by Lorelei Bingham
As Friday morning begins, students gather before school, ready to start their day off with breakfast, games, and conversations about their faith.
For members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), these Friday mornings are more than just a way to start the school day. They are an opportunity to connect with their peers and grow closer to God.
“FCA means quite a lot to me. It’s a time for me to connect with my peers, play games, eat breakfast, but it is also so much more. I’m able to grow closer to God even at school, and I look forward to every Friday morning for this exact reason,” stated senior Macyn Jackson.
Through games and discussions, FCA gives students opportunities to grow both as athletes and in their faith.
Main sponsor Pamela McCoy shared, “FCA is about athletes being able to come together to practice teamwork and commitment. Being able to have a space to gather together, pray, and learn about Jesus is important. We meet as a group for FCA, but the hope is that it will go out to the teams. FCA’s goal is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.”
Although FCA centers around sports and faith, every student has a different reason for being involved.
Freshman Eli Smith said that joining FCA has helped strengthen his relationship with God while helping him become a better person.
Jackson shares a similar reason for joining FCA. “I joined FCA because this is a community of people I can always have for support, and I’m there to support them too. I also knew joining would help me grow to be a better person all around.”
Student leaders play a big role in FCA. They grow in their faith while helping others grow theirs.
“Being a student leader is challenging, but I love it,” said junior Clara Theriault. “I go through my Bible, make devotionals, and questions from scratch, so it really tests my knowledge, but I get to share that with my fellow peers who may not know what I’m talking about. That part makes it all extremely rewarding.”
The student leaders contribute to making FCA meaningful for its members.
“My favorite part of FCA is getting to hear our high school leaders talk about my religion and what it means to be Christian. It’s so meaningful to hear people my age or younger speak about the Bible and the connections we can make to our high school life. It shows me that even at school, I can be living through Christ,” Jackson shared.
Members also encourage their peers to attend, saying they can experience the community and learn about their faith.
McCoy explained, “At FCA we want to try and invite others to come to know more about Jesus and to form a community of peers that can join together and share their faith with each other.”
For some members, Friday mornings have become a meaningful part of their week.
Theriault said, “My favorite part about FCA is being able to devote every Friday morning to God and spreading the gospel.”
FCA allows students to strengthen their own faith while encouraging them to share it with others.
McCoy hopes that message continues beyond the Friday morning meetings.
“I hope that they come away knowing that Jesus loves them and that they can take that and share it with other students,” shared McCoy. “I also hope that they invite others so they can know more about Jesus as well.”
