Beyond Leadership Camp

Long story short, Teddy’s relationship with Christ, confidence to lead, and desire for deeper connection grew over his two years at FCA Leadership Camp, and now he is investing in others. 

Teddy attended Leadership Camp because he wanted to become better equipped to lead his huddle back home. His intention was to receive logistical resources on how to be an effective leader. On the first day, the leaders went over the format and itinerary for camp. It included significant times of connection in huddle groups. Teddy thought, “I don’t know what they are expecting; I’m not here to connect.” He was there be learn how to lead better, but God was about to show him that great leadership is all about deeper connections with people and with God. 

Campers were divided into huddles that met together several times each day to share what they had learned earlier in the day. The college huddle leaders shared their personal stories – their struggles, their faith stories, how they got to where they are. They were authentic and vulnerable, which helped the huddle members open up to each other as well. For a long time, Teddy did not see the need to tell his story, but God kept working on his heart.

Teddy had a rough past and did not feel comfortable sharing it with other people, even with those who had already revealed their hearts to the huddle. He felt different from the other guys. Then Darrin, one of his leaders, shared his story.

Like Teddy, Darrin was adopted from Africa and shared a lot of the same struggles Teddy had. He even shared his personal notebook with Teddy where he had written about the deeper parts of his heart and struggles. Because of Darrin’s transparency, God moved in Teddy’s heart to share his story with his huddle. He was the last person in his huddle to share his story with his group, and it changed his heart and the trajectory of his life.

That one act of sharing his story with his huddle created a deep connection with other Christian young people and had a tremendous effect on Teddy. Just like that, Teddy knew why Leadership Camp was about more than logistics and resources.

He left Leadership Camp after the first year and started doing a Bible study with his family. He started sharing his faith story with his friends outside of FCA and invited many of them to attend the weekly huddle.

He and some close friends from FCA started an accountability group where they could go deeper in the Word together and hold each other accountable to being positive models of Christ’s love to others.

The FCA huddle at Teddy’s school changed. It was no longer just about getting together to eat pizza and have fun together. It was about growing in relationship with Christ. The huddle leaders gave students more opportunities to grow in boldness and confidence in their own faiths by sharing their stories with the huddle. The huddle leaders also started investing in younger students and future leaders.

Teddy’s first year at Leadership Camp was monumental in deepening his faith in Christ and growing his leadership potential. During his second year, he formed a deep connection with his super huddle (a huddle of guys and a huddle of gals that are paired together). That year, FCA placed campers in their huddles according to where they lived. Teddy’s group consisted of others who lived within a couple hours of his town. This allowed them to go deeper together and maintain connection after camp. Teddy said, “I understood how important it was to have the accountability to stay rooted in God.  We decided to meet together after camp. The first time we had a Bible study in another town. Later, a lot of the kids came to my football game, and a week later we all went to hear one of our huddle members share her testimony in the college football stadium. The more we meet together, the more we find joy in impacting people and joy in sharing God’s Word.”

Then March hit. 

And quarantine came with it. Teddy knew he needed deeper connection and wanted others to know that God has a plan through this, so he started an online Bible Study. He meets three days a week with his Leadership Camp super huddle and three days a week with anyone who wants to come, including students from his FCA huddle. Together they are studying the book of Psalms and learning more of God’s character and His call on their lives. Teddy serves as the moderator and asks other students what God is teaching them. It has been a special time of deeper growth and connection, and Teddy is so thankful for what God started at Leadership Camp that continues today. 

Brent is on staff with FCA in Teddy’s town and has observed the change in Teddy. “Teddy has always had charisma, but now it’s so much more rooted in Christ and the truth in the Bible. Leadership Camp builds discipleship into kids instead of just salvation. The last two years of Leadership Camp that Teddy attended have been about how to share what you learn with others, even new Christians. It has ripped down a wall that says only a professional can disciple others,” Brent said. God can use any maturing believer to help others grow in their walks with God, and God is using Teddy in that way.