At Sweaty Sheep you’ll hear a sermon. But it may be delivered when you are in deep into downward facing dog pose. There will be prayer. But it may be delivered before you embark on a 5k run.
“Much of the reasoning behind starting Sweaty Sheep was selfish in nature,” jokes Pastor Ryan Althaus, founder of the young Louisville, KY faith movement, the name of which is a nod to both a pastor’s flock and their active nature. “I knew that I didn’t want a pulpit, so I strove to create a ministry that would allow me to turn my play into work.”
Althaus says this idea began to coalesce in an independent study course at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. “We began to ask ‘what are the basic components of worship and how can play with that?’”
With a hunch that there were other Christians out there that were tired of worship being a “passive experience” of “sitting still”, Althaus began to build relationships and gain the trust of the Louisville running community. Before long he was leading prayers and devotionals before area runs.
“This generation doesn’t want to be preached to; they want to be taught, they want to be part of a discussion,” says Althaus.
“It was messy, it was fun, it was frustrating, it was fulfilling, and all in all, I was blessed to be a part of it,” says Althaus of those early days. While Sweaty Sheep now enjoys support from larger, more established congregations, it was a relatively lonely endeavor in the beginning. But, he says, faith sustained them. “It became a real discipline to trust the path that God was laying and surrender to following the spirit.”
Now a visit to a Sweaty Sheep gathering might find you on a vigorous hike, assuming poses in the aforementioned yoga, or running in their popular Christmas 5k. Or, you might join members as they visit another church to witness how others worship. But all services include something that has become a hallmark of Sweaty Sheep: an open dialogue on the nature of faith and worship.
“This generation doesn’t want to be preached to; they want to be taught, they want to be part of a discussion,” says Althaus when asked why he thinks more and more young people are turning away from faith. Perched atop a bar stool in the midst of the congregation, Althaus has always encouraged discussion of the sermon, the message, the scripture.
Although Althaus has stepped away from the day-to-day operations of Sweaty Sheep, he’s still an important leader, returning occasionally to guide the service. He’s hopeful that more emerging ministries follow in the footsteps of Sweaty Sheep, seeking to meet people wherever they find God.
“Many people are turned off by the irrelevancy of traditional worship practices that lack authenticity,” says Althaus. “The need for our community was not [necessarily] for a running ministry, it was for a genuine, honest, impassioned, and relevant message/messenger. We are able to help individuals experience God and grow in relationship with one another through their unique passion.”