JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — The YMCA is moving back to its Christian roots with a pilot program they hope to replicate nationally, thanks to some creative thinking by church leaders at Southside Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla.
After a chance encounter with the chief executive of the local YMCA, Southside's activities minister John Harmeling realized an innovative partnership between the two entities could provide a way for the church to expand its ministry and presence in the surrounding community.
“I began to dream and look at ways that Southside — specifically the Trotter Activities Center — could build relationships and reach the surrounding community,” said Harmeling, head of the Trotter Center for more than 17 years. “In what I believe was a God moment, I was introduced to Trigg Wilkes.”
Wilkes, CEO of the YMCA of Florida's First Coast, said the YMCA had been working on a strategic plan to bring the organization back to its Christian heritage and core values. Developing a connection with churches was one of the ways they hoped to accomplish that goal.
They met with local pastors across denominational lines and received mixed response. Some were not interested at all, recalled Wilkes, but others were “ecstatic.” As a result, they have ongoing discussions with other local congregations, but none that matches the scope of their newly formed partnership with Southside Baptist, which they hope will catch on nationwide.
In what turned out to be a two-year process, Wilkes and Harmeling wrote a proposal for the new venture that provides the YMCA an already-established facility in a strategic location of the city and gives Southside Baptist an expanded reach in the community.
That reach will be focused in five key areas: full wellness programming; day camps; youth sports programs; before- and after-school childcare; and adult sports.
Sports has long been a vibrant ministry of Southside Baptist Church through its Trotter Center for years, but the partnership will seek to provide an expanded program that will include basketball, volleyball and indoor soccer for youth and adults in the community.
On a larger scale than just wellness or sports programs, however, Southside leaders see the partnership as a “win-win” situation that allows the church to expand its ministry in the community without impacting its budget. The YMCA will provide the church with long-needed upgrades to the activities center and its equipment, plus it will provide more staffing for the center's operation.
Wayne Stacy, Southside's pastor, said he appreciated the collaboration because it would help develop the body, mind and spirit of people — both from the church and from the community — who come to the center.
“I'm both excited and gratified by this new partnership between Southside and the YMCA,” Stacy said. “This is Christian collaboration at its best. Our Trotter Center is strategically situated right in the middle of San Marco, and the YMCA has the resources and know-how to take our recreation ministry to new heights.”
Wilkes echoed that sentiment.
“As part of the YMCA's Mission in Motion program, we are thrilled to partner with the Southside Baptist Church in providing this growing population of health conscious members with a traditional fitness center,” said Wilkes.
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