Throughout the West Texas A&M campus, there are athletes committed to making a difference in the name of Jesus Christ. Most of these athletes are members of the WT chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, better known as FCA. This campus organization has changed the lives of many students at WT and continues to welcome new members.
“FCA is a lot of things,” volleyball player and FCA facilitator Natalie Johnson said. “To me personally, it is an amazing community of people. You can come in, and there are no expectations.
“It is so relaxed because everyone loves you for you. It’s good to be able to share God with everybody. It’s just a refreshing time of the week, and we have an amazing community that God can work through.”
It is the vision of FCA to see the world impacted for Jesus through the influence of athletes and coaches. Their mission is to present athletes and coaches and all whom they influence with the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The WT chapter also offers a community outside of games and practices for its athletes.
“The best thing for me is to see all of the people trying to get to the same place as I am,” distance runner Thomas Harris said. “It’s good to see other athletes getting into the word and going through the same stuff I am going through while looking towards the same goal.”
FCA meetings and events give students at WT a place to unwind. Athletes are able to be comfortable in their convictions without the pressures of school and athletics.
“FCA offers a lot of support to its members, especially athletes,” Johnson said. “As an athlete, it is really hard to be on a platform all of the time, but God gives us so much encouragement. It is a place where people can come and just relax in their faith and grow with their brothers and sisters.”
Meetings at FCA furnish games, worship, prayer and a positive message to all who attend. This organization equips its members with the proficiency to minister their beliefs to their peers and teammates. Athletes in FCA encourage their teammates to join them at meetings and connect through faith.
“My favorite part is listening to the other people,” softball player Dani Couger said. “We have individuals give testimonies or speak about their faith or their journey to God. When we get into discussions, it’s just great to hear what all you have in common. We have sports, but we also have so much in common when it comes to faith.”
FCA meets every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. in room 211 at the Activities Center. The only thing a student at WT has to do to be a member of FCA is just show up.
James Chandler, PRAIRIE | ALLIE RENYA
James Chandler Testimony
“I first started coming to FCA for the complete wrong reasons. I had a couple of buddies on the football team who asked me every week to come, and I would blow it off or make up a good excuse not to come. My friend enticed me with something of my interest, and that was the reason why I started coming to FCA. When I got here, I quickly realized that my motives had to change. Once I started building relationships with the people that I met at FCA, I realized that I had to get things right with the Father to have a deeper understanding of him and a more intimate relationship with him. Now, I come to FCA because of my fellow brothers and sisters and because I want to learn more about him.”