Coming this June to the 2012 New Annual Conference of United Methodists and Gordon College
In the US, the Centers for Disease Control estimate that more than one third of all adults (or 72 million people) are obese. Sadly, that number is growing. Equally disturbing is the rate of obesity among children, which currently hovers around 20%. That number has virtually doubled in the last twenty years. In portions of New England, that number is even more concerning, with some areas seeing rates of childhood obesity exceeding 65%. This number is even higher for minorities and the disadvantaged.
Ultimately, for a community to change, its leaders must take the lead. Leaders must be out in front calling for a change in habits, priorities, and lifestyle. As leaders in the United Methodist Church, this needs to be one of our priorities as this issue impacts each of our congregations. As Methodist leaders, this is not only an issue of social justice, but a core component of faithful living. In 1st Corinthians 3:16, Paul reminds the faithful that our body is our temple, and we are called to treat it with holiness. Improving our physical fitness is an expression of our faith. It is an act of individual and communal stewardship, discipleship, and devotion. By marrying the call to fitness with the call to serve others, we can make a difference across the world.
The Mosiquito Run is 3.1mile course, on the grounds of Gordon College, and is a course of that can either be run by your average runner in approximately 30 minutes, or walked in about twice that. If you are a runner or a walker this is a great opportunity to burn off some conference steam with others. If you think you cant manage the full distance yourself, we welcome Church Relay Teams. In the end, the key to overcoming the current health crisis we face, is coming to the realization that we may not be the next Lance Armstrong, but there is a “better” fitness level achievable to each of us.
As part of this event, we will call upon all participants to not only embrace this moment of physical fitness, but to reach out and support the United Methodist Imagine No Malaria Campaign. On our website, we provide sponsorship forms to bring to your congregations where others can support your endeavors by adopting a portion of your run. Additionally, for those of you who might not be able to make the full run yourself, we welcome Church Teams and Relay Registrations. To register for this exciting event,to find our more information about the event, or to find resources to assist you on your journey of physical fitness, please visit our additional pages on this site!
To help or volunteer, please contact Pastor Scott Masters of Asbury UMC (Chesterfield, NH) at PastorScott2007@yahoo.com
