FCA Rises in 2016

***NEWS RELEASE***

For Immediate Release
February 6, 2017

CONTACT:
Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, ext. 102, or Beth Harrison, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com

FCA Rises in 2016

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Reflects on Past Year’s Impact

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) is looking back on 2016, as the international sports ministry releases details of the impactful year through its annual Ministry Report.

This past year, FCA gained tremendous growth and record-setting numbers in reaching approximately two million coaches and athletes as the ministry sharpened its focus of ministering “to and through the coach” around the world.

“As we grow and learn how God is moving FCA into deeper avenues of sports, millions more coaches and athletes will be influenced by the gospel,” said FCA President and CEO Shane Williamson, who began his post on Jan. 1, 2017, and has been with the ministry for 24 years. “Our reach is unlimited, and our unity is uncommon. What makes a great team is the uncanny, unexplainable, intangible qualities of alignment around a common purpose and direction, and we have that now more than ever. Momentum is hard to get, but harder to stop. Through God’s favor and dedicated, passionate teammates, FCA has great momentum. What a challenging and exciting time to be in ministry!”

Added retired president Les Steckel, who guided FCA throughout 2016, “This past year, FCA embraced the command to ‘…be strong and courageous!’ as given in Joshua 1:9. God has called us to RISE in our walk with Him. He gives the strength and courage that we need each day. As we’ve risen, God has transformed thousands of lives around the globe through the influence of coaches and athletes.”

For 2016, FCA’s ministry theme, “RISE,” focused on Joshua 1:9: “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”—Joshua 1:9 (NLT).

Through God’s power and with close to 1,500 total staff members and hundreds of thousands of donors and volunteers, FCA reached nearly two million through its ministries to coaches, the school campus, athletes through FCA Camps and in community programs.

FCA’s coaches ministry reaches coaches through Huddles, events, training and resources, focusing first on ministering to the heart of the coach, then following up with support. In 2016, FCA saw incredible impact with a record 1,190 certified coaches Huddles, and has also seen tremendous impact through 3Dimensional Coaching, an online curriculum of video training modules that allows coaches to determine their transformational purpose in coaching.

The campus ministry involves one of the most strategic mission fields—the school campus. In this ministry, FCA focuses on equipping, enabling, empowering and encouraging coaches, student athletes and adult leaders to impact and influence their campus for Christ. Additionally, outreach events take place on the campus, such as school assemblies and the annual Fields of Faith events.

In 2016, upwards of 500,000 students were reached through 17,376 campus Huddles worldwide.

The 13th annual Fields of Faith event saw more than 192,000 students participate on approximately 519 athletic fields. Of those attendees, 7,414 made first-time commitments to Christ. God has used Fields of Faith to impact more than one million people since it first began in 2004.

FCA Camps are a time of “inspiration and perspiration” for coaches and athletes to reach their potential by offering comprehensive athletic, spiritual and leadership training through seven types of camps: Sports Camps, Leadership Camps, Coaches Camps, Power Camps, Partnership Camps, Team Camps and International Camps.

In 2016, FCA Camps experienced incredible growth with a total attendance of 106,268 at 740 Camps in 40 states and 45 countries around the world. With the 2016 Camps theme of “RISE,” 8,788 made salvation decisions for Jesus and 11,256 recommitted their lives to the Lord.

In the community, and with the majority of athletes playing sports in the community through non-campus programs, FCA is ministering to the club, recreational and youth sports teams with the goal of establishing on-going ministry for coaches and athletes to compete for Jesus Christ with character, passion and excellence. Through off-campus opportunities to reach coaches and athletes through the club and recreation sport environment, FCA reached thousands of coaches and athletes through 928 community Huddles.

Internationally, FCA continued to explode in 2016, with God allowing the ministry to have a footprint in 60 countries with 133 staff. In 2016, 284 Camps reached just over 34,000 coaches and athletes, with more than 5,000 first-time commitments to Christ. The Huddle ministry also expanded to 1,613 gatherings, reaching 34,378. More than 80 clinics also impacted 3,000 coaches globally.

Additional highlights of 2016 include:

  • As a faith-funded ministry, FCA achieved a record year by exceeding $120 million in revenue.
  • More than 150,000 people visited an FCA-related website each month in 2016 to learn about the ministry, download free resources and connect with ministries in their area.
  • FCA distributed more than 170,450 Bibles worldwide and has 14 different Bibles, including the RISE Spanish Handbook, as well as the first-ever Russian-language Coach’s Bible.
  • FCA also partnered with YouVersion to offer 15 Bible reading plans, with plans now in Ukrainian and Chinese. Since 2013, nearly 50,000 people completed an FCA Bible reading plan.
  • The Automatic Monthly Partner (AMP) program reached a record $31 million in revenue, a 6.9 percent increase over the prior year and made up over 25 percent of FCA’s total donors.
  • FCA released new resources: “Victory 365” and “FCA Virtuous Woman: Excellence,” as well as new Core Values Playbooks.
  • The 10th consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator put FCA in the top 1 percent of all charities rated.
  • FCA’s Hall of Champions inducted 2016 honorees Leah O’Brien Amico, the late Dale Haralson, Bill Hawkins, the late Neil Marthedal and the late Jon Randles.
  • In 2016, 84 cents out of every dollar was invested in FCA ministry programs.

View FCA’s Celebration Video and 2016 Ministry Report online.

For more information about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, visit FCA’s web site at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcafans or its Twitter feed, @fcanews.

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To interview a representative from Fellowship of Christian Athletes, contact Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102, or Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ (FCA) vision is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Its mission is to present to coaches and athletes, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church. FCA’s values include Integrity, Serving, Teamwork and Excellence.

Since 1954, FCA has challenged coaches and athletes to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is cultivating Christian principles in local communities nationwide by encouraging, equipping and empowering others to serve as examples and to make a difference. Reaching approximately two million people annually on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels, FCA focuses its ministry efforts on building relationships with coaches and athletes in order that they might trust Jesus, honor God in their lives and help others do the same, ultimately becoming a “full-circle follower” of Jesus Christ. FCA reaches coaches and athletes through Huddles, events, training and resources.