Chris Reardon of Jacksonville, North Carolina, is helping Christian men pump up their muscles, their faith and their discipleship prowess. He is the founder of Garage Gym Church, a ministry that encourages men to exercise and fellowship together.
A U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel by day and a former CrossFit trainer, Reardon says the idea for Garage Gym Church came to him during the pandemic.
“My wife was iffy about me going to work out at a gym, even [if it were] outdoors. So, I was working out by myself for a year,” he says.
Reardon, who is also founder of Freedom Fitness America, says he regularly scheduled prayer time before working out in his garage to Christian rock music. Then he discovered motivational workout videos online featuring athletes exercising and voice-overs delivering “No pain, no gain” missives in a drill-sergeant style.
Unsatisfied, Reardon searched for and found Christian motivational videos on YouTube. “When working out to this content, it’s different from an educational sermon. It’s hard-hitting. It imprints on your brain,” he says. “You can feel it in your heart.”
The Lord prompted Reardon to think about combining Christian fellowship with fitness in order to create a new small group for men. So, in 2023, he invited a few friends and church members to join him at his home gym. Today, his popular Garage Gym Church workouts include a 15-minute prayer time, a brief warm-up and a 35- to 40-minute workout with motivational videos playing. Afterward, the group enjoys guided discussions on how to apply biblical truths at home, work and play.
Rearden, who blogs for Faith & Fitness Magazine, teaches others how to create their own Garage Gym Church. He says working out together makes it easier for Christian men to invite other men to a small group and to share their faith.
“We’re not doing church inside a physical church building, but, at the end of day, who cares?” he says. “If we’re reaching people, we’re reaching people.”
