By: Lauren Dungy
“Iron sharpens iron, as one friend sharpens another”
Proverbs 27:17
The Iron Sharpeners are a small group that is part of the Grace Family Church Neighborhood Ministry. It was formed 12 years ago as a way to minister to women who had a desire to be physically fit but, more than that, wanted to be spiritually fit as well. The goal was to facilitate a time to get together to work out but also a time to fellowship, to grow in the Lord and also to join together to serve our community. I, along with Peggy Petrone, co-lead the group.
The Iron Sharpeners meet once a week on the beautiful and scenic Upper Tampa Bay Trail. It is technically a running group, but we have women of all fitness levels who will run, walk, or walk/run 3 to 5 miles. We meet in the parking lot. It is so energizing to work out and train our bodies while holding each other accountable. Our goal is to get a good cardio workout in, and we certainly enjoy doing that. We sign up to run in 5k and 10k races around the Tampa Bay Area and those are fun for us as well. The races and running festivals certainly keep us motivated to train, but that’s not the biggest reason why most women join the group.
What we really enjoy is being able to fellowship with one another while we train. Our group uses weekly meetings on the trail as a time to draw closer to the Lord. We have a time of prayer where we thank God for what He has done for us, and we also pray for each other. The ladies share what challenges we have in our lives and any prayer needs we might have. We use this time to share with each other just how God has been speaking to us and how we are responding to His word. We are intentional about looking for opportunities to share the gospel and to pray for people on the trail.
Another goal of the Iron Sharpeners is to minister to the underserved in our community. We set up opportunities to volunteer as a group once a month. These outreach opportunities include serving at Metropolitan Ministries, New Life Warehouse, Cornerstone Ministries, and bell ringing for the Salvation Army.
These are some of the most rewarding times to be an Iron Sharpener and I always feel so thankful after our volunteer visits. It causes you to think about just how blessed we are and that makes you want to reach out even more.
We are a running group, but we are more than that. We are sisters in Christ who support each other, who love each other and love helping our community. We try to live out the message of Proverbs 27:17–just as iron sharpens iron, so does one believer sharpen another!
We are always open to new member joining the group. Send us an interest form and we will get in touch with you. We look forward to many more miles on the trail, fellowship with one another, and making a difference in our community while growing deeper in our faith.
Join Iron Sharpeners Walk/Run Group