It’s hard to believe that we have wrapped up another year of Wednesdays Ablaze!

It was a great year of learning, fellowship, music, and…dance!

We had a new offering this year: Gospel Mixxed Fit. It started at 6:30 pm (so plenty of time for our food to digest), and was 45 minutes of cardio, fun, and an opportunity to work on our physical temples. Vastly different than most of our classes, it gave adults a chance to incorporate movement and faith together.

I had been hoping for something like this for a long time. That is, for an opportunity for the adults to gather in a way that was both life-giving and different—something that invited movement, joy, and connection. I’ve always believed that ministry doesn’t only happen in pews or chairs. Sometimes it happens in motion, in laughter, in the shared experience of trying something new together. Maybe something with a good beat!

That desire naturally led me to think about dance fitness. I personally have loved Mixxed Fit which is a “people-inspired” dance fitness program that blends explosive dance movements with bodyweight toning to create high-energy, inclusive workouts. I started going to Mixxed Fit classes about seven years ago. The first class I attended started with a class of about five and blossomed into a class so well-attended we had a scrunch in the gymnasium!

With Mixxed Fit, the dance routines were somewhat intuitive and easy for me to remember. We would mix up the same songs each class so after attending several times, you knew what was coming. I loved being able to move after a day of sitting, driving, and studying, and I would dance my heart out in those classes. My shirt would be drenched with sweat and I had gotten a good workout. Every time I participated, I left feeling energized—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. It wasn’t just exercise; it was release. It gave me real routines I could carry into my week, something I could turn on at home and just move. It became a rhythm that brought joy into ordinary days.

I thought it would be so cool to bring to church, but there was always something that held me back from bringing it into a church setting.

The music.

As much as I loved the format, I couldn’t ignore that much of the music just wasn’t clean or aligned with the kind of environment I wanted to cultivate. I didn’t want to constantly filter lyrics or feel like I had to compromise. What I really longed for was something just as engaging and energizing, but rooted in truth—something faith-filled, positive, and uplifting.

I started asking around. I reached out to people, hoping someone, somewhere, was already doing this—leading clean or even faith-based dance fitness classes. But again and again, I came up empty. It seemed like the thing I was envisioning didn’t quite exist, at least not in a way that was accessible to us.

And then, through a connection that can only be described as God’s timing, I was pointed to an instructor who was just beginning to explore this very idea.

She was at the start of her journey, experimenting with what a cleaner, more faith-centered version of dance fitness could look like. She had found a new program offered by the creator of Mixxed Fit called Faith Dance Fitness. She was in the one of the very first cohorts and became certified to teach this new faith dance hybrid. She had only led a class once at the Y, early on, but even in that small beginning, there was something evident: she was gifted. Not just technically, but creatively and spiritually. She is an artist in the truest sense—someone who can take movement, music, and meaning and weave them together.

What stood out to me most, though, was her heart. She told me her agreement with the Lord, that is she is to teach, she will do it for His glory.

That was all I needed to hear.

When I asked if she would come and lead a class for us, she said yes—and that yes became the foundation for something incredibly special.

What followed was a full year of what we came to call Gospel Mixxed Fit.

From the very first session, it was clear this wasn’t just another class. I got to jump in when January came. When I came into the class, I could see that it wasn’t just choreography; we were stepping into something that blended worship and wellness in a way that felt natural and authentic. I expected to easily step forward and teach it, but I found that I would need to dig deeper to teach a class like this.

Some of the routines themselves told a story. We moved to reworked songs like “When the Saints Go Marching In,” not just as a familiar lyrics, but as a declaration of belonging and hope. We danced to reminders that we are masterpieces—intentionally created, deeply loved. We were surrounded by lyrics that spoke life, truth, and identity into us, and over time, those words began to sink deeper.

There is something powerful about embodying truth—not just hearing it, but moving with it, repeating it, feeling it in your muscles and breath. It changes the way it settles in your heart.

And through it all, we had so much fun.

There were moments of confusion, missed steps, and turning the wrong direction, but none of it mattered. In fact, those were often the moments that brought us closer. We gave each other grace. We encouraged one another. We celebrated small victories, like finally getting through a routine without stopping.

No one came to perform. No one came to be perfect. We simply came to participate, to take care of our temples, and to connect.

In addition, our conversations before and after class were a blessing. Some of us who may have only known each other in passing on a Sunday morning began to truly connect. There’s something about moving together—being a little vulnerable, a little out of your comfort zone—that creates space for real community.

As the class would end each week, the music would slow, and so would our breathing. Then, we would gather together in prayer. After all the movement and energy, there was something grounding about those moments. We had the opportunity to bring our joys, gratitude, and prayer concerns before God—not as individuals scattered throughout the week, but as a community that had just shared something meaningful together.

Those moments reminded me that this was never just about fitness. It was about formation—of hearts, of relationships, of a deeper awareness of God’s presence in every part of life.

Looking back, I’m so grateful. Grateful for the instructor who said yes to using her gifts for God’s glory. Grateful for every person who showed up, week after week. Grateful for the laughter, the movement, the music, and the moments of prayer. Grateful for the opportunity to help lead a song or two.

What started as a longing for a clean, faith-filled fitness option became a testimony of God’s provision and creativity.

He didn’t just meet the need—He created a space where joy and worship could exist side by side. A space where bodies moved, hearts opened, and community deepened.

And as we close this chapter, I don’t believe it’s really an ending at all.

It feels like a beginning. I hope you will come next Fall!