With full schedules and busy seasons, it may be tough for student-athletes to assemble all sports activities groups. However as soon as a month, Huntington College units apart one hour for its 340 student-athletes to fulfill, make mates, and study extra about integrating their religion into their numerous athletic pursuits via the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Serving 114 international locations in its 60 years of service, FCA has touched numerous lives via the wedding of religion and sport. Till just lately, HU males's basketball head coach and assistant athletic director Kory Alford led FCA conferences. Nonetheless, as increasingly more student-athletes and coaches sought revival of their religion, a full-time place was wanted. In Could of this yr, God graciously gave Foresters FCA consultant Hannah Doden to step into the position of HU's FCA chief.
Doden's position at FCA is to minister to HU coaches and student-athletes and problem them to develop of their religion in keeping with Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19: “Subsequently go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them within the title of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit “. Doden has an exquisite mission for FCA at HU that acknowledges previous management and anticipates the long run.
“Kory Alford deserves numerous credit score for his management and improvement of FCA on campus over the previous few years – he’s our celebrity FCA volunteer! My imaginative and prescient is to see the world reworked by Jesus Christ via the affect of coaches and athletes. The technique to realize that is to interact, equip and empower coaches and athletes in order that we will make disciples of all nations as Jesus commanded.”
Whereas working for FCA, Doden grew deeper in her personal religion and noticed lives modified by the facility of the gospel. He appreciates the working relationship he has with FCA members, usually reflecting the biblical precept of iron grinding iron.
“One stunning facet of FCA is that it creates an area for a Christ-honoring group the place contributors can develop collectively each athletically and spiritually. Being an FCA worker challenged and strengthened my religion past measure. Many instances via this service, I study and develop along with the coaches and athletes.”
Though FCA conferences have been held at HU for a few years, having a full-time FCA workers member lead this system will additional develop and deepen its objectives. Doden has a coronary heart for cultivating discipleship in each student-athletes and coaches. Through the fall semester, the Scholar-Athlete Management Workforce (SALT) and the FCA Management Workforce obtained coaching within the FCA Discipleship Technique, studying how one can have interaction, equip and empower their teammates.
“As soon as the spring semester begins, we may have roughly 20 student-athletes educated to steer, serve and disciple others, which is able to finally result in a multiplication of disciples. We additionally began a Bible research for coaches at HU the place we develop collectively within the Phrase of God by studying the e-book of Mark.”
At HU, we’re all on a mission to indicate glory to God, whether or not via our teachers, service, or athletics. Fortuitously, God has given us a powerful lady of religion to hitch the household of foresters who can information us in the precise route. For extra details about FCA, try their official Web site. Let Doden's pleasure for non secular development and athletic excellence gasoline you as we sit up for this new chapter for HU's FCA:
“I’ll ceaselessly be grateful that God used FCA to carry me accountable and supply house to develop in a better relationship with Jesus. I’m excited to see how God will use Huntington College to satisfy the Nice Fee via sports activities this yr!”
