fitness instructor

Town North YMCA fitness coordinator Tiffany Rodgers ends each of her classes in an unconventional way. She invites the women to stay afterward for Bible study in the lobby, where they end up sharing some deeply personal issues. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of people that way,” she says.

Rodgers oversees 110 classes and 60 instructors per week and teaches two classes of her own. She has been working at Town North since 1999, commuting 40 minutes from North Carrollton.

“It’s worth the drive. It’s a special place. This is like a second family.”

Rodgers has seen children, including her own, grow up at Town North. But she also has grown close with her older students. She leads a low-impact aerobics class for seniors.

“There are 92-year-olds who can do stuff that many 20-year-olds can’t.”

Dick O’Connor, 84, stops by Rodgers’ office regularly for a quick hug and a few kind words.

“She is so friendly and helpful. And she’s good looking, too,” he jokes.

Rodgers, who has a business management degree from Texas Christian Univer- sity, never planned on having a career in fitness. She started out like many women do, she says.

“I had two young kids, and I liked working out. That’s how so many moms get into to it — to get paid to work out.”

She spends most of her spare time attending her daughter’s volleyball tournaments and studying to become a missionary. Rodgers already has traveled abroad to impoverished areas in Latin America. She’s also done work in needy areas near home in South Dallas.

Rodgers recently took a course through Christian World Movement at Prestonwood Baptist Church, where she is a member.

“The key thing is to learn other people’s faiths and cultures before you try to tell them about Christianity. This could be my future.”

Baptist

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00 am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

Bible Churches

NORTHHIGHLANDS BIBLE CHURCH / www.nhbc.net

Sunday: Lifequest (all ages) 9:00 am / Worship 10:30 am

Wed: Student Ministry 7:00 pm / 9626 Church Road / 214.348.9697

Disciplesof Christ

EAST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

Episcopal

THEEPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION / 8787 Greenville Ave.

Sunday School 9:00 am / Worship 8:00 & 10:15 am 214.340.4196 / more at www.ascensiondallas.org

Lutheran

ZIONLUTHERAN CHURCH & SCHOOL / 6121 E Lovers Ln.

Sunday: Sunday School 9:15 am, Worship 8:00 am, 10:30 am, & 6:00 pm / 214.363.1639 / www.ziondallas.org

Methodist

LAKEHIGHLANDS UMC/ 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

9:30 – Sunday School / 10:30 – Fellowship Time

10:50 – Traditional & Contemporary Worship

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

SHORELINE DALLAS CHURCH / 5321 E. Mockingbird Lane

ShorelineDallas.com / 469.227.0471 / Pastor Earl McClellan

Everyone’s Welcome at 9:15am / Children’s & Youth Ministry

Presbyterian

NORTHPARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH / 214.363.5457

9555 N. Central Expwy. / www.northparkpres.org

Pastor: Rev. Brent Barry / 8:30 & 11:00 am Sunday Services

Unity

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path For Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972-233-7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sunday services: 9:00 am & 11:00 am