Christ is Spreading Like Wildfire!

Ellie joined the FCA team in the spring of 2021 and is one of three FCA staff that support the ministry at St. Thomas. In the last several months, she has witnessed young people with eager hearts to proclaim the name of Jesus. Our goal is to empower students, but we also strive to engage and equip every coach and athlete within the Twin Cities to go out and share the Good News.

The FCA college ministry is made up of apprentices, discipleship groups, and core groups. Through apprenticeships, students are being equipped and empowered to eventually take on leadership roles within the discipleship and core groups.

Ellie recalled a moment when she asked several core group leaders what they wanted to see happen on their campus through FCA ministry. Intentionally, the students proclaimed, "We want to see every team on campus have a discipleship group and every team be involved and on-fire for the Lord." Indeed, the Lord has drastically worked through this group of students as they have earnestly pursued their peers, roommates, teammates, coaches, and professors.

Upon experiencing how the Lord has moved in incredible ways across campus, Ellie recalled her own life-changing experience through FCA:

Ellie got involved with FCA during college and became a Huddle Leader at FCA Sports Camp and has always had a heart for coaches because her dad was a high school volleyball coach. This fostered a desire in her to see coaches and athletes develop thriving relationships with each other and Jesus Christ.

Moreover, since joining FCA staff, Ellie has consistently observed what inviting people into the evolving community of Christ-followers on campus has done - equipping them to share the gospel. 

Ellie described some goals of these students, which include writing names of who will pursue unreached teams on campus by purposefully walking past coach offices, leaving dorm room doors open, and inviting peers to FCA events in hopes of opening the door to faith conversations.

Ellie expressed that "living life as a disciple and follower of Christ is not always spectacular, but it's part of everyday life." This is exactly what the students are out to do - life-on-life ministry. They are vividly displaying what it looks like to be "iron sharpening iron and living life full of fun and play, but also Kingdom-based," affirmed Ellie.

One example of students creating a space to invite others in is with a house near campus called the "1515 House." This home was purchased by an FCA donor and is now a living space for St. Thomas and Concordia athletes, an AIAstaff member that is part of the Currynt team, and an FCA staff with his family. The basement was renovated for ministry purposes and has been a space where countless students have felt the love of Christ. Ellie conveyed that the students are "ready to utilize space to bring people together and get people plugged in for potential gospel conversations." 

Several students have eagerly said, "yes" to being Huddle Leaders at FCA camps. Ellie spoke for one male and one female who agreed to partake in the FCA trip to Israel. She added, "the students have a heart to say yes. It is no longer about them anymore, but rather, for the community to thrive with love and desire for others to see Jesus." 

The radical movement of Jesus' name advancing like wildfire on the St. Thomas campus is changing the lives of students, coaches, staff, and the entire community!