FCA’s vision is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes with a compelling mission to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. John Campbell’s life and ministry exemplify this mission in remarkable ways. Colossians 1:27-28 states, “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ.” This scripture captures the essence of John's ministry, reflecting his dedication to sharing the message of Christ and fostering spiritual growth in others through the lens of sport. Randy Jensen, a long-time FCA staff member, reflects on John's impact over the decades. According to Randy, John was instrumental in proclaiming Christ during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. “John had been a powerful advocate for the Gospel,” Randy notes. “He shared his personal story and faith transformation, giving people the opportunity to understand the message of the Gospel.” John was a cornerstone of FCA’s speaker bureau during that time, where retired athletes and college coaches would visit schools, churches, and communities to share the message of Jesus. John’s ability to connect with people in an authentic and relatable manner made him one of FCA's most trusted speakers. At the end of each engagement, John would emphasize the importance of FCA’s mission and encourage his audience to engage with FCA’s resources to empower their communities. John’s commitment to FCA opened doors that might have otherwise remained closed. His speaking engagements not only introduced FCA to new audiences but also provided valuable connections to individuals interested in learning more about the ministry. Randy Jensen recounts how John also personally engaged with him, inviting him to join in his speaking engagements across the state. “John rubbed off on me,” Randy shares. “We had great conversations about walking with Jesus and dealing with trials. He became a role model for me, demonstrating how to live out one’s faith boldly.” When asked where it all began, John credits his wife for introducing him to Jesus, noting that her involvement in a Bible study and encouragement led him to explore his own faith. When she left for Bible study, John would open his own Bible and read. Reflecting on that time he said, “Boy, some of that made pretty good sense!” It became prevalent that alcohol was an issue for John and he eventually asked his wife to pray with him. That was the last drink he ever had. And, it was at that time that he said, “I knew just enough to hear God say, ‘Don’t keep this a secret. Tell people.’” He knew immediately that he would use football as an avenue to share about Jesus. “That’s why I’ve been gifted enough to speak to people about our God that loves all of us,” John says. “My life is so much better now. I am proud to be a Christian, a member of the church of God, and a supporter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. They’ve given me a platform to spread the Gospel, and I’ll be forever grateful.” Thank you, John, for your many years of ministry expanding the kingdom by faithfully serving and sharing the Gospel as well as creating awareness and growing the ministry of FCA as well! God has used you in wonderful ways and we are blessed because of it! 

"I came here feeling a little lost and disconnected, but this was the refueling that I needed. I feel more equipped to fill and build up others as a leader and to help get out of my own valleys. I have so much trust, hope, and faith in God." "I was able to acknowledge the barriers that have been keeping me from surrendering my failures to God and accepting His unconditional and eternal love." "I feel very prepared to go home and disciple and be a better leader within FCA, friends, religious groups, family, etc." "I don't really have a strong group of Christian friends back home, so I feel alone in my walk with God a lot of the time. But after coming here and seeing all of these kids my age share the same love for God that I have really helped to show me how good God is and encourage me in how I really need to share this with my friends." "I feel empowered to share the Gospel with my friends and school." "My relationship with Jesus was deepened 1000%. I've never felt so close with Him and this camp has really showed how much I need Him in my life." "My relationship with Jesus has really grown over this weekend and I think the most impactful things that made this happen were learning from Nobles Darby and getting to write and think about my testimony and being able to hear other people's testimonies." "My faith strengthened because I was able to meet new people and relate to them. I also strengthened my faith by how great worship was. Thanks to everyone for putting this together. God Bless." "When Nobles was speaking it was like the Holy Spirit was talking straight to me and my huddle and super huddle definitely helped me be more confident with my faith." "I was able to be surrounded by like-minded people and here a lot of testimonies and speakers go through the same things I have gone through and it just shows how much God cares and I know that He put me at camp for a reason!" "My faith strengthened a ton, I was having a hard time trusting in the Lord and His plan because of past stuff and the speaker helped me realize that I need to lay everything down to Jesus and ask him for help." "I was reminded of how I can glorify God with my body and how I compete. If I trust God will provide, I can play with joy and dismiss the opinions of others." "I saw him move through so many people including me, more than I've ever witnessed before. I was also around people who are at the same place in there faith as I am and even further which was so great. I think Jesus led me to camp because I needed to understand the importance of community and fellowship and I left understanding it. I'm fixing a lot of things to strengthen my relationship with Jesus because of this camp!" "The LORD revealed things I didn't realize about myself. He provided me with the spiritual rest I have been searching for!"

Stepping Out in Faith to Honor and Glorify God Featuring: Kenzie Lundeen, Redwood Valley High School Graduate June 2024 

KHYA | LAKER VOLLEYBALL I learned about true forgiveness during my experience at Northland FCA Sports Camp. We all have sin that needs to be forgiven. It's important to remember that your mistakes don't define you, Jesus does, and He is willing and ready to forgive you! I also learned that even when things don't turn out as expected, God is still working! You may be struggling in your sport, in school, or at home, but God has a plan for you and His plan is good! Attending Northland Sports Camp is a great way to learn about all that Jesus has sacrificed in order to save us! I left camp with a closer friend in Jesus and am looking forward to strengthening my faith in the Lord through FCA Camp again this year. I can't wait to go back and be surrounded by people who live their life for the glory of God! JAELA | LAKER VOLLEYBALL Attending Northland Sports Camp taught me the importance of being a Christian leader. It starts with an open heart, an encouraging word, and actions that match. My huddle leader encouraged me to read the Bible every day in order to grow my personal relationship with Jesus and upon heading home, I felt so much closer to God. Not long after I returned home from camp, I chose to get baptized. My experience at camp helped solidify my decision. If you're someone who is considering going to camp, but unsure about if you'll have fun, YOU WILL! When it came time to leave camp, most of us would have preferred to stay even longer. Camp will teach you about a personal relationship with Jesus and show you what that can look like through huddle time, worship, and sports. No matter where you're at right now God is able to make masterpieces from broken pieces. Believe it. See you at camp!

Jenny’s life was impacted for eternity because her brother attended FCA Leadership Camp. Reed Nyffeler (Jenny’s older brother) attended FCA Leadership Camp in Estes, CO ( which is actually where the first FCA camp was ever held in 1956 ) while he was in high school. It was at that camp that he heard the Gospel, believed, and came home to Nebraska a changed person. Reed came back on fire for Jesus (and Jenny made sure to add that he still is today!) and immediately took on a leadership role within his FCA huddle. Over Reed’s high school career, the huddle grew to over 200 student-athletes! He and a group of students who went to camp decided to expand the ministry even further and helped start a huddle at the middle school, too. They knew the value of extending the leadership structure to the lower grades so that ministry would continue at their school long after they graduated. That’s where Jenny heard the Gospel and believed.

Camps are an integral part of FCA ministry for several reasons: They are a blast! Free t-shirts! Active games! Beautiful Minnesota summers! The invitation to know Jesus better! It is common to hear these words from campers as they leave camp: “That was the best camp ever!” Camp works because FCA is intentional about putting pieces in place that bring results. And by pieces, we mean people – the right people in the right places to make the biggest impact. To give you a picture of what we mean, we will highlight our local sports camp in Afton, Minnesota.

Has something happened in your life that has caused you to question God’s love for you? Or perhaps, has God allowed something difficult and you are angry with God? You know He could have prevented the difficult circumstances, and yet, He didn’t. And though you don’t want to admit, deep down, it has shaken your faith. Ellie came to FCA Sports Camp feeling that way. In January, her dad died suddenly of a blood clot that traveled from his leg to his lung to his heart. Because of hospital regulations, she wasn’t even able to say goodbye to him. Her dad, who she was close to and had expected to be in her life for many decades, was suddenly gone. And though God could have prevented it, He didn’t. She was devastated and angry with God. She stopped attending youth group and was just going through the motions as a Christian because of the depth of her hurt and anger.  Since her dad died, Ellie doesn’t like being away from home, but her friend, Grace, encouraged her to come. Ellie wanted to hang out with Grace and she loves volleyball, so she came – with some apprehension. She said, “The first day I got here I was unsure of how I would like it. I felt like it was random people I don’t know and a random person leading us, but I like volleyball and wanted to get better at it.” The speaker shared engaging and challenging messages, and Ellie began to feel more comfortable with camp.

Why FCA Sports Camp? The middle of June started out well for my son, Ben. After a busy spring with sports, he was finally able to take driver’s ed and was looking forward to driving. He played his first baseball game, joined the church softball team, worked most days raking sand volleyball courts, and was looking forward to FCA Sports Camp , a fishing trip, and Leadership Camp . Then he went to his first basketball practice of the summer – and broke his foot. All the activities he planned for the summer came to a screeching halt as he prepared for surgery a week later and learned how to maneuver life with a knee scooter (my house may never be the same!). Northland FCA’s Regional Sports Camp was one week after surgery. Last year was the first time Ben attended this camp, and he said it was the best camp he had ever been to. And now, his foot and leg were wrapped with gauze and ace bandages, and he couldn’t put any weight on his leg.

Camps. Tens of thousands of campers have attended thousands of camps since the beginning of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Decades later, former campers point to FCA camps as major milestones in their lives. But why are they such a big deal? They’re fun, yes. Kids look forward to them every year, absolutely. But it’s the transformation that comes through camp that makes the biggest impact and keeps campers coming back year after year.

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John 21:35

Have you ever been presented with the opportunity to serve but wanted to turn it down because you didn’t feel prepared or strong enough or ready? Some of our interns felt that way at the recent Northland Region’s FCA Sports Camp at the University of Northwestern . Sports Camp was one of their first big assignments as an intern, and it was tempting to run away.

FCA Northland Region’s Sports Camp – What is the big deal? It’s one of those things you have to experience to really understand, but imagine . . . 240 sports-loving teenagers descending on a college campus in the middle of summer. 43 enthusiastic college huddle leaders bringing their A-game to their huddles. 40 talented coaches delivering quality instruction for hours each day. It’s enough to make Ben say, “That was the best camp I’ve ever been to.”

30.

Previously, we did a story about an FCA Virtual Junior Sports Camp that was offered to kids in grades 3-8. Nine regions in Wisconsin and Minnesota held camp at various times throughout the summer. While everyone wishes the camps could have been held in person, it was a successful way to reach kids with both sports training and discipleship opportunities during a time when physical contact was limited and kids were feeling isolated. James Bolin, Area Director for Southeast Minnesota, is just one of several staff members who held a virtual sports camp. They got the word out by boosting the videos on social media which helped them to reach 3,000 people. Approximately 100 kids actively participated.

“We’re doing a sports camp over there. Do you want to join us?” [Rudely] “NO!” A pause . . . “Yeah, you’re right. You probably can’t run that fast.” “What? I can run fast!” His friend: “I can run faster!” “Well, come and prove it.” This was the conversation between Tracy Monson and two neighborhood boys during FCA Sports Camp at East Immanuel Lutheran Church. It’s definitely a different way to get signed up for sports camp, but it’s the way that brings the most fruit in this neighborhood.

Picture this.  You drive up to a large church on a beautiful campus in a rural area in Minnesota. You turn into the parking lot and look to the left. With the warm sunshine in the background, you see dozens of aquamarine t-shirts on running, laughing, sweating kids. Then you see teenagers in grey t-shirts who appear to be having just as much fun. It’s been awhile since you saw this much joy. What is going on here?

FCA impacts thousands of middle and high school kids in the world every school year through campus huddles. But did you know that those youth then go on to impact elementary students through FCA camps? We talked to huddle leaders from a recent junior sports camp about how they have been impacted by FCA and what makes them want to impact others.

If 2020 has done anything positive, it has taught people to think outside the box. People were buying up yeast so they could suddenly become connoisseurs of fine breads, art supplies were in high demand as people decided they may be the next DaVinci. People started working on their cars by themselves, and home improvement stores were packed with unexpected DIYers. Workplaces and schools also had to get creative so they could keep their productivity up. Thousands of employees became remote workers overnight, and students became distance learners. As places have opened up and people have begun meeting again, everyone still needs to be creative in order to adhere to various guidelines like mask-wearing and social distancing. The staff at Minnesota FCA has also had to dig deep to find new ways to do ministry. Usually, the end of July brings a four-day overnight leadership camp at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. An overnight camp was completely out of the question, and no one would have been surprised if the camp had been canceled entirely. Thankfully, some staff had a vision which allowed 150 youth leaders to come together to learn how to lead well.

Endless summer vacation. That seems like a dream for most children. But for a highly social group, it’s not the bliss we expect when we daydream from the seat of our 3rd hour English class. No sports. No activities. No sleepovers. No group hangouts. That explains the pure joy seen on the faces of the 40 third through sixth graders who attended the third annual FCA Sports Camp at Community of Grace Church in White Bear Lake.