Targeted Bible Studies Encourage Participants to Pursue Christ as Both Individuals and Teams
November 15, 2021
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After years of playing their sport and preparing for a peak-performance season or championship, many athletes who watched their seasons end abruptly last year due to the pandemic are looking forward to getting back into their regular athletic activities. However, Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) is reminding competitors that while they might love their sport and dedicate themselves to succeeding in the athletic arena, their identity is not rooted in their sport or even their team, but in Christ.
Now in over 92 countries, FCA’s 18,000 Team Huddles are the ministry’s proverbial weight room. In the past year, FCA reported 16,428 U.S. Huddles and 1,678 International Huddles, despite the pandemic. Huddles bring coaches and athletes together to study the Bible and hold each other accountable to grow spiritually, just as teams encourage players to grow mentally and physically.
FCA Chief Field Officer Dan Britton says the experience forges stronger individuals—and stronger teams.
“Through our bible studies, Huddles and devotionals, coaches and athletes are joined together growing in their understanding of what it means to pursue Christ through prayer and Scripture,” Britton said. “Bonding on this truth is creating stronger teams who can reach their full potential.”
Offsetting the disappointment of the previous cancelled athletic seasons, FCA is using Huddles to solidify the foundations of the source of true Christian identity.
“We are building up coaches and athletes during this time,” Britton said. “A lot of them who saw seasons taken away are feeling a deep sense of loss. We are focused on grounding them back in God’s Word —on reminding them that your sport doesn’t define you—Christ defines you.”
Just as an athlete sizes up his opponent and adjusts mid-game, FCA has made strategic pivots to find victory over the disappointment brought on by restrictions.
“In the midst of the pandemic, we had to shift and remind coaches and athletes that their identity is not their sport,” Britton said. “Our identity is Christ, including an athlete’s identity on the field. We are called to pursue a deeper relationship with God through times of prayer and meditation on His word, and that is exactly what FCA Huddles are all about.”
FCA’s theme for 2021 is Pursue, based on 1 Timothy 6:11: “Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” FCA encourages its members to pursue God’s use of His Word as an anchor, grounding Christians as they look to His Kingdom.
Since 1956, the impact on coaches and athletes has been the main focus of FCA Camps, with each Camp offering fun, outstanding sports training, inspiring speakers, strong friendships, and lasting change. View the FCA Camps video here and browse camps by location, sport or date at www.fcacamps.org, as some camps still continue in September.
Read more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes here, visit FCA’s website at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheFCATeam or its Twitter feed https://twitter.com/TheFCATeam.
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To interview a Fellowship of Christian Athletes representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
