Christian discipleship knows no color. No geographic boundaries. No language barriers.

Scott Batson is living proof.

Scott’s call to share the Gospel and build intentional relationships led him to leave his 12-year career as Vice President of Sales for an outsourcing company and venture far beyond his home base of Hendersonville—2,750 miles away, to be exact.

His destination? Ocotal, Nicaragua. Marrying the desire for Christian servitude with his other passion, CrossFit, Scott established Get Strong Ministries and CrossFit Get Strong gym in this remote, economically challenged Central American Municipality in 2014. Funded solely through the generosity of donors, this unique blend of fitness and faith is one that Scott says is changing lives.

“It’s been such a blessing to see people who say they would never go to a church come to our gym, take part in our ministry, and grow spiritually,” explains Scott. “We’ve been able to lead many people to Christ, and these men and women have taken ownership of their faith to influence others in the community as well.”

Along with wife Christie, Scott spends half the year in Nicaragua. He was first exposed to the country in 2009 on a backpacking trip with some of his fellow members from Long Hollow Church.

“I hated it at first,” Scott admits about his mountainous adventure. “We were sleeping on the ground, eating food out of a box. But there was something about the spirit of the people here … they had practically nothing yet were the most content people I had ever been around.”

Upon returning home, Scott began leading Bible studies at Long Hollow. Through these sessions, he was also able to reach fellow gym-goers at CrossFit Hendersonville, where he served as a coach.

“I learned how to impact people outside of the church setting,” he says. “The Lord was planting the seed for me to take that message and spread it to people in Nicaragua.”

After receiving commitment from supporters, Scott said goodbye to the corporate world and became Executive Director of Get Strong Ministries. His sights were firmly set on building something meaningful in Ocotal and having others join him.

That led to the formation of Get Strong’s two main Nicaraguan ministries: CrossFit Get Strong and Get Strong Mission Trips. The trips to Ocotal, one week in length, are offered each month.

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Scott stresses that while CrossFit is an important element of Get Strong, those interested in going on the Mission Trip don’t have to be involved in the sport to attend.

“We have folks come year after year who focus on spending more time impacting the community rather than being in the gym, and that’s fine,” says Scott, who notes that people from as far away as Washington state have attended the trip. “It’s all about reaching out to the people of Ocotal and building those intentional relationships.”

He continues, “Because of the unfortunate economic situation many people of Nicaragua are in, they value personal relationships and serving each other over ‘things.’ I’ve learned a lot from them about how to care for people. They’ve taught me as much as I’ve been teaching them.”

Get Strong leans on the skill sets offered by Mission Trip attendees to offer support beyond the gym. Some examples include:

- Construction

- Dental and Chiropractic services

- Alcohol rehabilitation

- Occupational therapy for children with special needs

- Education and resources for women and children in shelters

“We’re so grateful to have people come to Ocotal who have gifts that enable doors to open beyond what Christie and I can do on our own,” expresses Scott.

Back home, the ministry is making an impact through Get Strong Discipleship, a program designed to “leverage your impact for God’s kingdom.” The discipleship groups consist of 4-6 individuals (men with men, women with women) who meet weekly over the course of 10 months. New groups launch each January.

While much has been accomplished, Scott declares there are many more souls to touch in this fitness and discipleship journey.

It’s his calling.

“God’s given me the ability and privilege to do this,” he says. “I don’t know why He chose me out of all the people in the world, but I’m glad he did. I love being able to share something so important to me that can truly change people’s lives.”

To learn more about Get Strong Ministries, go to getstrongministries.com, visit their pages on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Scott Batson at 615-347-7023.

A large part of Get Strong Ministries’ fundraising comes from its annual banquet coming up on August 29. It is open to the public, and they are still looking for table leaders and volunteers. Contact Scott to sign up or reserve a seat. 

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