Stories From The Field

KHYA | LAKER VOLLEYBALL I learned about true forgiveness during my experience at Northland FCA Sports Camp. We all have sin that needs to be forgiven. It's important to remember that your mistakes don't define you, Jesus does, and He is willing and ready to forgive you! I also learned that even when things don't turn out as expected, God is still working! You may be struggling in your sport, in school, or at home, but God has a plan for you and His plan is good! Attending Northland Sports Camp is a great way to learn about all that Jesus has sacrificed in order to save us! I left camp with a closer friend in Jesus and am looking forward to strengthening my faith in the Lord through FCA Camp again this year. I can't wait to go back and be surrounded by people who live their life for the glory of God! JAELA | LAKER VOLLEYBALL Attending Northland Sports Camp taught me the importance of being a Christian leader. It starts with an open heart, an encouraging word, and actions that match. My huddle leader encouraged me to read the Bible every day in order to grow my personal relationship with Jesus and upon heading home, I felt so much closer to God. Not long after I returned home from camp, I chose to get baptized. My experience at camp helped solidify my decision. If you're someone who is considering going to camp, but unsure about if you'll have fun, YOU WILL! When it came time to leave camp, most of us would have preferred to stay even longer. Camp will teach you about a personal relationship with Jesus and show you what that can look like through huddle time, worship, and sports. No matter where you're at right now God is able to make masterpieces from broken pieces. Believe it. See you at camp!

In our fall newsletter, just six months ago, we asked readers to pray for six prospective staff who were working toward raising financial support to come on staff with FCA. Those people were Gavin Bowser, Dwight Nelson, Matt Warren, Collin Hemann, Dave Frasier, and Mike Seiffert.

As a young intern in 1994, Terri Greener attended a workshop where she saw an FCA banner hanging above a booth and met our most tenured staff, Randy Jensen . Reflecting on that moment, Terri says, “Within minutes of meeting Randy and hearing about FCA, I knew this was a ministry I wanted to be a part of.” Randy connected her with Dave Bergstedt, who was already leading the FCA Huddle where she was interning at Rosemount High School, a school located in the south metro area of Minnesota. “I just showed up to the huddle and tried to build relationships with the student-athletes.” That was 30 years ago, and Terri is still serving as a Huddle Leader for FCA today!

This past weekend the Frank Glazier Football Coaches Clinic rolled into Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis is just one of the 26 clinics that Glazier conducts annually. Frank Glazier is a strong supporter of FCA and provides a free vendor table for local FCA staff at each of their clinic locations for which we are so grateful. It is so special to experience these "sacred booths". As the Minnesota Coaches Ministry Strategist, I lead our ministry efforts at several coaches clinics in Minnesota. Since the majority of the over 900 coaches who attended the Minneapolis clinic are from all four of the states that make up our FCA Northland region (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota), we had FCA staff from all four states come to help staff the booth. This weekend, my colleagues and I engaged with coaches, provided a listening ear, gave spiritual encouragement, and shared many resources to help them grow in their faith. Some coaches are long-time followers of Jesus, and some were completely new to learning how to coach by Biblical principles, motivated by the love of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Huddles are often held on Fridays in Mrs. Magel's room.  Follow @pinecityfca and DM on Instagram with any questions!

We work with society’s most visible people of influence, coaches and athletes, to build Christ-centered leaders that impact lives for eternity. The never-ending message we bring is the Gospel of Jesus Christ , his love for humanity, and our responsibility to tell others about him. We do this by going to the courts and fields where the coaches and athletes are. With more than forty staff engaging on over 250 campuses in Minnesota, we are living out our calling to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. We are working to see a kingdom-building ministry on every high school and college campus in Minnesota in the next ten years. Here are just a few snippets of the many recent ministry highlights throughout the state:

Every Thursday morning before school a few dozen students gather at Mahtomedi High School for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle meeting. Week after week, month after month, year after year students gather to read from the Bible, pray together, hear testimonies, and learn how to have a personal relationship with Jesus and what it looks like to follow Him in every area of their lives. As seniors and leaders graduate, new students join and others step up to fill the empty shoes, building on a foundation that was started many years before these current students ever stepped foot in the high school. This foundation was laid by parents, coaches, students, and FCA staff who were committed to giving students, athletes, and coaches opportunities to grow in their faith and hear the Good News of Jesus.

Across Minnesota, hundreds of students, athletes, teachers, coaches, and volunteers attend a Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle on their college, high school, or middle school campus. While these huddles – which include a mix of Bible study, prayer, personal testimonies, games, activities, and outreach events – are primarily led by students, adult huddle coaches play a vital role. Huddle coaches pour into students and encourage them in their walk with Jesus, setting an example of leadership and leaving a lasting impact.

Jenny’s life was impacted for eternity because her brother attended FCA Leadership Camp. Reed Nyffeler (Jenny’s older brother) attended FCA Leadership Camp in Estes, CO ( which is actually where the first FCA camp was ever held in 1956 ) while he was in high school. It was at that camp that he heard the Gospel, believed, and came home to Nebraska a changed person. Reed came back on fire for Jesus (and Jenny made sure to add that he still is today!) and immediately took on a leadership role within his FCA huddle. Over Reed’s high school career, the huddle grew to over 200 student-athletes! He and a group of students who went to camp decided to expand the ministry even further and helped start a huddle at the middle school, too. They knew the value of extending the leadership structure to the lower grades so that ministry would continue at their school long after they graduated. That’s where Jenny heard the Gospel and believed.