Please join us for an orientation meeting and learn more about the First Place Christ Centered Health program. The meetings are held at the Northtowne Church of God, corner Parkwood and 25-A North, Sidney, Ohio 45365.      Please contact Phyllis Strunk or Pastor Ellisif you have any questions. Why First Place?      Leaders are often asked, "What makes First Place different from other weight-loss programs?" The aim of First Place is a totally balanced Christian life, based on salvation through Jesus Christ. The difference is the results of keeping the nine commitments of fitness which are fundamental to the First Place Christ Centered Health Program. Merely losing weight can be accomplished by other plans, but it is in total surrender to the Lordship of Christ that weight loss is achieved and maintained over time.      In John 10:10, Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." Many people today are struggling to lose weight, trying every new thing that comes along, but without lasting results. They are left feeling frustrated and hopeless. This is not the abundant life of which Jesus spoke. His kind of abundant life is found in total commitment to Him and giving Him first place in every aspect of life. He really does make the difference!

why Should Christians Eat Nutritionally?             "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."(I Corinthians 10:31)             The basic philosophy of all Christians is to serve God as long as they can and as best they can. Thousands of studies have shown that proper diet and exercise changes the physiology of the body to a higher and more efficient level. The more efficient the marvelous inner workings of each cell, the longer it will last and the better it will work.            Yet many Christians are falling short in their commitment to serve God as long and as best they can. Many are dying at young ages from heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Many are suffering from il health that prevents them from actively serving God and their fellow man. They always seem to be tired, yawning, sleepy,fatigued, depressed in mood, with poor interpersonal relationships. Many are not as zealous in their worship of God as they used to be. Many question, wher is the abundant life that is promised in John's Gospel? Others even blame God for their sickness or ill fortune.             Often overly concerned with outward appearances, many Christians have let themselves degenerate more rapidly than they otherwixse would have; have become unfit because of a grossly inadequate diet and lack of physical exercise. Keeping physically fit and healthy is one of the Christian believer's most vital responsibilities, yet one that is frequently ignored. Jesus was Physically Fit             Do you wnat to be Christ-like? If you answered yes, then you have made not only a spiritual commitment but also a physical commitment as well. Most Christians strive to pattern their lives after the perfect example of Christ. If we analyze the life of Christ , we can find in the Bible several examples of His lifestyle.             Luke 2:52 disclosed that Jesus developed in four areas of His life. "And Jesus increased in wisdom (mentally) and stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually) and man (socially)". God created us and breathed the breath of life into us and we became human beings. As human beings, God gave us freedom to choose how we are going to live our lives. A human being is not just a soul with spiritual needs butr is a creature of many dimensions. W all have physical, mental, and social needs and must grow and develop continuously in each area. If we neglect one of these areas, that area will experience decay. This decay will affect other dimensions of our persons. We are told in I Corinthians 122:26 that "if one part of the body suffers, all other parts suffer with it." Many Christians may be healthy in the spiritual and social needs but unhealthy in their mental and physical selves. The confusions and frustrations caused from being unhealthy in thee areas will affect the spiritual and social dimensions. For example, many Christians may have a close relationship with God or have many friends. Because they become overweight, which often lead to poor health and low self-esteem, they lose their enthusiastic desire to continue their spiritual and social development. We must learn to develop our health in all four areas so that we can develop into our fullest Christian potential, just as our Savior did while He lived on this earth two thousand years ago.            "And Jesus increased in stature." Jesus once walked a distance of 120 miles in a three-day period (Mark 5 & 6). He once walked from Sidon to Tyre - a distance of 50 miles through rugged, mountain terrain - in one day (Matthew 15:21-29). If He walked from sunrise to sundown, as was the custom, he would have had to average walking a 14-minute mile. Walk one mile in 14 minutes and appreciate how fit your Savior was.             In His early life Jesus was a carpenter. His work required Him to possess a great amount of strength. He didn't have power tools to aid Him, and His tools were not sharpened by power-driven machines. It took strength and muscular endurance just top saw a board. We can see Jesus' strength and conditioning on the day He was beaten and crucified. Only a well-conditioned man could have urvived the beating and torture that preceded the crucifixion.             Jesus used His conditioned body to serve His father better. If we are to be Christ-like, we also must condition our bodies through proper diet, proper exercise, and proper rest.

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