Influence to Inspire

Grounded in Rev. Graham’s philosophy, the mission of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is to “lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.” For more than six decades, professional athletes and coaches have been involved in FCA through ministry events, speaking engagements, camps, volunteer opportunities and leadership roles. Athletes and coaches from both major and minor professional sports and top-tier college programs have engaged with FCA to communicate their Christian faith and participate in community outreach opportunities. One of FCA’s biggest supporters is our own local sports star, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright. Now in his 19th season of professional baseball, Adam has been involved with FCA since his high school days at Glynn Academy, and has participated in countless events for the organization, not only nationally, but here locally. He is the perfect example of how the local FCA chapter here in Glynn County can literally influence millions of people.

EIL Publisher David Butler recounts his involvement with FCA: “As a 9th grader at Glynn Academy, I was introduced to FCA by my football coach, Coach Pruitt. Watching the older players in the FCA team meetings was a big influence on me. Each year I got a little more involved and by my senior year I was president of the Glynn Academy FCA chapter. My good friend, Mike Covington, who I met the first day of football practice our freshman year, was the vice president. Nearly 40 years later we’re still great friends and I owe much of that to our time together with FCA. In fact, it was through Mike that I met Tim Harden, the current local president of FCA. Tim is doing an amazing job and I’m excited to see how involved the students of Glynn County are with this wonderful organization.” He adds, “Not every athlete can be a professional athlete like Adam Wainwright, but every athlete CAN be a Fellowship of Christian Athlete.”

Since its founding in 1954, this international non-profit Christian sports ministry has been challenging coaches and athletes (continues)

TOP: FCA Area Representative Chandler Norris, Golden Isles FCA President Tim Harden.

ABOVE: Mike Covington and David Butler fundraising for FCA in their senior year at Glynn Academy.

from all levels of sports to use their influence and the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world spiritually. Currently FCA’s global ministry reaches more than two million athletes and coaches and has ministry personnel in more than 450 U.S. offices and 62 countries. The Golden Isles FCA serves each of Glynn County’s public middle and high schools as well as Frederica Academy and the College of Coastal Georgia.

Golden Isles FCA President Tim Harden explains, “FCA is a strategic ministry designed to influence the influencers – our local coaches and athletes. We serve as both a beacon of light for God’s Kingdom and a link for connecting them with the Church family in our community.” FCA does this through “The 4 C’s”: Coaches, Campus, Camp, and Community Ministries.

Coaches Ministry focuses on ministering to the heart of the coach first, and then through the coach by engaging them with Coaches Huddles, Camps and Retreats. Coaches are the heart of FCA. Most coaches address the physical dimension of the athlete: their strength, fitness, conditioning, technique and strategy. A few address a second dimension: motivation, confidence and team cohesion. Yet fewer still address a third dimension: identity, purpose, and character. FCA aims to improve those numbers by providing the 3D Coaching program (an approach designed for coaches by a coach to reach and influence the body, mind, and spirit of the athlete) to coaches for free. The goal is to help change the relationship coaches have with their players from transactional to transformational.

Glynn Academy Varsity Boys Soccer Coach Bobby Brockman shares, “Locally, I’ve been part of a coaches bible study that really opened my eyes to what’s important as a coach, and it’s not wins and losses. Tim Harden is an amazing leader of FCA in our area and someone who I really look up to and learn a lot from every time I’m around him. I also have had fantastic team chaplains who FCA lined up for my team and the bond they have with my players is special to see. The chaplain will discuss Biblical verses and how they are intertwined in our goals as a team and how they make each person better. It’s great to see players mature in the time they spend in high school as well as their faith journey and FCA is here to help foster that. Regionally, I’ve been to Black Mountain, NC for FCA coaches camp with my family and we all left there with a renewed sense of purpose and peace. I met many coaches that week who I would see on sidelines on Saturdays coaching college football and was amazed at how down to earth these guys were and how welcoming they were to a high school soccer coach. It was a real blessing to get to know these coaches and learn about the journey they have been on. I can’t say enough about how blessed I feel to have FCA supporting me, fellow coaches, and, ultimately, students in changing lives forever.”

Campus Ministry on middle, high school or college campuses is initiated and led on a regular basis by student-athletes with the support of faculty advisors called “huddle leaders.” FCA focuses on engaging, equipping, and empowering student-athletes, coaches and adult leaders to impact and influence their campus for Christ. Brunswick High School Golf Coach Drew Culpepper explains, “FCA helps take sports past the field, it’s bigger than the game.” Mike Covington said that for him, “FCA was a great organization that helped athletes remember what was really important in life and how to remain grounded in both good and difficult times.”

Camp Ministry provides a time of “inspiration and perspiration.” FCA gives athletes and coaches the opportunity to reach their Godgiven potential by offering comprehensive athletic, spiritual and leadership training in a sports camp environment. Harden says, “Team camps help our young athletes grow in character and return prepared to serve as leaders on their home teams and school campuses.” Brunswick High School Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Maria Mangram stated, “I had the opportunity to take my team to FCA camp this summer at Georgia Southern University. The experience was amazing. I was so excited to see myself, my family, and my team grow spiritually. The team building sessions were awesome to witness. I saw my team strategizing and working together to attain one main goal. My favorite moment from FCA was watching my son Damare rededicate his life to Christ on his birthday. FCA will always have a special place in my heart!”

Holly Carter recalls her camp experience as a student-athlete, “As a high school student I attended FCA camp in Black Mountain, NC. It was an experience that changed my life. I learned the importance of daily (continues)

spending time focusing on God. The Bible I received at camp has been my security on almost every mission trip, Children’s camp, and Vacation Bible School I have attended. Now as a high school teacher and mother, I pray that my students and my children find the grace and peace I found on top of that mountain. I feel privileged to be a huddle leader and have an opportunity to give back to FCA.”

Community Ministry is off-campus ministry that reaches coaches and athletes through club and recreational sports environments. Today, the vast majority of athletes play sports in community (non-school) programs. FCA is expanding here to join coaches and athletes where they are.

Luanne Fendig described FCA’s role in her life: “Weaving in and out over a 40 year period, FCA has been the organization that has given me the key to life and allowed me to share that key with others. From being a student in a huddle to being a teacher huddle leader, I have had the opportunity to receive the gift that FCA offers. My dad was the head football coach at McEachern High School, and every summer some wonderful donor would pay for the football team and family of the coaches to go to Black Mountain, NC to FCA camp. It was there that I learned about a loving, gracious God. The talks at night, the fun, competitive games as group or huddle, and the atmosphere of humor, all showed me that there was so much more to being a Christian. While at an FCA camp, I gave my life to Christ. During high school and college, FCA would be the organization that met once a week to hold me accountable and offer fellowship. As a high school cheerleader and softball player, I could lead by serving, an example of Christ. FCA continued to influence those things in which I participated by teaching and guiding me.” Now a middle school huddle leader, she says, “Playing games, meaningful lessons, worshipful singing, and going to Christian concerts all made up the huddle at our school. In a place where prayer is not allowed, and yet we need prayer to get through the day, we need FCA. In a place where children come to school anxious and scared, we need FCA. In a place where we don’t know who we are yet, we need FCA.”

FCA needs the support of the community to extend their ministry. Sponsoring coaches, athletes, and teams to attend camps and providing them with Bibles and other resources requires FCA to raise funds. Businesses and individuals can assist through financial partnership or by volunteering to help with fundraising efforts and events. FCA also seeks volunteers from within our community who love God, kids, and sports to serve as Character Coaches for local teams. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please call 912.279.0807 or email tharden@fca.org.

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