Stories From The Field

Across Minnesota, God is moving through FCA as coaches, volunteers, and student leaders share the Gospel and make disciples. Here's a glimpse into just one month of ministry in the South Metro . What does a month of FCA ministry look like? Across Minnesota, our FCA staff are working to reach coaches and athletes with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But the incredible thing about FCA is that this ministry extends far beyond the work of our staff. Through relationships with local coaches, pastors, volunteers, and student leaders, we are seeing God open doors to reach the next generation right where they are. In the South Metro area of the Twin Cities, FCA Area Representative Adam Laposky is currently the only FCA staff member serving this area. Yet, through the faithful involvement of volunteer leaders and students, ministry is happening across multiple schools and communities. Adam recently shared an update with his ministry partners highlighting what God has been doing throughout the month. We wanted to share a glimpse into these Huddles and the incredible opportunities God is providing to share His Word, encourage young believers, and equip students to live boldly for Christ.

What started as a vision to bring FCA Huddles together has grown into a movement of students united in their faith, encouraging one another, and sharing the love of Jesus throughout schools across the East Metro. For the last few years, God has placed a vision on the hearts of our East Metro FCA team - to see FCA Huddles spend more time together, building relationships, growing in their faith, and encouraging one another as they live for Christ in their schools. Students today face immense challenges in their academic, athletic, and personal lives. We see it, we hear about it, and we know how difficult it can be for young people to stand firm in their faith amid the pressures of the world around them. That is why we are so passionate about seeing FCA Huddles established and thriving in schools. We know the transformational power of God and the life-changing gift of the Gospel message. Over the years, we've witnessed God moving in the lives of students attending their local FCA Huddles. We've seen students grow in their relationships with Jesus, develop meaningful friendships, and gain confidence to live out their faith among their peers. But God was calling us to something more.

MHS Huddle Student Leaders who ran the Fields of Faith program.

Football has given both L’Shawn “LT” Taylor and Jaegar Ash a platform. Both have chosen to use it for something bigger than themselves through FCA. LT, a defensive back at Bemidji State University, and Jaegar, a senior offensive lineman at Bethel University, have been named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team , one of college football’s most prestigious honors recognizing student athletes for leadership in community service, academics and athletics. Just 22 student athletes from across every level of college football were selected from 162 nominees nationwide. Together, members of the 2026 team have contributed more than 12,000 hours of volunteer service in their communities. For Minnesota FCA, seeing LT and Jaegar among those 22 is especially meaningful. Long before their names appeared together on a national list, both had been using the influence God gave them through sports to invest in other athletes, build relationships and share the Gospel. Their paths have looked different, but both demonstrate what can happen when athletes begin to see their sport not simply as something they do, but as an opportunity to serve the people God has placed around them.

More Than Basketball The relationship didn't end when basketball season did. Tyrone began opening the weight room three days a week to help students prepare for the next season. He also launched an FCA Bible study on Friday evenings. The first gathering had just three students. Tyrone was encouraged. One of them was Mack. For Jenny, the number hardly mattered. Her father spent 50 years in ministry, and she grew up understanding that impact isn't always measured by how many people fill a room. "Each new one was like a million," she says. She has watched Tyrone spend time with just a handful of boys, developing relationships that go far beyond basketball. When Mack turned 16, Jenny asked if he wanted a birthday party. He didn't produce a long guest list. Instead, he wanted several Christian men who had become important in his life. He wanted his youth pastor — and he wanted Coach Ty. "That says a lot," Jenny says. "He's really important in Mack's life." Tyrone's vision extends beyond one student and one team. Before joining FCA, he had considered starting his own nonprofit providing free basketball training to young people who couldn't afford private instruction. That idea grew from another relationship. During an internship, Tyrone coached a 14-year-old boy from North Minneapolis who suddenly stopped coming to basketball. Tyrone eventually learned that the young man's grandfather had died and his stepfather was gravely ill. While Tyrone wondered why the teenager wasn't at practice, the boy was dealing with circumstances far bigger than basketball, including helping care for younger siblings. Then the teenager contacted Tyrone in the middle of the night. "I want to use basketball to be something," Tyrone remembers him saying. Tyrone corrected him first. "You are something even without basketball." Then he realized how powerful sports could be as an entry point into a young person's life. "If he's just in the gym instead of on the streets when they start shooting, to me, that's a win," Tyrone says. His vision became simple: make quality basketball training available, regardless of a family's ability to pay; build genuine relationships with young people; and use those relationships to introduce them to Jesus. FCA has enabled him to do exactly that. "I get to coach basketball, I get to train basketball, and I get to share the Gospel," Tyrone says. "It's like the perfect job in the world. I wouldn't want to do anything else." Stepping Out in Faith There is one significant challenge. Like other FCA staff members, Tyrone must raise the financial support that funds his ministry and salary. He knew that when he accepted the calling. The timing soon made that decision considerably harder. Before joining FCA, Tyrone had been working in real estate. He and his wife discussed the uncertainty of leaving that path for ministry, particularly knowing that he would have to build his own team of financial supporters. Then, one month after Tyrone began raising support, his wife lost her job when TreeHouse, the youth ministry where she worked, went through layoffs. Suddenly, the young couple had no regular income. "I was praying because I was like, 'Okay, God, what's going on now?'" Tyrone recalls. Then the freshman coaching position at South, which Tyrone initially expected to fill as an unpaid volunteer, became a paid position. A mentor helped introduce Tyrone to potential supporters. FCA leaders came alongside him. Donations arrived. Doors continued opening. "It has been a struggle because I'm not making that much money, and I'm the only one making money in my household," Tyrone says. "But at the same time, God is still providing." Tyrone sees the same pattern everywhere. He needed a place for students to gather for Bible study. A relationship opened the door to the Marie Sandvik Center near Minneapolis South High. He needed relationships with students. Coaching gave him access to them. He needed people willing to financially invest in the ministry God was calling him to build. God introduced him to people like Jenny. "Whatever need I've had, He's provided," Tyrone says. "It's been a learning experience of when God says He's going to provide, He will provide. He's done it at every turn." Now Tyrone is inviting others to become part of that provision. Like other FCA staff members, Tyrone raises the financial support necessary to fund his salary and ministry. And while his ministry is already taking root, he remains in urgent need of additional financial partners to make that work sustainable. Those financial gifts allow Coach Ty to keep opening gyms. To train kids whose families can't afford private instruction. To sit across from students with an open Bible. To show up at practices and games. To notice the kid other people might overlook. To mentor young men like Mack. And to establish a lasting FCA presence at Minneapolis South and throughout the community. Jenny has already joined Tyrone's financial support team and has encouraged others to consider doing the same. "I couldn't ask for more," she says of the influence Tyrone has had on her son. "I trust Ty with him completely." Months ago, Jenny was praying that God would send someone. At almost exactly the same time, Tyrone was praying that God would send people who believed in what he was being called to build. They found each other. Now students are showing up. Relationships are growing. And a ministry that didn't exist at Minneapolis South is beginning to take root. But Tyrone still needs additional financial partners to sustain the work God has called him to do. “Whatever need I’ve had, He’s provided,” Tyrone says. “It’s been a learning experience of when God says He’s going to provide, He will provide. He’s done it at every turn.” Tyrone is trusting God for what comes next. Will you consider being part of His provision?