Huddle Highlight - Litchfield

The Connection 

FCA Area Representative, Cory Jorschumb, approached a couple staff members at Litchfield High School to gauge  in starting an FCA huddle there. As it turned out, there had already been several discussions over the past couple years amongst various staff members and students who desired to have a group like FCA on their high school campus. God had been quietly preparing several key players to get involved as soon as Cory began the conversation. FCA staff often makes connections just like this for coaches and students.

The Coach

Coach Adam Hayes, a teacher and coach at Litchfield, said yes to being the huddle coach. He has been intentional about getting staff members and community leaders to come in and share their faith stories with the students. Coach Hayes is excited about giving students the opportunity to connect their faiths to their activities as well as allowing students to build positive relationships with their teachers and coaches in a way that encourages the students to grow in Christ. Coach Hayes is grateful to have eight or nine other staff members to partner with him. The experience has been extremely positive. He said, “It should come as no surprise that it has probably blessed me more than the students. I was reluctant to start FCA, but I knew God was calling me to do so, and I needed to be obedient to that. I am constantly challenged to pray more, be more intentional, and to be more steadfast in my walk with Christ." 

The Students

What started out as a twice-monthly meeting just a few months ago quickly became a weekly meeting because of student interest. God had clearly been preparing these students for FCA at Litchfield. As so often happens in high schools, Christian students feel alone in their walks with God. Now that they have FCA, they do not feel so alone. Together they can be bold and courageous followers of Christ. 

Hebrews 10:24 and 25 says, “Let us not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Christ followers all do better in their walks with God when they are not walking alone, and that is certainly true for Litchfield students like Katelyn, Neriah, and Maison.

Katelyn is a senior who says this about the new huddle: "I love going to FCA because I realized there are many people who believe in the same thing I do. It brings students and athletes together, and we get to talk about the greatest God there is. Hearing the leaders talk about their experiences makes me think about how I can grow in my faith."

Neriah is also a senior who appreciates not only knowing there are other Christians in her school but growing in connection with them and her teachers. She says, "FCA brings classmates and teachers together to form new relationships. The teachers here at LHS care about the students wholeheartedly, and it shows at FCA. My faith has definitely grown since I've started to go to FCA, and I am very thankful for this opportunity here at my High School."

As a junior, Maison also appreciates the deep connections with other students in FCA as well the chance to live out his faith more courageously. He says, "FCA really helps me find myself in school and in life. It helps because my church doesn't have any of my friends in it, and FCA lets me express my faith with all of my good friends." If FCA has made this kind of impact on upperclassmen after just a few months, think of what a legacy this school can have as younger students go through four years of FCA.

An FCA staff made a connection, a coach stepped up, students were ready to come and learn and grow, and God had worked everything out beforehand and brought everyone together. “For we know that in all things God for works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Without God’s mighty hand at work and the obedience of FCA and school staff and student leaders, these students would be missing out on the blessing of growing together with other believers on their public school campuses.