Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes work to draw teens to Christ
Being a teen and young adult is never easy. It's a time when students are finding out who they are and making decisions for their future, and faith can play a big part in that self-discovery. But they don't have to figure it all out on their own.
Two Christian nonprofit organizations are helping area youth stay connected to the church and providing them with the resources and support to nourish and grow their beliefs.
Here's how Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes are making a difference in young people's lives.
YOUNG LIFE MACON
Young Life, founded 75 years ago, reaches ninth- through 12th-graders in 99 countries. The Macon chapter got off the ground in 2003 and has ministries in five local schools: First Presbyterian Day School, Howard High School, Stratford Academy, Tattnall Square Academy and Westside High School.
"We attract all kinds of kids who are in different places spiritually. Our primary way of doing that is through relationships," said John Sharp, area director for Young Life Macon. "I've seen kids who've started walking with Jesus because a Young Life leader showed up at the school."
Between 160 and 180 area teens participate in Young Life activities each week. Every school has about seven leaders, each one working with 10 to 12 students. The leaders, many of them enrolled at Mercer University, get to know the teens by planning activities such as dinners, movies, sporting events and camping trips with them, Sharp said.
Each school group hosts weekly club meetings that include games, songs, skits, prizes and scripture lessons. Westside meets at the school; Stratford and First Presbyterian at Emmanuel Church; and Howard and Tattnall at "The Warehouse" owned by Piedmont Church.
"Our website would call it 'Party with a Purpose,' " Adams said. "We want kids to know that walking with Jesus is this wild, fun adventure, so our Young Life clubs try to reflect that. The whole point of the Young Life club is to turn the focus toward the talk that's coming. When the Young Life leader steps up (to speak), they're sharing a God they know and love with kids they know and love."
Students can also get involved in weekly small gatherings called "campaigners," which look at faith through study, service and leadership. In addition, kids have the opportunity to attend summer camp at Young Life resort lodges in states such as Georgia, North Carolina and Colorado, and go to fall retreats at SharpTop Cove in Jasper.
The organization provides the information for kids to make their own decisions about Jesus, Adams said. Young Life Macon supports local churches, and leaders help teens find worship centers and youth groups to try out and encourage them to keep attending.
MIDDLE GEORGIA FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES
Started in 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ministers to middle school, high school and college students in 47 countries. The Middle Georgia chapter was formed in 2000 and now has 35 sanctioned groups in its six-county area, said Multi-Area Director Scott Adams.
About 1,300 kids participated last year, and while the organization is sports-focused, students don't have to be athletes to join it.
"Our goal and our focus is to present Jesus Christ to athletes and coaches and all they influence, and then to get them involved in a local church. FCA is not meant to be their church. It's just meant to present them with the gospel, and we try to plug them into local youth groups," Adams said.
FCA has ministries dedicated to coaches, campus, camps and community. Each campus group -- called a "huddle" -- has a coach who leads students in short devotional meetings weekly or every other week at their school. Each group also does community service once or twice a year, such as visiting children in hospitals.
The Middle Georgia chapter hosts monthly outreach events, such as Mercer University and Macon Mayhem game nights and golf tournaments.
The largest community event is Fields of Faith, attended by about 1,500 kids each fall. It features a speaker, singing group and small group prayer, and encourages students to be on the playing field in their faith rather than a spectator, Adams said.
FCA also offers a variety of summer camps in many different locations that focus on both spiritual and athletic elements.
"(The events) give a chance for local Christian athletes to get together with kids from other schools who have the same goals they do," Adams said.
They can encourage each other in their faith and then spread God's word in their community. Athletes are generally disciplined, goal-driven and energetic, and sometimes they don't realize the positive impact they can have on their peers, Adams said.
"The biggest thing is their ability to accept the fact that they have been given the opportunity to use their position for good," Adams said. "As an athlete, people look up to you. We encourage them to use their platform as an athlete to share Christ."
To Learn More
Young Life Macon: www.macon.younglife.org; 478-207-5551; younglifemacon@gmail.com
Middle Georgia Fellowship of Christian Athletes: www.middlegafca.org; sadams@fca.org; or ask to be referred to your school's FCA leader
This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes work to draw teens to Christ ."