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Did you know that FCA's Vision and Mission involves the Church? Read this post to learn more about athletes and the Church.
Hello! Welcome to our FCA WY Blog.
We hope that the stories and updates here give insight into what God is doing in our square state. We want to engage, equip, and empower our WY athletes and coaches, along with connecting our amazing FCA community of volunteers and supporters.
That’s why…
We would like to share with you in this post about FCA WY and the Church:
- The Vision and Mission of FCA
- The Athlete and the Church
- FCA Wyoming and the Church
The Vision and Mission of FCA
"FCA has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful platform of sport to reach every coach and every athlete with the transforming power of Jesus Christ. FCA focuses on serving local communities around the globe by engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to unite, inspire and change the world through the gospel." - FCA.org
Since established in 1956, Fellowship of Christian Athletes has desired to put the HEART and SOUL into Sports with the following Vision and Mission:
VISION
To see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
MISSION
To lead EVERY coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.
Over the course of sixty five years, this Vision and Mission has been our central focus. From our Huddles to Camp, we want to share the Good News and introduce Coaches and Athletes to Jesus. We believe this truly transforms coaching and playing sport, taking instruction, performance, and teamwork to the next level!
At the same time, we believe that discipleship must be a big part of ministry, in order for Coaches and Athletes to continue growing in their faith and influence beyond the Huddle or Camp experience.
As a volunteer intense ministry, FCA also needs the help of people who love Jesus and Sport to share the Gospel and disciple those in FCA as a faith community.
That is where the relationship between the Church and FCA becomes such a vital one!
The Athlete and the Church
If you take a look at our FCA WY and the Church page, you will read "A Christian without a church is like an athlete without a team."
Basically, FCA needs the Church and the Church needs FCA.
Wyoming boasts a BIG sports culture, with over 60% of youth in some kind of sport and over 34,000 coaches and athletes now playing. This means as the lowest populated state we have a huge number of people who love Sport.
AND
We also want them to love Jesus!
"I have often said for many years that FCA is a season and the church is a life time. There is plenty of room for FCA to help equip an athlete to how to honor God in and through their sport and being part of a church community where they learn the theology and information as to what it means to be a follower of Jesus," Jim Hamilton, State Director shares in an interview about FCA and the Church in WY.
It is also where they learn about being in community and fellowship with other Christ followers that will a life long source of strength and encouragement."
Check out below two ways FCA and the Church can impact and influence WY Athletes and Coaches.
The Pursuit
As mentioned earlier, within our FCA community, we definitely want to challenge Athletes, Coaches, and FCA Leaders to go deeper in their faith and Christian experience. Recently, FCA has partnered with Pursue God
series, a conversational devotion platform that asks questions and start dialogues for people of faith and sport.
For FCA WY, we want every FCA Staff and Leader to dive into these great resources and ministry tools for themselves and to disciple others.
As Jim stated, however, we believe that Wyoming Athletes and Coaches need even more! As a result, we want to connect FCA community to the Church to keep the conversations, connections and growth continuing.
Will you prayerfully consider financially giving to our State Office, to help support the training of Staff and Volunteers?
A Partnership
So what exactly does the partnership between FCA WY and the Church in WY look like?
The word FCA WY likes to to use is SYNERGY.
By partnering with the Church, we want to create "a synergy of genuine influence in the community" (FCA.org). We believe our platform to reach Athletes and Coaches will ultimately impact families, communities, and church members. It also gives local churches an amazing opportunity to unite, minister and serve, share the Good News, and disciple Christian Athletes and Coaches.
Keep reading below to see how we work together with the Church!
Black Hills FCA Sport Camp 2019. Evening Chapels with Worship and Camp Chaplain.
FCA WY and the Church
FCA Wyoming believes that putting the Heart and Soul into Sport transforms lives and communities. We do this by building up our Volunteers and helping them take the lead in ministry through Huddles, promoting Sports Camp, helping Power Camp, hosting Fields of Faith, starting Task Force Teams, and supporting FCA Staff.
We do all this through the help of the Church:
HUDDLES
FCA Huddles work as certified Bible Studies for Athletes and Coaches. A certified ministry leader, called a Huddle Leader, helps by leading, serving, and discipling a Team Huddle, Coaches Huddle, Multi-Sports Huddle or Student Athlete Leadership Team. They also work with Task Force Teams to host community events.
This certified Volunteer may also be a campus sport coach, a rec sports coach, someone with a specific sports back ground, either as a coach or athlete, pastor, a parent, a college student athlete or local business person.
In fact, this Huddle Leader is probably someone from your church!
"I think of the pastor that helped start FCA at Big Piney HS 30 years ago and still at 85 years old is bringing lunch to the athletes meeting to get the huddle restarted," reflects Hamilton on FCA Huddle ministry.
To best sum it up - FCA Huddle Leaders love Jesus and they love Sport!
SPORTS CAMP
Every summer, our Multi-State Sports Camp
takes on 300+ campers, along with Staff and Coaches at the Black Hills State University campus.
Five days of intense competition, athletic training, excellent coaching, and building leaders - we love EVERYTHING about CAMP!
But...
Did you know that Churches not only promote Camp and fund Camp Scholarships - WY churches have literally helped student athletes get on the bus, by providing transportation for Campers across the State.
Last Camp (2019), we also had over a hundred Jesus and Sport loving people join our Prayer Coverage team to cover the Camp in prayers each day and all day. What an incredible blessing!
As you can see, the Church certainly serves a vital part in Campers' journey to Camp and the experience with Jesus there, even from the very beginning!
Read more about the CAMP experience HERE.
FIELDS OF FAITH
This year (2019), with the help of local churches we hosted Wyoming's first ever Fields of Faith. It was an amazing opportunity to minister and reach out to the area's student athletes and coaches.
On Fields of Faith ministry, Jim shares, "I am so grateful for our partner churches in Rock Springs that have mutually benefited from FCA. Several if not many of the local volunteers come from their church. We benefit from the relationship through those volunteers and they benefit by have so many of their members doing ministry."
FCA Wyoming wants to see every corner of the state host a Fields of Faith next year! If you want to learn more about this event, reach out to our local Staff.
POWER CAMPS
One of the things we love most about sports ministry is seeing the positive impact and influence FCA has on younger athletes.
Each summer, along with our Sports Camp theme, FCA WY provides day camps for kids ages 8-12. These Power Camps give young athletes an environment to develop their athletic skills, while at the same time hearing the encouraging message of the Gospel - God loves them!
Power Camp Volunteers come from local churches to provide food, set up, and lead activities.
"We partnered with a church for a Basketball Power Camp. Hearing the pastor, with emotion, tell me that the men and fathers that were involved had been greatly strengthened and encouraged by the opportunity to serve, was amazing."
What a great way to transform EVERY life in Wyoming!
TASK FORCE TEAMS
FCA WY wants to build up our Adult Leadership Ministry Teams. In former years, they were called Adult Chapters. Today, we call them Task Force Teams.
Essentially, Task Force Teams work as a deeply committed team of certified volunteers. They give laser focus to FCA's ministries (Huddles and Events like Fields of Faith), support local FCA Staff, and get those who love Jesus and Sport connected with the Church and fellowship together in the joy of serving God!
To learn more about this FCA WY ministry, go HERE.
FINANCIAL GIVING
As a non-profit organization, our sustainability depends on the generous giving of individuals, groups, and churches. From becoming financial partners to hosting fundraising events - local churches can trust that their financial investment and support with our Sports Ministry will go far into sharing the Good News and reaching 34,000 people who love Sport (athletes and coaches).
So many options exist in supporting FCA, so be sure to check them out HERE.
And...one more thing -
Will you pray for FCA in Wyoming to impact and influence every coach and athlete in Wyoming?
There you have it!
Blessings,
- FCA Wyoming
Will you pray for FCA Wyoming's Potential
IMPACT and INFLUENCE Online and in Virtual Minsistry?
34,000 Athletes & Coaches
120 Campuses
70 Towns
Will you prayerfully consider donating to FCA WY during this transition and situation within our Sports Culture?