GRACE FAMILY CHURCH PASTOR CRAIG ALTMAN
Craig Altman was hit with the realization that something needed to change. As the senior pastor at Grace Family Church, he knew that if our body is fit the way it’s supposed to be – people could actually serve God in profound ways.
Inspiring Change
The physical body is connected to our soul and our spiritual life. I knew this. And something deep within me knew it was time to talk to my church about being good stewards of their bodies.
When The Daniel Plan book arrived in the mail, I was convinced that this was exactly the message our congregation needed to hear. I loved that it wasn’t just another diet, but a balanced and holistic approach—a lifestyle change.
Our church went all-in for a six-week teaching series about The Daniel Plan, and we tackled the 40 days together. Everyone was committed! Personal trainers came and donated time. The church did our first ever 5k Walk/Run and we loved it so much (or we were just crazy enough) that we offered a mud run too. As a pastor I was thrilled to see over 1,000 people participate in the events.
Our church offers many classes to help people make the changes they need to make to be successful: food addiction recovery, Zumba, circuit training, and more.
People’s lives are being changed. The stories of transformation are rolling in.
Victor’s Story
Victor woke up one morning and could barely make it out the door because his stomach was so painful. He immediately went to the doctor. He weighed in at 405 pounds with his blood pressure in the 160’s. He was living on the edge and it was time for something to change.
God gave Victor and his wife the strength they needed to clean out their pantry and refrigerator. They began to learn about healthy choices and rebuild their bodies the way God intended them to be.
Victor is now 345 pounds and his blood pressure is down. He knows he has a lot more work to do, but God brought The Daniel Plan to life for him and that has given him a fresh start for a better life.
Better Together
The main thing that appealed to me about The Daniel Plan was the philosophy of doing it together. Don’t do life alone. It really built into one of the core values of community and small groups at our church.
It may have started with a six week series…but as a result many people made true lifestyle changes – ultimately changing the way they live and think about health, and equipping them to fulfill God’s calling for their life.