Illinois Student Leaders in Minnesota

The group of eleven high school students came to FCA Northland’s Regional Leadership Camp at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. But besides the scenic drive through Wisconsin, all the “nice” people in Minnesota, and the beautiful college campus, why make the six-hour drive to go to this exact camp?

Three Rivers (Northwest Illinois) FCA Area Representative, Tony Spranger, was involved in FCA in high school but had no idea of the global impact of the organization. That’s one reason he brings teams to Leadership Camp. He said, “Attending camp exposes them to a larger view of FCA. It gives them access and exposure to other staff members and other areas and gets them out of their comfort zones.” Why Minnesota specifically? “It’s a great experience, and those road trips are always bonding experiences. The Northland Leadership Camp is organized and keeps hopping but isn’t overwhelming.”

Training Leaders

Thousands of young leaders have attended Leadership Camp since its inception twenty-five years ago. They have been trained in how to be God-honoring leaders, serve well on their campuses, and believe God to do big things in their midst. That energizes Tony for the upcoming year of ministry. He said, “I am excited to see the tools the kids are provided as they come back to their campuses. I feel like they’re given a head start when it comes to leading their campus huddles and they have a greater vision and mission of FCA.”

Tony is an advocate of Leadership Camp because he has experienced it alongside his team. He spent the four days of the camp interacting with Northland staff, taking photos, and observing his kids in action. He says, “It’s a great camp and a great experience, and it’s hard to put your finger on the experience without being there yourself. They keep the campers busy but still have time to build relationships. It’s difficult to put into words how impactful this camp can be.”

Pointing to Jesus

Not only do the campers receive valuable training and resources to help them lead their huddles well, the emphasis is always on Jesus. As Tony observes the campers, he notices, “Even though it’s a sports ministry, FCA takes the spiritual impact and the Gospel very seriously. It’s genuine spiritual life transformation happening.” 

Throughout the four days of camp, campers engage with each other and God on a deeper level, are equipped to lead more strongly, and are empowered to take what they’ve learned back to their huddles, schools, teams, youth groups, and communities. They are learning valuable life skills while also building solid relationships with other believers. 

And while it seems like there is no way four days can be that life-changing, all you have to do is look at the faces of the campers and witness what they are already planning for the year ahead. And you can look at the lives of those who attended a Leadership Camp in the past and the lasting impact it has made on their lives as they lead in their spheres of influence today. 

After Camp

So often camp serves as a catalyst for ministry. As campers process all they learned at camp, especially during a six-hour bus ride, they begin talking to each other about the possibilities for ministry. This group from Illinois started a Bible study the Sunday after Leadership Camp. They now have a team of people committed to continual spiritual growth who can encourage each other along the way.

The group also agreed to do a mock huddle for a neighboring community that wants to start an FCA because they now have the tools and the heart to come alongside a new group of leaders to show them how to run their own huddle. The impact on the eleven students who attended Leadership Camp will multiply on their own campuses and now in communities further away as well.

Planning for Next Year

Tony already has plans to attend next year’s Leadership Camp. He says, “Our goal next year is to pack the bus. We’d love to bring a larger group with more representation of different schools. I could comfortably see us providing five or six schools of leadership representation from the different schools. We are already pushing them to mark their calendars to get more people up there to experience camp.”

We are thankful for every camper who attended Leadership Camp this year and especially for those who traveled from outside the region to come to camp. The dates for next year’s Leadership Camp are Thursday, July 28 -  Sunday, July 31, 2022. It’s never too early to put it on the calendar or to start praying for the campers who will attend.