Several weeks ago we got the great opportunity to hear from Matt Emerson, Lacrosse Ministry Representative with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). He wrote the following blog article so that we might have a better picture of how this organization reaches students with the Gospel and how we can get involved.
About FCA
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a sports ministry with the vision of "seeing the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.” The FCA Lacrosse ministry focuses specifically on those in the lacrosse community through teams, camps, clinics and discipleship. Through these mediums, FCA Lacrosse seeks to build relationships with coaches, athletes and families while leading them in to a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Baltimore, FCA runs a club lacrosse program that impacts over 250 families in the community. This club currently hosts 12 teams that compete year round. Throughout the season, FCA players are engaged in regular Bible study, service opportunities and even a winter retreat. FCA coaches are engaged in regular Bible study and training that equips them to lead in a godly manner. Parents are also engaged in devotionals so that they may soberly lead their child through the craziness of youth sports.
What I Do
My official title with FCA is "Lacrosse Ministry Representative," but within that I balance two different roles. My first role is the "Maryland Club Ministry Coordinator," where I am responsible for the ministry development on our Maryland Club teams. Some of my responsibilities include developing curriculum for our team Bible studies, recruiting and training Huddle Leaders to lead these Bible studies and equipping coaches to Biblically lead their teams. My other role focuses on our national ministry that reaches families all over the country. I help lead an internship for college lacrosse players, develop teams to compete at various "destination" tournaments throughout the summer, and oversee the Huddle Leader program at our Gettysburg Lacrosse Camp.
How to Pray
Running a "competitive teams" ministry gets complicated when winning is on the line. While our goal is to use these teams and events as opportunities for families to hear the Gospel, the flesh and desire to be victorious can cloud our true "win" of impacting lives for Christ. Prayers for that vision and focus to be clear would be greatly appreciated!
Get Involved
FCA Lacrosse provides opportunities for families and players of any age and talent level to be involved. To learn more about FCA Lacrosse and opportunities to get connected, visit fcalax.com. FCA also has a local ministry in the Baltimore area. If you are a family of athletes but not lacrosse players, let me know and I would be happy to connect you with our Northern MD FCA staff. Also, as a non-profit para-church ministry, FCA staff are responsible for raising their entire salary and budget through financial partners and supporters. If you'd be interested and willing to financial support the Emerson family, contact me at memerson@fca.org.