even though YMCAs were founded on Christian principles, that focus has wavered over time.

During the fitness craze of the 1980s, many YMCAs began to serve almost exclusively as health clubs, de-emphasizing their Christian roots. The YMCA of Central Maryland was first to remove Jesus' name from its local mission statement to signal that people of all faiths were welcome. Branches across the country followed. In 1987, Jesus was taken out of the national YMCA mission statement.

McDermott said local organizations are adding Christian programming because they see a need in their communities.

"What you're seeing here, with the Tennessee Y's and other Y's, is a response to a community need," McDermott said. "Some communities call on YMCAs to provide programs like this. Others do not."

Louie Warren, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Omaha, said the downtown facility decided to implement the "Journey to Freedom" program because leaders noticed that many young families who use the facility struggle and don't know where to turn. Leaders decided to implement a program with a spiritual focus because Christianity was part of the YMCA's legacy.

McDermott said none of the YMCAs has seen backlash after incorporating the Journey program.

"Presumably, if you join the Young Men's Christian Association, you assume they are Christian," said Laurel Marsh, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union Nebraska.

Victory Davis, a 15-year-old who works out almost daily at the downtown YMCA, said "not everybody believes in the same God, so (the Journey program) might offend some people."

Yet he thinks the program is a good idea.

"It wouldn't offend me because I was raised to believe in God," he said.

Warren is excited about the potential. Church attendance is down nationwide, Warren said. People need spirituality more than ever.

Those turned off by the church might not be turned off by the Y.

And with thousands of members at the Omaha YMCAs alone, "We have a pretty captive audience," he said.

This report includes material from the Los Angeles Times. Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroomCopyright ©2006 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or distributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.

Originally Published December 30, 2006
Copyright ©2007 Omaha World-Herald. All rights reserved.