FCA : Continuously fostering fellowship
By Olivia Garrett
Photo taken by Molly Hartzog
FCA, or the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, doesn’t just meet on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00; they also work full-time to create a personal, receptive and accepting community. With a diligent board of student leaders, the group organizes and illustrates countless activities over the school year, always promoting the consistent motto of togetherness. Over the organization's existence, the group has developed and expanded into a prosperous, thriving and diverse community of peers.
FCA leader Molly Hartzog details the group's journey as she shares, “Our goal this year was to get more people to start coming. We worked on our social media a lot and created a Remind to remind more people to come.”
Making a determined effort to boost attendance, the group’s leaders made every attempt to boost participation. From standing in front of the school’s entrance handing out invite cards to approaching unknown students in the hallways, the leaders were not afraid to get out of their comfort zone in hopes of engagement. These innovative ways led many otherwise unreceptive students to attend FCA.
“We found out people really liked tournaments. We had a pickleball and a dodgeball tournament, which were some of the biggest events we’ve ever done,” Hartzog attested.
These student-organized tournaments served as a way to gather large attendance rates while sharing the group's message. Gathering both a large audience and large donations, these events were undeniable successes. Specifically, the pickleball tournament happened this past week, and it effectively brought students from all walks of life to come together in a shared activity. Students competed, fellowshipped and socialized at this neighborly outing, all while contributing to a good cause.
Hartzog shared, “All of the money we get either gets donated to a charity or gets put back towards FCA events. We have events where we create gifts and give time to help foster people in need.”
Extending their outreach beyond the school grounds, FCA performs an ongoing job of helping the surrounding communities. Organizing several philanthropic events, the group places extreme importance on aiding others. From decorating Christmas cards for foster children to supplying food for those in need, FCA makes a constant effort to find and seek change in their community. These beneficiary endeavors, no matter the size, make a real and long-lasting impact in the area.
Noting the group's progression over time, Hartzog states, “[FCA] used to be quite a smaller group. It mostly consisted of people from our church. We’ve definitely grown this year. Our team has grown in numbers and diversity.”
Over the long run of FCA, the group has undergone many large changes. From changing the team’s meeting location to introducing an updated social media account, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has made its mark this year. Even throughout all of the growth and change, the group’s leaders have never forgotten the organization's core values and goals of camaraderie.
Hartzog displays this as she states, “The purpose of FCA is to try to take something like school and create an environment to be another place where you can learn about God and have a community of Christians to just be there for each other.”
Placing emphasis on the fellowship in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the group’s supporters and attendees have and will continue to make a significant difference in our community. The organization and all who illustrate it have worked to create a circle of people for all, not only Christians and athletes, that has used its influence wisely throughout its successful run.