What are Spiritual Fitness Workouts?

Spiritual Fitness Workout Groups are groups of 10-15 men that meet bi-week/or weekly, for 90 minutes. They reflect on an episode from the Crossing the Goal series, usually watching from a DVD set, along with corresponding questions that serve as a discussion guide.

Mission

Spiritual Fitness Workout Groups are Crossing the Goal's official Catholic Men's Ministry program that serve to train and strengthen men inwardly through these workouts so that they become Godly men who will make a positive difference in their homes, parishes, workplaces, and communities.

Purpose

• To gather men together in order to honor God in prayer and worship.
• To invite the Holy Spirit to penetrate our hearts to change us interiorly.
• To educate ourselves through the teachings of the Catholic Church utilizing the Scriptures and the Catechism.
• To share with one another how God is working in each of our lives on a daily basis.
• To recruit and encourage other men to join us in spiritual training and workouts.

The main goal of Spiritual Fitness Workout Grops is to increase the number of strong, vibrant, and active Catholic men in our parishes.

Crossing the Goal Resources

• DVD'S
• Each disc contains a number of shows that make up a series (8-12 episodes) (ex: Godly Man, Becoming Disciples, etc.)
• Each show contains four parts--Kick Off, Game Plan, Red Zone, End Zone.
• Total time of content on each episode is approximately 25 minutes.
• Questions
• A set of (warm up and workout) questions has been designed by the CTG team that correspond to each episode of a particular series.
• These questions can be downloaded from the CTG website (www.crossingthegoal.com) for free.
• The men utilize the episode questions by answering them prior to attending the meeting so that they will be better prepared for discussions in the breakout segments.

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

Schedule: Workouts are usually held bi-weekly/or weekly (90 minutes).

Examples - Thursdays, 7:30-9:00 PM--1st and 3rd Thursdays
Saturdays, 7:00 – 8:30 AM --2nd and 4th Saturdays
Tuesdays after 6:30 AM Mass

CTG Workout Format

Segment-I Warm-up-(large group)

• Welcome--any new member
• Prayer--song (optional)
• Accountability: Leader have the men review previous week's action item.
• Total time: 15 min.

Segment-II Workout-(large group)

• Workout leader starts the workout by showing the large group the DVD-kickoff, game plan, and red zone.
• Total time: 20 min. (approximately)

Segment-III Sharing-(small groups)

• Large group breaks into small groups of 5-7 men
• Leader appoints Facilitators for each small group
• Facilitator leads the men in discussion of episode by utilizing the questions downloaded from the website.
• Questions are divided into two categories: 1) Warm-up questions; 2) Workout questions
• Total time: 45-50 minutes

Segment-IV Action item-(large group)

• Workout leader shows large group the end zone.
• Each man takes a couple minutes to write down one action item he would like to accomplish before the next workout.
• Total time: 5 min.

COACHING POINTS FOR A GREAT WORKOUT

• "Starting team" no more than 10-15 members.
• Each team member should purchase his own DVD (website group pricing) or watch episodes streaming on www.crossingthegoal.com.
• Questions can be downloaded from the Crossing the Goal site (www.crossingthegoal.com) on the link marked 'Workout Questions'. FOR FREE
• Make a hard copy of the questions.
• Each team member should view the episode for the week prior to attending the workout.
• The questions should be completed prior to the workout.
• Bring the questions to the workout, so that you can refer to your notes during the sharing/discussion portion of the workout.
• Make a concerted effort to accomplish your action item for the week.

Note: If possible, review and reflect on prior week's content to help make it stick.

WORKOUT GROUP LEADER RESPONSIBILITIES

• The initial "Starting Team" should be no more than 10 members including group leader. Build from that base until you reach a cap of 15 men. Once you reach 15, a couple of the men should break off and form a new " Starting Team" of no more than 10 new men.
• Prepare for each meeting. (example: watch the episode and review the questions.)
• Make sure the room is properly set up.
• Double-check all of the equipment. Make sure the TV and DVD are properly connected.
• Have a CD player on hand for the music--if necessary.
• Have designated facilitators planned for each meeting who can lead the small group discussions.
• Find several guys who can take turns opening and closing meeting rooms.
• Refreshments – Purchase soft drinks, coffee, cookies, etc.--makes for a nice touch. (optional)
• EVERYONE makes sure room is put back in order.

TIPS FOR FACILITATORS

• Create a “safe place.” Everything said in the group stays in the group and is held in STRICT CONFIDENCE.
• Keep everything moving. If the discussion lags, move on to the next question. Keep an eye on the clock.
• Stay on the subject at hand: don’t get off-base.
• Don’t allow one person to dominate the sharing. You must kindly interrupt so that you can move on.
• You don’t need to comment on the men’s answers to the discussion questions.
• All members, and their sharing, are of equal value; no gurus.
• Discussion of public figures and issues should be discouraged – not a debating session.
• Discussion of church figures and issues should be discouraged.
• Personal counseling during the meetings should be avoided.
• Personal experiences can be shared but any major issues should be handled outside of the meeting.
• Sensitive and difficult disclosures and sharing can be followed by taking time out to pray.
• Be sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit and flexible to follow that movement.
• Start and stop on time.

HOW TO SET UP SPIRITUAL FITNESS WORKOUT GROUPS

Follow these steps to set up Workout Groups in your Parish:

Step 1: Leadership

• Two or three key men in the Parish will make up the core leadership team--pray for the Lord's guidance.
• Choose two men to be the initial workout leaders.
• As you grow, encourage others to become more involved in leadership roles.

Step 2: APPROVAL

• Set an appointment with the Pastor so that you can get his approval and ask him to join in with you in the meetings as a participant. Make sure the deacons are included.
• Make sure you understand the mission, purpose and goal for the Spiritual Fitness Workout (SFW) before meeting with the Pastor.
• Be prepared to explain to the Pastor the format of the workouts and the benefits to the Parish.

Step 3: LOCATION

• Parish – choose a meeting room in the Parish center that gives you some privacy and the ability to expand.
• Make sure the area you choose is set up to handle a TV monitor.
• Homes are very nice but you will be limited to the size of the group and it is a huge commitment.

Step 4: EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS

• Each man should purchase a CTG DVD of the series you are currently covering.
• Bring a copy of the discussion questions along with the Bible.
• The leader is responsible for bringing the CTG DVD to the workout.
• Music sheets and CD player for worship songs--if necessary.
• TV monitor and DVD player -- for viewing.

Step 1: Recruitment

• All men are invited--recommendations from the pastor/deacon would be helpful.
• A personal invitation seems to work the best and is the most effective.
• Make announcement from pulpit at Mass; Parish bulletin; business cards with workout information.
• Announcement and sign up will occur at the CTG Conference--if applicable

Step 2: Growth

• Send out an email weekly to keep men informed of the next meeting.
• Try to follow-up with a phone call to each new member that you bring to the meeting. Make sure everything is O.K. and remind him of the next meeting.
• Be aware of men that are "no-shows" and let them know they are missed.
• Each man should invite and bring one new man per month, and then follow through by encouraging him to keep coming back, with a personal invite by you.
• Invite men from other parishes to attend so that they might be encouraged to start a CTG Workout Group in their parish.

Step 3: Key Points About Workouts

• CTG workout groups, as you can see, are easy to organize and to facilitate- guy's don't need to be "experts" in order to use the materials.
• Great for men that are new to groups and for men that have been in groups for years.
• Useful for all age groups-teens to retirees. In fact, fathers and sons can attend together.

Segment 1: Warm-up (large group)

• Welcome - any new members?
• Prayer and optional song
• Accountability: Leader have the men review previous week's action item
• Total time: 15 min.

Segment 2: Workout (large group)

• Workout leader starts the workout by showing the large group the DVD-kickoff, game plan, and red zone
• Total time: 20 min. (approximately)

Segment 3: Sharing (small groups)

• Large group breaks into small groups of 5-7 men
• Leader appoints Facilitators for each small group
• Facilitator leads the men in discussion of episode by utilizing the questions downloaded from the website
• Questions are divided into two categories: 1) Warm-up questions; 2) Workout questions
• Total time: 45-50 minutes

Segment 4: Action item (large group)

• Workout leader shows large group the end zone
• Each man takes a couple minutes to write down one action item he would like to accomplish before the next workout
• Total time: 5 min

[More Detail About Groups]
[No Group? Try a Personal Workout]

Coaching Points for a Great Workout

• Each team member should purchase his own DVD (group pricing is available) or watch streaming right here
• Questions can be downloaded from this website for free
• Make a hard copy of the questions
• Each team member should view the episode for the week prior to attending the workout
• The questions should be completed prior to the workout
• Bring the questions to the workout, so that you can refer to your notes during the sharing/discussion portion of the workout
• Make a concerted effort to accomplish your action item for the week
• Note: If possible, review and reflect on prior week's content to help make it stick.

[More Detail About Groups]
[No Group? Try a Personal Workout]

Workout Group Leader Responsibilities and Notes

• The initial "Starting Team" should be no more than 10 members, including yourself as the group leader. Build from that base until you reach a cap of 15 men. Once you reach 15, a couple of the men should break off and form a new " Starting Team" of no more than 10 new men.
• Prepare for each meeting by, at the very least, watching the episode and reviewing the questions
• Make sure the room is properly set up
• Double-check all of the equipment and ,ake sure the TV, DVD, and/or computer are properly connected
• Have a CD player on hand for the music, if necessary
• Have designated facilitators planned for each meeting who can lead the small group discussions
• Find several guys who can take turns opening and closing meeting rooms
• Optional: Provide refreshments - purchasing soft drinks, coffee, cookies, etc. creates a sense of welcome and makes for a nice touch
• At the end of the meeting EVERYONE makes sure room is put back in order

[More Detail About Groups]
[No Group? Try a Personal Workout]

Tips for workout group facilitators

• Create a “safe place” - everything said in the group stays in the group and is held in STRICT CONFIDENCE
• Keep everything moving; if the discussion lags, move on to the next question
• Keep an eye on the clock
• Stay on the subject at hand: don’t get off-base
• Don’t allow one person to dominate the sharing; if this happens, you must kindly interrupt so that you can move on
• You don’t need to comment on the men’s answers to the discussion questions
• All members, and their sharing, are of equal value; there are no gurus here
• Discussion of public figures and issues should be discouraged – this is not a debating session
• Discussion of church figures and issues should be discouraged
• Personal counseling during the meetings should be avoided
• Personal experiences can be shared but any major issues should be handled outside of the meeting
• Sensitive and difficult disclosures and sharing can be followed by taking time out to pray
• Be sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit and flexible to follow that movement
• Start and stop on time

[More Detail About Groups]
[No Group? Try a Personal Workout]