Making Disciples of Jesus through Sport
Three coaches, three generations, and the multiplying work of making disciples who make disciples with the empowering support of Minnesota FCA.
Paul Olson played football and earned a math education degree from a small liberal arts college. He went on to play for the NFL for three years and then taught and coached football at Anoka High School. He had always had a passion to share his faith and impact the young men he coached, both in football and for eternity, so he started an FCA huddle at Anoka. He influenced dozens of young people each year, both on the football field and in the huddle.
Through Coach’s mentorship I came to know the Lord.
One of Coach Olson’s players, Dave Nelson, remembers being invited to a Sunday evening FCA huddle at Coach’s house. Nelson knew that if something was important to Coach, he should pay attention, so he went. Nelson says, “Through coach’s mentorship, I came to know the Lord.” The credibility of a former NFL player, the hours spent together on the field, and the modeling of a solid faith created a special bond between coach and athlete that gave Nelson the desire to have a similar impact.
I knew I always wanted to be a coach.
Nelson witnessed Coach Olson’s impact on his players. He said, “I knew I always wanted to be a coach. I realized if we’re going to coach, let’s try to be successful on the field but do those things that really matter,” like modeling Christ to his players while clearly sharing the truth of the Gospel. He coached for 18 years at Blaine High School and another 18 years at Minnetonka High School, influencing dozens of young men through coaching and the FCA huddle in Minnetonka. One of these young men is now influencing others through coaching and full-time ministry.
FCA is where God birthed in my heart a call to ministry.
Jon Christenson began playing under Coach Nelson in 9th grade. He had grown up in a Christian home and had a solid understanding of faith, so he jumped right into FCA leadership. Christenson says, “It was that year that God took my faith from being my parents’ faith to being my own faith. He used FCA to really do that.” God continued to use FCA in Jon’s life through college and beyond. As a college student, he shared his faith story at a high school huddle where two young people were saved. He said, “I was so excited I couldn’t sleep that night. God had used me to bring someone from dark to light. That is where God birthed in my heart a call to ministry.”
Today, Jon is a pastor at a large church and a football coach in Minnetonka. He said, “Now I get to influence young men, not only in the game of football, not only in life, but towards Jesus Christ. It’s an awesome opportunity. I got to see modeled in Coach Nelson the incredible impact a coach could have.”
FCA is an integral part of the process of multiplication with coaches and athletes.
FCA gets to come alongside coaches like these, to equip and empower them to make a difference on their teams. We also engage, equip, and empower godly athletes, some of whom will go on to be influential coaches but also business leaders, fathers, mothers, teachers, and community members. We are sending out disciple makers in all areas of life.
The power of multiplication has the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of people with the hope of Jesus Christ. Coaches like Olson, Nelson, Christenson, and countless others before and yet to come influence young people to first become Christ-followers and then become discipling leaders who influence others to know Christ.
Watch the full interview with Coach Olson, Nelson, and Christenson:
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