Whether you’re at home or attending Annual Conference, everyone can join the Michigan Conference’s initiative to “Move to End Child Hunger,” regardless of fitness level.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
Michigan Conference leadership encourages everyone to get moving at the upcoming 2024 Michigan Annual Conference for better health and well-being and to raise money to fight child hunger in Michigan. Even if you won’t be present in Acme, you can participate at home or with others at your local church. Even your pet can get involved!
Renamed “Zero-K — Move to End Child Hunger,” this conference-wide initiative has been broadened to include everyone, regardless of fitness level. A Zero-K is much more flexible and customizable. You choose how to move your body at a pace that works for you, and you decide when to participate and for how long. Learn more about the initiative on this web page.
Register yourself and your friends and then give financially using this secure link or clicking the button below. (You can also bypass registration and select “Donate Only” if you only wish to contribute financially.) To donate by check, make your check payable to “Michigan Conference,” noting “Zero-K – Move to End Child Hunger” in the memo line. Mail your check directly to Michigan Conference Center, Attn: Accounts Receivable, 1011 Northcrest Rd., Lansing, MI 48906.
All funds will be distributed to agencies supporting every county in Michigan for immediate hunger relief!
For those wishing to run or walk in Acme, there will be a traditional 5K on Thursday, May 30, at 10:30 am. You can choose your distance and method for completing it — go the whole 5K or choose shorter loops. Extra T-shirts are available if you plan on participating on-site. Post your participation photos on Facebook and Instagram and use the #MIUMC5K hashtag.
This initiative aims to get people moving and make a difference in the lives of families in our communities. There are simple, creative ways to participate. Churches can set aside a time on an upcoming Sunday or another day that works best for everyone.
According to Joel Walther, Director of Conference Benefits and Coordinator of Human Resources, here are some practical examples of ways everyone can join: “Have a little dance break after worship as a form of benediction. Participate in stretches together before a meeting or Bible study. Do a couple of laps around your church building during fellowship time and talk while you walk. And then take a collection to help fight child hunger. These are the two facets of this initiative — get moving, even a little, and give, even a little, to make a big difference.”
Despite the efforts of dedicated organizations and agencies, food insecurity remains a serious problem in Michigan. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, over 378,000 children in Michigan experienced food insecurity in 2022. And 28% of them are likely ineligible for federal nutrition programs. The Michigan Conference’s Zero-K initiative will help these families who fall into that economic gap meet their needs.
This year’s “Zero-K — Move to End Child Hunger” initiative is one way the Michigan Conference hopes to impact ending child hunger in our state and improve our own health and well-being.
In addition to the traditional 5K, several other physical activities, including cardio drumming and chair yoga, will be offered at the 2024 Michigan Annual Conference in Acme. There will also be a quarter-mile walk from the yellow tent to the white tent. Attendees will be encouraged to walk this route during session breaks and at meal times.
Joel notes, “We have a cardio drumming class scheduled for 4:30 pm on Friday, May 31. We have 8:00 am chair yoga classes available both Friday and Saturday. We will have opportunities for some movement at breaks — for short walks, brief dances, basic stretching — anything to get us moving just a little.”
There is a lot of sitting during Annual Conference, and the hope is that members will utilize their breaks by getting active and trying something new. This also encourages people to think about developing positive habits that will lead to a healthy lifestyle when conference ends.
“Movement not only affects our body,” says Joel, “but it improves our mental health, strengthens our ability to prevent diseases, and helps us sleep better. Don’t worry about calling it exercise. Just find ways to move.”
Letting go of traditional ideas of exercise will help people find creative ways to care for their bodies, which are gifts from God, and put together a plan and a schedule that’s doable for them. In the end, we’ll reap the benefits of these new habits.
“Do what you can actually do,” encourages Joel. “We all have big dreams of how we’re going to change our lives, but we make change in increments. Sometimes, when we can’t reach that big dream, we get discouraged and give up, but we don’t realize that if we had made a small change, it would have a big impact. We know that moving just a few minutes three times a week vastly improves people’s health. The whole goal is to think little to get big results.”
Join the Michigan Conference’s “Zero-K — Move to End Child Hunger” initiative, create a movement plan you’re comfortable with, and donate what you can for a good cause. Our collective giving will make a big difference in the lives of children throughout our state. And we’ll improve our overall health and well-being in small steps, leading to significant results.
Last Updated on June 4, 2024