New Lemont Church Director Plans Adult Recreation League

The new recreation director and her staff at Lemont’s have plans to expanding the church’s recreation ministry, and they’re bringing a new level of enthusiasm to the church’s decades-old program.

Chrissy Gust, a lifelong member of the church and former fifth-grade teacher, took on the post this fall following the departure of David Bailie, who left to pastor a church in Indiana.

Gust has fond memories of participating in Nazarene’s recreation programs as a child. “We loved getting the trophies at the award shows,” she recalled. “I also had some really great coaches that I’m still in contact with today and built a lot of great relationships.”

With her background in education, Gust is focused on the children in the program and their experiences.

“We’re not here to keep score and record wins and losses,” she said. “We want to help kids enjoy their gifts and abilities, and want the community to know that we love kids and want them to come and have fun.”

Gust is joined by new Office Manager Katelyn Gallagher and League Director Patrick LeGrand. The three have been busy coming up with new ideas as they settle into their roles.

“They bring a new energy and enthusiasm to our recreation program,” Lewis said. “It’s great to see their enthusiasm and how excited they get about it.”

The team’s first new venture will be an adult men’s basketball league that will begin on Wednesday evenings in January. The church will also sponsor open-gym hockey time for adults in January in preparation for an adult co-ed roller hockey league in February.

“There is a hunger in our community for hockey,” said Adam Lewis, the family pastor who oversees the recreation program and children’s ministry.

According to a survey conducted among 140 families who are currently enrolled in Nazarene Recreation programs, 75 percent of the adults who responded indicated an interest in the adult programs. Lewis hopes that will translate into robust adult recreation leagues in the future. He’s heard from many adults who came to Nazarene Recreation programs as children and now want to come back as adults.

“The people who played here as kids know and trust us as an affordable and fun place and want to come back,” Lewis said.

He hopes that having three individuals working on the Nazarene Recreation staff will allow the church to maintain a high-quality program and concentrate on multiple objectives.

“In this kind of program, you want people who are passionate about what they do and we have that in all three [new staff members],” Lewis said.

In addition to the new adult programs, the team is working on plans for a spring children’s floor hockey program and summer roller hockey. Lewis also hopes to expand the Nazarene Arts program, which offers instrumental music lessons.

“We want to cast a wide net and offer as many lessons as possible to expand that program,” Lewis said.

The Nazarene Recreation and Arts programs currently serve about 2,900 children each year from Lemont, Homer Glen, Orland Park, Palos Park and Lockport. The program is one of numerous outreach efforts of the Christian bible-based First Church of the Nazarene.

“We want to build relationships with people and model Christ to them—that’s why the recreation ministry exists,” Lewis explained.

For more information about Nazarene Recreation and its offerings, visit www.chicagofirstnaz.org.