How My Part-Time CrossFit Coaching Job Made Me a Better Pastor – Transcript
Jim Latimer
Welcome to Coaching for Interims. We are about empowerment for interim ministry, best practices and quick help – wisdom from the field. This is our collaborative Wisdom from the Field podcast project featuring short interviews with transitional interim ministers and others with practical help and wisdom to offer those engaged in transitional ministry. Thank you for tuning into this episode of wisdom from the field.
Jim Latimer
I’m your host, Reverend Jim Latimer. And we have with us again, Reverend Anna Tew. Anna’s a millennial and an ELCA Pastor. I’ve known Anna for probably four years or more, and I’m just struck by a number of things about her. One, is her energy; two, is her huge heart and the innovation that she brings to the daily pieces of ministry around worship, and things like that. And in particular, you know, there’s a lot of talk these days about pastors, and how we need to be by vocational, we’ve got to have part-time jobs, this or that. And a lot of that talk is that you’ve got to have a part-time job or be bi-vocational, so you can afford to work for a congregation that can’t afford you full-time. And of course, there’s that too. And Anna has a part-time job as a CrossFit coach, which is great. That’s fun. That’s interesting, a big part of her. She’s a real jock, if you could see her. And so, I wanted her to speak a little bit about what she learned from being CrossFit coach that helps her as a pastor. Go for it Anna!
Anna Tew
Yeah, so we talk a lot about being bi-vocational and I would say that often when we do that, it is exactly what you said, Jim, it’s an economic problem. But I am really both blessed and fortunate to be in a congregation which absolutely pays me a living wage. And so, my CrossFit coaching didn’t come out of an economic necessity, which I think is sort of a different thing. It came out of me sort of joining a CrossFit gym, that was a great community that I really loved. And saying, I really like this! and, I think I have some skills to bring to this. Because a big part of coaching is learning how to talk in front of people, which is something clergy do all the time. And so, I got my what we call an L one, level one CrossFit certification in fall of 2020, of all times, and in a very airy gym, with fans going everywhere, and masks and all of that. And I started actually coaching after my own gym’s, professional development program in 2021.
Anna Tew
And at first it felt maybe a little guilty for taking time on a week day, usually once a week to coach. But very quickly, I found out that, Yes, my pastoring was informing my coaching. But my coaching was also informing my pastoring, that this for me was continuing education as much as anything. I was becoming a better pastor as I learned how to coach. So just a few things that I think of right offhand. And I coached this morning starting at 6am. So, I’m very caffeinated. Just thinking about this conversation today, I sort of was taking mental notes. It’s things like running a group class of 14 different people in two different rooms. It’s mass chaos. And it’s not that different than having the children’s group going over here, the youth group going over there, and everybody else, you know, over here, and managing those group dynamics. So, it’s managing group dynamics. It’s holding the attention of people, and boiling down what they need to know. And learning how to use your words efficiently, is a thing that I’ve learned.
Anna Tew
I’ve also learned, and this is interesting, I’ve learned to use my eyes and my ears differently. Because one of the things you have to look out for as a CrossFit coach that I actually hadn’t thought a lot about as a pastor was safety. If I’ve got a person doing pull ups right next to another person lifting a barbell, I need to make sure they’re far enough apart so that they’re not going to hit each other. And I think that since I started coaching in 2021, I have prevented at least two to three accidents in the sanctuary, because I now see things I didn’t see before. Like, Watch out, Bob, you’re gonna trip! So, it’s little practical things like that too – just using my eyes and my ears differently. I’m learning to see emotions on people’s faces more clearly. I’ve learned to look at people’s faces as I talk to them in a group more because athletes will tell you that they’re confused with their eyeballs first, and it turns out church people will too. I just didn’t notice that until I started coaching. And then the other big thing that I’ll say that was a really advantage was when you’re a personal trainer or CrossFit coach, people treat you like an expert in ways that they often don’t treat pastors. But being treated that way in the gym helps me to realize I’m an expert in the sanctuary too, whether or not we’re treated that way, we are. And it turns out that if you carry yourself like you know you’re an expert, people will respect you more. So, it’s been sort of nothing I’ve said, it’s just I’ve gained that kind of confidence. So those are my big advantages.
Jim Latimer
Wow, there are a lot of thoughts running through my mind right now. So, what was it again, that made you decide, I’m gonna go out and get a job? Was it, I decided to get a job. Or, I discovered CrossFit and I love it, and oh, why don’t I coach this! How did that do again?
Anna Tew
It’s a few things – our episode about burnout. I was looking for another area of expertise, because I thought I might need another job. So that was a big thing. Another thing is, I’m a huge nerd. And when I really love something, I want to know everything about it. So that was part of it. And then the third reason is that I enjoy talking in front of people and leading groups and knew I had the skills for that as a pastor, and my gym needed coaches. So, it was kind of those three things kind of stacked together. But I would say that, without a doubt in both things, I stand in front of people, and I help them navigate through hard things. Something that I’ve said to both parishioners going through hard times, and athletes in the middle of workout is, This is the hardest part. If you can get through this, you can get through it.
Jim Latimer
So, it’s a combination here. Because I have colleagues of mine that say, usually more from economic reasons, I’d love to get another job. But I don’t know what to do. I haven’t been trained for anything else. So, I’ve heard that before from more than one person. And what I’m hearing you say Anna, is that the job that you’re doing now as a CrossFit coach is that while it didn’t come from economic reasons, it did come from a realization of two things. Number one, what you like to do – you just like the whole CrossFit thing. You like that and it’s nourishing for you being a CrossFit practitioner. And also, you recognize that there’s a piece of being a CrossFit coach, there’s some skills there that you use also as a pastor, right? So, there’s a real parallel and reinforcement there that maybe others looking to be bi-vocational, could think about, What are the skills that I use as a pastor? What do I really enjoy using, and now what are some other fields other areas of my life where I could use them – maybe low hanging fruit like you – CrossFit was just right in front of you. Right? You applied it to that, and a thing of beauty emerged for you, for your CrossFit coachees and for the church, because you’re a happier person in your church I’m quite sure. And you’ve avoided some accidents, and probably some deaths in the sanctuary because of all this…
Anna Tew
I don’t know about deaths, Jim, but definitely an accident or two! Yeah, I would say to anybody who’s thinking, any pastor who’s thinking about finding another job – yes, exactly. You summed it up great. What’s something that you really like to do that you enjoy doing that you want to know more about? And I think as clergy, we often sell ourselves short. And we say that we’re unqualified for things, when in fact, we have one of the most sought-after skills, and that is talking in front of people and leading groups. So, whether it’s being some sort of fitness coach, yoga instructor, I know is a popular thing for pastors to go and get certified in public speaking classes and tutoring. There are just a million ideas. So, I would encourage people to do that. Because the skill transfers, there’s always skill transfer, regardless of what your second job is. You’re gonna gain confidence because you’re going to have another area of expertise and for many people, yeah, it’ll help out economically and it certainly has helped me too.
Jim Latimer
Beautiful. Perfect. That’s a perfect spot to the wind up here Anna, thank you so much for that, when we finish here, I’m gonna go to the gym!