Introducing new ideas into a community, especially a school filled with some of your peers, is not an easy task, it’s a daunting one. Leaders of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) decided to take on this task filled with excitement for the possibility of a better future. In years past, FCA usually just analyzed Bible verses, and broke them down to understand The Bible’s messages and significance within the modern world. Leaders met together and decided to completely scrap that idea and start brand new. However, they first had to determine how to get people into the classroom and interested in the club.
To start, leaders advertised the new and improved club. Senior Lyla Jacobs was the member who decided to take on the task, and create new designs for the club to post on social media to catch people’s attention in ways the group never thought imaginable. She managed to create Instagram Reels, stories, and posts. She took her time and dedicated herself to the task in order to make the group not just successful, but thrive. Jacobs performed so well, over 20,000 people, and growing, managed to see the social media platform allowing the club to gain state wide attention, possibly nation wide attention with those numbers.
“I took on the role because I wanted to expand the club and help lead teens our age in growing their faith. I help younger kids at church, but being able to socialize with kids my age is important. Taking on this role gave me the chance to grow as a leader, through something that I enjoy dearly. I run the club with four other awesome leaders, and one of my roles is to run the social media platforms. I make all of the posts, reels, and stories to promote FCA. It really has gotten the word out and helped our club to grow drastically over the short period of time,” Jacobs said.
Another total game changer for the growing club were the new lessons. Leaders Noah Burns, Cohen Gray, Addison Farley, Ty Stonehouse, and Lyla Jacobs decided to completely change the way the club’s sermons were presented. They implicated a new series for each of the four quarters of the school year. For quarter one, the leaders decided to follow the theme of “Staying Grounded” in Christ. This unit is currently going on every Tuesday morning at 7:15 a.m. The new series brought so many students in and grabbed their attention they had to move their club to a bigger room. From a classroom down the A hallway in A100 all the way to the study hall room to fit their increased club size. The unit is all about maintaining a relationship with Christ in times of struggle and hardships as well as changes, like starting a brand new school year.
“I was really excited to take on this role because my church doesn’t have a wide range of young members, and becoming a leader of FCA now gives me the opportunity to meet with my peers and study God’s word. Leading this club and seeing it thrive really helps me to understand the impact I can have on my school if I choose to. I know see this as an opportunity to spread the word of God, and I hope to bring new people to Christ with each new week of FCA,” Farley said.
The club wouldn’t even be allowed to host a session every Tuesday morning unless they have a sponsor. Mr. Toby Hennessy took on this task, paving the way for a religious group within the high school.
“I think one of the main things that has changed is the pre-planning to a single over-arching theme. I also believe that they have pushed and advertised FCA to their fellow students. I cannot be more pleased in the direction that FCA is headed this year. I hope that the underclassmen that are attending regularly appreciate the effort of the leaders and become dedicated to continue the growth and opportunity that FCA gives to students to be shining lights to the school,” Hennessy said.
FCA is easily one of the largest growing clubs in the high school. It just doesn’t take the leaders and sponsor, it takes a community. This is something FCA lives for, they are transforming the community through Christ, day by day.
