Meet Pastor Jeremy Amick, Adult Pastor from Carmel Baptist Church and recent graduate from MissionFiT’s “ReStart Your Heart” Program!
If we had to describe this Pastor’s experience through the program in one word it would be “wins”. He made significant changes. Changes that were not easy, from fitness to nutrition to wellness. And it’s paying off!
“Fitness is a part of Christ-honoring balance in a person’s life. When we care about the “temple of God,” then we care not just about ourselves but the leadership of the Holy Spirit who lives within every Christian. I began this journey out of conviction. I have enjoyed good health and fitness in the past. While I may not ever get back to the speed, agility, and stamina I had as an 18 year old, I can carry a lighter burden by making wise health choices and relieving stress through exercise not candy bars and Cherry Coke.”
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Meet Pastor Jeremy Amick – “The Amazing Amick”!
We are the crazy people. My wife, Angela, and I have six kids from preschool to middle school. We love the outdoors, backpacking, gardening, and playing sports in the backyard. We also have a music group, the Amick Adventure Band. Our life is often 900 mph.
I have enjoyed 22+ years as a minister of the Gospel. I began serving as the Adult Pastor at Carmel Baptist in early 2014, where I encourage and equip people to be disciple-makers. My strengths are in the areas of teaching, planning, and strategy. My passion is to equip people to follow Christ and encourage leaders who invest in other disciple-makers.
I long to grow mature in my faith and become more disciplined in habits that honor Christ. I desire to grow in biblical wisdom and integrity. I want to invest more time and energy into my family, preparing them for a faithful life of walking with Jesus. Most of all, I long to hear from my Heavenly Father, “Well done, my servant, you worshipped Me faithfully.”
When I think of my fitness journey the three words that immediately come to mind are:
Transforming life daily.
My past fitness journey started out very positively as an elite high school athlete…a sprinter on the track team and an All State cross country runner. While at Wingate University, I was a midfielder on the lacrosse team and later became the coach of a high school lacrosse team (that I practiced with to maintain my fitness). Six years after my coaching stint, I trained for the Outer Banks Marathon and five years after that I prepared for hiking in Israel.
As time has passed my fitness level declined gradually, but that decline has accelerated significantly the last few years. My daily life has become more sedentary, both in work environment and lifestyle, which in turn, has made me realize that exercise needs to become a more significant part of my daily routine and that I must also make wise food choices.
In terms of take-aways from the MissionFiT program, I learned much about nutrition, the importance of healthy food choices, and how both affect my body. The information provided on “gut” health was helpful to begin a change in what I eat and why I eat. I was challenged to think about food, not as a means of comfort in dealing with stress, but rather as fuel for my body. Armed with a different perspective for managing my diet, in February I cut almost all gluten, dairy, and refined sugars from my meals. For most of my life, I have been a sugar addict so it was normal for me to eat candy daily, desserts often, and other sugary foods in abundance. In the past, I had asked God to remove this craving. This time, He truly did. Almost instantly, I no longer had the desire to grab a candy bar, drink a soft drink, or tack on a dessert to the end of the meal. Now even some fruits even taste too sweet, I wouldn’t have said that before.
One key aspect that sets MissionFiT apart from other exercise/diet plans has been the team building approach. The support and encouragement from others has been much more effective in reinforcing proper fitness and diet habits. I especially loved the accountability and positive feedback that MissionFiT provides.
Getting back to my fitness journey, my biggest area of growth has been how I think about food. I truly understand that we eat for fuel not for fun. I may not like all the foods that I need to eat, but I am enjoying the blessing of better choices.
I want to provide an example for my children of obedience to God. I want them to see that it is important to serve God with all that we are, including our bodies. Something that also motivates me is competition. I am more competitive than I should be and I like to “win”. In the past few years, I have tried to identify a “win” that glorifies God, not just achieving a personal goal.
Those times in my life when I have experienced a closer relationship with God have been times of obedience. Caring for my health honors God and is a part of God’s plan. When I make unhealthy (selfish) choices, I am choosing my way and not God’s blessing. When I submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, He motivates me to make Christ-honoring fitness choices.
A pastor’s health is so important because the stress of ministry can take its toll on the body. Being overweight and exercising little compounds the effects of stress on one’s body. Conversely, a pastor who is taking care of his body will have more energy for ministry and outlets for healthy stress relief.
Fitness is a part of Christ-honoring balance in a person’s life. When we care about the “temple of God,” then we care not just about ourselves but the leadership of the Holy Spirit who lives within every Christian. I began this journey out of conviction. I have enjoyed good health and fitness in the past. While I may not ever get back to the speed, agility, and stamina I had as an 18 year old, I can carry a lighter burden by making wise health choices and relieving stress through exercise not candy bars and Cherry Coke. I would encourage others to seek a better path and embrace a healthy lifestyle.
For more Charlotte Pastor FiT-Testimonials, visit our FiT-Bits Blog.
