Phenix City & Auburn-Opelika Metro Churches Revive with Aqua Boost Water Challenge

This summer was a hot one all over the country, and two churches decided to do something positive to combat the heat. The Phenix City and Auburn-Opelika Metro Churches embarked on a 21-day challenge to drink more water while foregoing all other beverages during the three-week period.

There were three main objectives of the AquaBoost Water Challenge:

1. To encourage church members to stay hydrated during the hot summer days. Participants were provided access to resources such as an app which enabled them to set drinking goals and track their daily water intake.  Participants in the water challenge were encouraged to consume half their body weight in ounces daily (for example, a person weighing 128 pounds would drink 64 ounces each day).
2. To educate about the vital need of sufficient water for overall physical health. This was done through daily water tips and facts sent out on a WhatsApp group, as well as through church presentations on the importance of drinking water.
3. To build community relationships through a pop-station at local food pantries as well as the annual VBS program. Many water bottles were given away to support participants in establishing better water habits.

The Phenix City Church held their water challenge in July, while the Auburn-Opelika Metro Church conducted their challenge in August.  Between the two churches, over 70 church members and friends registered for the challenge, including many children.  The results ranged from encouraging to amazing.

The Felipe family of the Auburn-Opelika Metro Church found the challenge to be a true blessing.  “We all participated, but my husband and I were most impressed by the dedication that our 4-year old showed during the 21-day challenge.  There was a lot of temptation surrounding her to drink juice, but she always had her water bottle with her and said 'no thanks' when offered anything but water.  I'm so thankful that my family and I took this opportunity to make healthier decisions for our family and unite closer to Christ.”

Anna Station of the Phenix City Church saw great results after only two weeks.  “When getting up in the mornings, my body felt better.  There was less achiness in the joints.”

Judith Darden-Slaughter recently attended Emory Hospital for a MRI AND CT SCAN.  “I begged God for them to be able to get my veins and not have to stick me multiple times as in the past.  God answered.  I was only stuck twice to find a good vein.  I know my drinking the 128 ounces of water was helpful in this process as well.  I thank God for the AquaBoost challenge.”

While some participants may not have achieved their water goals every day, the end result was that they were drinking more water, experiencing better mental and physical health and having fun.

“I had some ups and downs initially with the challenge,” said Victoria Akingbemi of the Auburn-Opelika Metro church, “but I have improved my water intake tremendously over the 21 days.”

Donna Campbell had struggled in the past with the thought of drinking warm water to start her day.  “After the first few days I saw how the warm water awakened my cells and prepared my body for the first meal of the day. Because of this challenge, I have formed a new healthy habit.”

Dwayne Campbell, pastor of the Phenix City and Auburn-Opelika Metro churches, was proud of all those who challenged themselves for the three weeks.

“We don't want these new water-drinking habits to end with the 21-day challenge.  My prayer is that this will be an ongoing lifestyle practice for all our participants.  As a church, we will continue to use initiatives such as this to create community engagement and to build awareness around healthy lifestyle choices.”

Photo by Stephanie Hamilton

Written by Richard Cecere