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WHAT'S HAPPENING

AROUND THE STATE

UPCOMING EVENTS

CAMPS

PROFILES

Welcome! Find Out "What's Happening" with FCA

in Vermont!


    An Update From Glenn


Dear Friends, 
I hope you are doing well. As we approach Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for God’s guidance in the FCA ministry in Vermont, as well as our ongoing growth and impact.
God is actively moving in Vermont, blessing our FCA ministry with increasing opportunities to share the love of Christ with coaches and students. In the past two weeks alone, two more high school huddles (Bible Studies) received approval from their schools to meet. Additionally, over 70 students attended a Worship Night at Norwich University, and more than 200 students participated in "Fields of Faith" events in St. Albans and at Vermont State University in Castleton.
At each of the Fields of Faith events, students shared some inspiring testimonies. I have included video testimonies from the St. Albans Field of Faith from a couple of our students who attended the FCA "360 Total Athlete Camp" this summer. Please click on the buttons below to hear from both Elise and Noah.
It is encouraging to hear how one of these students started a huddle at her high school this fall. Additionally, please take a moment to read the uplifting keynote address by Steve Messier included in this newsletter. Steve coaches youth baseball, is a golf coach at Missisquoi Valley Union High School, and is one of the MVU huddle advisors. MVU is one of the newest huddles, having started late last spring.
If you would like to learn more about how you can impact students, coaches, schools, and communities in Vermont through FCA, please feel free to email me at glennolson@fca.org.

Blessings,

Glenn Olson
FCA Vermont State Director


Click to hear from Elise

UPCOMING EVENTS

WEEKLY COACHES HUDDLE

Join us on Mondays at 7:15pm or Sundays at 7pm for the Vermont Coaches Huddle.

BI-WEEKLY PRAYER

Join us on the 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month  from 7 to 7:30pm for prayer for the ministry in Vermont.

DEVOTIONS

Be encouraged as we continue on our journey of a growing relationship with Jesus through devotions written by FCA staff.

FIND OUT MORE

COMMUNAL READING OF SCRIPTURE

Join us Friday mornings from 7:30 to 8:15 to listen and discuss the Bible.

JOIN VIA ZOOM

CAMPS

Thanks for a great 2024! Registration for 2025 Summer Camps will be posted here in the Spring.

PROFILES

Meet FCA student athlete Evan Lind.


"My experience with FCA has been amazing. It began when I attended FCA camp as a camper when I was younger, and now I've been a huddle leader for the past two years. I am also a huddle leader at Rutland High School this year. I got involved with the FCA camp because I found out Melissa Crossman needed some volunteer huddle leaders, and I loved it that first year, so now I always come back.  


FCA has helped my relationship with Christ grow because I've been able to help shape the future of His Kingdom and educate others about His glory. However, my faith has been challenged because at my school, expressing faith is not considered cool, and nobody likes to hear about it. Despite this, I've decided not to care about people's opinions and focus on building Jesus' Kingdom. My relationship with Christ impacts how I play sports, as I now play for Him, knowing He is pleased with me regardless of whether it's a good or bad day.


God is teaching me to put all my trust in Him and pursue Him in everything I do, aiming to become more like Him and less like the world. My favorite Bible verse is Psalms 25:1, which says, "In you, Lord my God, I put my trust." This verse helps me realize that I need to trust God and that everything that happens is part of His will. It helps relieve my anxiety and helps me to trust in Him fully."

Meet FCA Student-athlete, Elise Schofield, Freshman at BFA Fairfax


How are you involved with FCA?

I was a camper at the FCA 360 Experience last summer.


How has your faith been challenged at school or on your team?

Sometimes people are mean at school and it’s difficult to forgive them, but I know that God chose to forgive me and doesn’t condemn me, so I know that’s what he wants me to do. 


How did you come to put your faith in Jesus/ How did God reveal Himself to you?

On the last night of the FCA camp, during worship, I could feel this warm, fuzzy feeling. It was like this overwhelming sense of comfort, as if God was hugging me. Then the preacher invited anyone who wanted to put their trust in Jesus, and from that feeling I knew that God loved me and wanted to save me from my sin. God revealed Himself to me through His love and comfort and I put my faith in Jesus that night.


How has FCA helped you grow in your relationship with God?

Before the FCA camp, I didn’t really go to church, read the Bible, or pray. After FCA, I have started to do those things, and they bring joy into my life. How I make decisions has changed; I think about what God wants, rather than just what I want. I’ve seen a change in how I treat people; because God has shown His love for me, I am motivated to love others. 


How does your relationship with God impact the way you play?

I worship God through how I play on the basketball court. I like to be positive and tell my teammates that they did a great job or give them high fives. I just like to be a positive person and will talk to anyone on my team or in school about Jesus. 


Who in your life encourages you to finish the race set before us (2 Timothy 4:7)?

My mom. As I struggled with depression or being too hard on myself, my mom was always there for me. She inspires me to do my best in everything because that’s what I see from her. 


What is God teaching you at this time in your life?

I am learning to stop judging myself too harshly and to know that God loves me, and to share the love of God with others.


What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

Genesis 1:1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth! I think it’s amazing to know where everything came from and to know that the ground we walk on was created by God!

Meet FCA Huddle Leader, Gianna Atkins


 Why are you involved in FCA?  

I am involved in FCA because I like sports and I like working with kids. And it’s a Christian ministry teaching others God’s Word and I want to be a part of that.

 

How has FCA helped you grow in Christ?  

FCA helped me learn how to be gentle and loving towards others. Giving others the praise, putting compassion before competition and realizing that it glorifies God to be kind to others, even if that means losing a game.

  

Why did you volunteer for Power Camp and what was the best part?

I volunteered because it sounded like a lot of fun and I wanted to meet and connect with new people and share God’s love with them. The best part was being able to be a part of the kids’ lives. To pray for them, hug them when they needed it, and to watch them learn about God and see it change them.

 

What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, when I come to see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” (Philippians 1:27)  This verse is my favorite because it doesn’t matter who you are or even if you’re alone, we still need to act properly and right; in the likeness of Christ all the time. Being a Christian isn’t a once-a-week thing, it’s your life.

Meet FCA Student-Athlete, Tor Majorell, a Senior at Burr & Burton Academy who will attend Liberty University in the fall on an Army ROTC scholarship


Why are you involved in FCA?   

I am involved in FCA because it’s a great way to form and grow in relationships with other Christian athletes.

 

How has FCA helped you grow in Christ?  

FCA has helped me grow in Christ through Scripture reading and spiritual discussions we have in our weekly FCA meetings.

  

How has your faith been challenged at school/on your team?   

At times my faith has been a challenge both at school and on my athletic teams. I sometimes have a hard time speaking up to defend my faith and tuning out crude conversations.

 

How does your relationship with Christ impact the way you play?  

One of my life verses is Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do work at it hardily as working for the Lord and not for men.” I try to play and practice with this in mind and rely on the Lord and his strength throughout.

 

What is God teaching you at this time? 

Currently, I feel like God is teaching me persistence and trust. This year has had some disappointments, but I’ve refused to give up and tried to rely on God through it all. I’m not always great at trusting Him in times of discouragement, but I know He has a plan for me.

 

What is our favorite Bible verse and why?

Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” is my favorite verse. It reminds me to keep on working toward my goals while keeping my eyes fixed on Christ and following His plan for my life.

 

Anything else you'd like to share? 

Being a Christian athlete is a tough undertaking; however, it can be a great opportunity to represent Christ, living out your faith through your actions on and off the field and encouraging your teammates along the way.

Meet Zach Durr, Castleton University Track & Field Team

 

I connected with FCA at first because I saw an email from one of our officers about the meetings. I went for the first time and loved it ever since. It’s a great way to join in fellowship with my peers in and outside of athletics. 

  

FCA has allowed me to learn more through the different lessons we do and discover more about the lord’s word and message. My peers have taught about their past and how they found Christ, and it opens me up to new thoughts and ideas. 

  

I’ve been able to encourage others to join FCA and attend our meetings to learn more about our message. It’s a good way to connect with people you don’t know, and athletes on other teams that you didn’t know and make Castleton Athletics a unified group. 

  

My relationship with Christ makes me value sportsmanship and respect for opponents even more than before. I never want to disrespect my lord when I am competing, and therefore I need to respect my opponents and avoid saying or doing anything unsportsmanlike that Christ himself wouldn’t do. Moreover, it’s allowed me to stay honest and know that I’ll never try and gain an unethical advantage in a contest because it wouldn’t make Christ proud! 

Meet FCA Student-Athlete Amelia Maier

 

Amelia is a junior member of the track and soccer teams at Burr & Burton Academy in Manchester. She was the Bennington Banner Track Athlete of the Year in 2021 and a member of the Division 2 State Championship Track team


Why have you connected with FCA?

My older siblings have participated in the past and I saw how important and impactful it is for schools.

 

How has FCA helped you to engage others to know and grow in Christ?

It helps me know that I’m not alone. There are other Christians on the school campus that I can relate to. It helps me to stay rooted and not drift world-wise. 

 

What is God teaching you right now?

I feel that God is teaching me to rely on him more and on my own abilities less. If there are times I feel like quitting, I know with God I can always give more.

 

How has FCA helped you grow in Christ?

It helps me to apply the Bible to my life. It makes it easy to see that anything, even sports, is something that can teach you more about God.

  

How does your relationship with Christ impact the way you play?

It teaches me to be more passionate and committed toward whatever I’m doing. It helps me to watch my attitude and teaches me leadership., by holding myself to the highest standards.

Meet FCA Student-Athlete Eric Mulroy. 


Eric is a senior at Burr & Burton Academy who is on the football and track teams. He is the 2022 State Champion in the javelin!

 

Why are you involved in FCA?

I think it’s important to connect with other Christians in high school.

 

How has FCA helped you to engage others to know and grow in Christ?

It really encourages me to meet with other students and hear their stories.

  

What is God teaching you right now?

He is teaching me to focus less on worldly things and more on him.

 

How has FCA helped you grow in Christ?

It really reminds me to look for ways to bring glory to God in my day-to-day life.

 

How does your relationship with Christ impact the way you play?

I try to set a good example on and off the field, by holding myself to the highest standards.

Since 1954, FCA has been challenging coaches and athletes at all levels to use sport to impact the world for Jesus Christ. Here in Vermont, we have athlete "huddles" (Bible studies) at the high school and college level and have a coaches' Zoom huddle. We also run sports camps and leadership training for our young athletes. Contact us if you would like to learn more, would like to bring a huddle to your school, or join the coaches' huddle.

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