A Note From NE Florida FCA Multi-Area Director

We are excited to share highlights with you from this past spring—as well as where the Lord is leading us through the summer:

• Wednesday, March 10^th marked the 37^th year of FCA’s PLAYERS Breakfast with the Pros. FCA’s 2021 Breakfast with the Pros will be one we remember for a long time. For the first year in the Breakfast’s history, we were unable to physically meet together. COVID-19 forced us to take the breakfast online to YouTube and host the event virtually. We are deeply appreciative of the amount of people that encouraged us to move forward with this event this year in spite of COVID dynamics and circumstances. You showed us how deep your support is for FCA’s vision and mission—well beyond this singular event.

• Over $18,000 was raised from our first Giving Day on May 5^th. This exceeded our goal by more than $3,000 and will help many coaches and athletes across NE Florida not only attend camp (that otherwise may not be able), but it will also ensure that these individuals have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and grow in their relationship with Him. Praise God, and thank you to those who participated by giving and/or praying!

• FCA Camps are back! All the prayers, planning, hope and anticipation this past spring for a return to camps this summer is now upon us! We thank God for this opportunity and all that He will do in lives of our staff, coaches and athletes this summer!

• Our ministry methods of Engage, Equip, and Empower continue to take center stage in all that we do ministerially with coaches and athletes. Whether it be one-on-one discipleship with coaches or athletes, training of our character coaches who serve local sports teams, or preparing our volunteers and board members, it’s exciting to see the ministry multiplying as disciples are equipped to go and make disciples. You, too, can join us on this E3 journey with FCA’s new online volunteer E3 training!

• We now have Area Directors leading in two of our five footprints. Three more Directors are needed to build out our NE Florida core lead team. Prayers for the Lord to bring these people are appreciated and will help accelerate our growth and ability to minister to more coaches and athletes across the greater Jacksonville area.

• We are aggressively growing our board presence across NE Florida with the launch of several boards so far in 2021. Five of seven desired boards are now established and growing. These key leaders and volunteers from our communities give their time, talent and treasure to establish a healthy foundation for FCA ministry supporting current and prospective staff, while also putting structure in place that will position FCA to make an impact across NE Florida for generations to come.

This summer coaches and athletes will take a deep dive into our 2021 ministry theme, PURSUE, in order to develop an authentic relationship with Jesus. Athletes and coaches will learn to pursue truth through spiritual disciplines such as reading Scripture and praying, pursue life rather than unhealthy motivations, pursue team by living in community with like-minded believers, and pursue mission to discover what God has called each of us to do.

I thank God that He has brought us together to see the world—including our communities, schools, and teams—transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. The mission of sharing the Gospel and making disciples continues, and we are thankful for your support and investment.

Let's keep PURSUING Christ together and see lives changed forever!

You are loved,