Karate Program Puts 'Kick" into Ministry

Janelle Scheper, the youth and family minister, has been teaching Karate for Christ twice a week in the church's gym. Three different classes are held each night: kindergarten through second grades, third through fifth grades, and sixth through eighth grades. Adults also allowed to participate in the older-age classes.

Scheper, who holds a black belt in karate, teaches a martial arts discipline known as Tae Kwon Do. "I like it because it doesn't have all the religious aspects that some of the others do," she says. Scheper is able to insert plenty of biblical teaching herself, however. Classes open in prayer and include a life lesson prior to the physical training. She adds that Tae Kwon Do focuses on discipline and forms and not fighting. "It's about self-discipline."

Once students achieve a certain ranking, they can start sparring. The first students are reaching that level now, Scheper says. But the sparring is done in a controlled manner. "You learn trust," she says. "You have to learn to trust your partner." If students don't want to spar, they still can advance to black belt.

Students are taught that Tae Kwon Do is to be used only in self-defense. "We teach them that we never strike first," Sheper says. Student misbehaviors become teachable moments in which scripture is used to help understand the proper way to act.

Feedback on the program has been positive. "The parents say they have seen a huge change in their kids," Sheper says. That includes becoming more helpful around the house. Students are given a chore sheet that they must complete and are rewarded for their work at home.

The class has proven to be a ministry to others as well as those from Hilmar Covenant, the youth minister notes. Students have come from other churches and from families that do not attend any particular church. Scheper says that she expected more hesitancy on the part of church leaders, who have supported the program. "They did ask all the appropriate questions about things like the religious aspects," she says.

The ministry has become a member of Karate for Christ International, which has members around the world. Students wear the organization's patch, which highlights the words honor, faith and power. The church had to take out a $2 million liability insurance policy that costs $1,500 a year in premiums, Scheper says. The money required to launch the program and cover those upfront costs was loaned for the first year, but already has been paid back. "We're actually in the black," she adds.

The classes have become financially self-sustaining and even contribute to paying for other parts of the children's ministry, including camping, Scheper says. Classes cost very little compared to taking martial arts training elsewhere. Participants pay $35 a month and pay for their uniform, but pay for nothing else, Scheper says. Traditionally students have had to pay each time they tested for an increase in rank and for other items. "We have very little overhead and we don't mark up the prices," she says, explaining how the church can make the program affordable for more people.

To learn more about the Karate for Christ program, email Scheper at janellescheper@aol.com. To learn more about the church and its other ministries, visit the church website at www.hilmarcovenant.org.

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