A healthy and evangelizing ministry with young adults begins by identifying the types of activities that young adults in a particular community are interested in or already engaged in outside of their parish. While we typically think of Catholic small groups as gatherings like Bible Studies or prayer groups, any small grouping of people who share a common interest or practice, build friendship, and pray together can be a healthy small group to help people engage or re-engage in their faith. Do you know parishioners and young adults interested in fitness? Below are quick tips for starting a running group or running club, hosted by the parish or young adult ministry.
While shared activities like running groups may have outreach to young adults as their primary audience, these activities can often be a place for healthy intergenerational friendships to form. While your main audience may be young adults, consider opening the group up to a wider adult age range.
Couch to 5k (or Pew to 5k)
- Start by identifying a few leaders who can commit to helping with communication, outreach, and hospitality. One person shouldn’t coordinate a group alone.
- Choose a consistent meeting time or times during the week and the total number of weeks the group will meet (e.g. Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. for 9 weeks)
- Consistency is key! If you are unsure of what days or times may work best, ask those who are in the target demographic you are trying to reach (e.g, ages 25-35 young professionals working downtown)
- Create beautiful flyers or digital graphics using free tools like canva.com. Be sure to communicate a welcoming tone on all communications, stating specifically that runners of all ages and levels are welcome
- Promote the running group across multiple channels within the parish as well as outside. Consider the following ideas:
- Make an announcement at Mass, in the bulletin, on a poster in the back of church, on the parish website, and in parish email communications
- Ask the Catholic school, religious education program, and CYO sports programs to send out the invitation to all parents (strollers welcome)
- Post online about the group on free community social media platforms and pages
- Post flyers about the group at local gyms, coffee shops, and community bulletin boards
- Finally, prioritize personal invitation. This is always the most effective way to engage more people.
- Identify a safe 5k route loop that ends back at the beginning location
- Use an online form (e.g. Google Forms) to collect names, age, running level, and cell phone number
- If you are promoting the flyers in public, you may not be comfortable using your personal phone number or email. Consider a QR code linking to a Google Form or similar online sign-up form.
- Collecting age is important so that if someone registers who is under the age of 18, you can communicate with their parent/guardian that minors are not able to participate without a parent/guardian present. Always check with your parish or diocesan safe-environment coordinator about the appropriate guidelines in your diocese.
- On a weekly basis, send group texts or WhatsApp messages to send reminders and weather updates.
- This is also an opportunity to follow up 1-on-1 with those who signed up but missed a week to see how they are doing and to encourage them to reach their goals as an accountability partner
- If you engage runners of different levels, consider asking one runner to be the pace-setter and ask another runner to stay toward the back to support and encourage slower runners/walkers.
- Begin each run with a welcome, stretching, and a short prayer thanking God for the day and asking God to give each person the fortitude to run well and to offer up any discomfort to God.
- Consider building into the running group an optional social at a nearby coffee shop (or juice bar or restaurant, depending on the time of day)
- Choose strategic time(s) of the year to begin the group, such as the beginning of the calendar year or as a build-up to a community-wide 5k or marathon race (with a 5 Kk option)
- To generate interest and commitment in the group, you may consider making the group a fundraiser for charity by 1) charging a participation fee (~$20/person) or 2) asking participants to have their friends and family sponsor them for finishing the 5k.
