Where I Made My Faith My Own

And two athletes are leading discipleship groups at Anoka High School. As they talked about why they do it, they both said, “FCA is where I made my faith my own.”

Meet Marlee and Hailey, dancers and small group leaders:

Marlee, a senior, grew up faithfully attending church. She has known Jesus for a long time, but it wasn’t until she was tapped for leadership that she really grabbed onto her faith and grew in her own relationship with Jesus. She has led small groups, participated in summer leadership training, and attended FCA’s Leadership Camp. 

Hailey, on the other hand, went to church sporadically as a child, though God was clearly drawing her to Himself. She attended youth group in eighth grade, but she knew she was going for the people, not for her walk with God. When she had a fallout with a friend, she struggled. Then she saw an Instagram post about FCA. She instantly knew she wanted to go.

Then - Marlee’s Group Multiplied

This year both girls are leading a discipleship group. There’s an excitement about the group that can only be attributed to God’s movement in their hearts. Hailey said, “All of a sudden last Sunday there were ten girls in my kitchen. It’s been cool to see them at school at ‘Bibles and Breakfast’ and in the hall talking to each other. It’s amazing that I didn’t know these people a week ago and now we’re friends.” Even though she’s a dancer, her small group is almost all soccer girls because the one soccer player from last year invited all her teammates – and they came!

Marlee’s small group is made up of four girls from last year’s huddle and several new girls. Two of the new girls have little knowledge of faith. One is open and very engaged. Marlee is hopeful she will soon be ready to surrender her life to Jesus. The other girl, she said, “seems far away, and I want to take her to coffee and encourage her to come to the meetings to try it out.” 

And Multiplied Again!

The groups are growing quickly, and a need has already arisen for another group. One of the current members from Marlee’s group has agreed to lead a new small group during the next trimester at school. Isn’t this something we would love to see in the Church worldwide?  It is happening with our young people!

A Testimony to God’s Movement in their Lives

God has used FCA to transform Hailey’s and Marlee’s lives. They have grabbed onto their own faith and want to bring others along with them. God is using the excitement others see in them to draw them in. Hailey recently posted this on her Instagram: “Words will never explain how much FCA has impacted my life . . . I wouldn’t trade it for anything! A year ago, when I was invited to the FCA kickoff meeting, I would have never expected everything that was to come. I met someone [Marlee] who is like an older sister to me, grew closer to a group of girls I learned with, and most importantly, I grew closer to God. Now almost a year later, I am about to lead my own small group and couldn’t be more excited to get started! If anyone is wondering if they should join FCA, I wouldn’t have traded my year in FCA for anything, and I hope everyone gets to experience something like this!”

It’s something the donor, staff member, and coach from the beginning of the story experienced over decades and Hailey and Marlee are experiencing today. FCA is a vehicle through which coaches and athletes are presented with the truth of who God is and how much He loves them. It then equips them to grow as leaders while they learn to reflect Christ in everything they do. It has truly allowed them to make their faith their own. Please pray for discipleship groups across Minnesota, that God would continue to do amazing things in and through the leaders and group members.