Local Area FCA Blog

24 Hours Unbroken Prayer 2024 Recap

ltapia@fca.org (Lydia Tapia) — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 19:20:47 GMT

A Lifestyle of Prayer

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul says to “pray without ceasing”, this verse is the foundation for 24 Hours Unbroken Prayer. Unbroken Prayer is a time we pause as an organization to seek the Lord’s presence, leading, and Spirit. 24 Hours of Unbroken Prayer first began in the Mid-Atlantic Region of FCA with our Regional Director of International Advancement for the Mid-Atlantic, Mark Stephens, and a few of his FCA donors and staff. Now, Unbroken Prayer has grown to become a Global FCA movement!

Every February FCA staff from all over the world gather in their local areas and unite with other FCA staff from around the world via Zoom prayer rooms to pray for God to fulfill the FCA mission and vision in the world.

“To see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.”- FCA Vision

“To lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.”- FCA Mission

Here in the Carolinas Region of FCA our staff united in prayer with FCA teammates in the Global Region of South Asia. From India to Pakistan to North Carolina and South Carolina, FCA staff, athletes, coaches, donors and volunteers called upon God to move mightily in the world through FCA—believing that Jesus can and will draw athletes and coaches to himself through the powerful tool of sports.

As we prayed, we saw God move in the hearts of FCA staff to love and support our brothers and sisters in nations where following Jesus comes at a high cost. It was a beautiful picture of local and global working together to see His Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

“…because of the 24 hours of prayer and spending the hour praying…I am going to lead our local Brevard high school and we will be taking up donations of change/money for {Y’s} ministry during the month of March.”- Lexy Stroup (FCA Staff Western NC)

Not only did we see God move in the ministry of FCA staff through 24 hours of Unbroken Prayer, but it was an opportunity to hold up our brothers and sisters as they walked through hardship personally. One of our international staff joined the call while in the hospital with his father who was having open heart surgery. We were able to pray in real time for God’s healing and protection—providing comfort and support for our FCA staff member as well.

“What an amazing time, being able to spend an hour in dedicated prayer for Y and his ministry... He is a faithful servant for God & FCA, his father has been in the hospital the past 8 days after open heart surgery, yet Y made time from midnight to 1:00am his time to join us in prayer.”- Dan Castilleja (Western NC FCA Director of Operations and International Advancement Team Member).

While the day of Unbroken Prayer is a powerful time, it is our greatest prayer that 24 Hours of Unbroken Prayer would not be a one-day occurrence. It is our prayer in FCA that this day becomes a catalyst to a lifestyle of prayer for our FCA staff, coaches, athletes, donors, and volunteers. May we become a people who know that it is not in our own strength the Mission and Vision of FCA will be fulfilled but through the humble reliance on our King.

Every Has a Name

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 19:54:56 GMT

FREEDOM

In FCA we believe Every athlete or coach who comes to faith in Jesus, has a name, even if they live in a country where their name cannot be shared, they have a name and a story worth telling. This is the story of “V”, his story is being told by our FCA staff member in country.

“Recently, I had an opportunity to visit one of the Community Huddles and hear a story of an athlete, whose name is “V”. “V” comes from a Broken home and got into drugs and all other addictions. He was invited by one of our athletes to play a community sports match, an outreach event we organize. At this sports match “V” was encouraged by this other athlete to be part of the weekly Huddles we do as a part of our sports ministry. It was at these weekly huddles that “V” first had an opportunity to hear of Jesus and to know Him and the freedom that could be found in His Name. In these weekly huddles “V” finally surrendered his life to Jesus and now he is completely transformed from where he was! Since following Jesus, “V” is eager to grow in the Lord and share about his story of Freedom in Christ to his friends. Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Him and encouraged him with the FCA discipleship tool “The Core” to help him go deeper with Jesus and grow in the Lord and help others from his community to see the transformation and impact in and through his life.”

“V”'s story is a reminder that no matter how enslaved we are to sin, the addictions of this world, or the desires of our hearts, our God is a God of freedom! God desires to see his children free in His son Jesus Christ! This story is also a reminder, however, that slavery to sin transcends culture, race, ethnicity and gender. Sin is the condition the human race finds itself in, no exceptions, all of us have felt the deep pain and tragedy of sin in our world. However "V's" story also stands as a testimony that the grace of God through His Son Jesus also transcends culture, race, ethnicity and gender, free to all who would put their faith in Jesus!

Cultivating a Heart for the Nations in the Next Generation

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 20:50:46 GMT

Global Impact Internship 2022

In Judges 2 there is a chilling verse, it reads...

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what what he had done for Israel." v 9

We have a responsibility to the next generation, to ensure that they know the Lord and all that He has done for them; how He sent His son, who died and rose again so that they might experience His life and love! In FCA it is our desire to create spaces and places for the next generation to truly experience God, get to know Him and fully understand the extent of His salvation-- Global Impact is one of these spaces! Global Impact is a four-week international sports ministry experience designed to invest in the next generation of sports leaders to see Jesus Christ transform the world of sports.

In June 2022 College athletes from across the globe gave a month of their summer to travel to either Malaysia or the Dominican Republic to experience God at work amongst the nations.

On June 1 the interns traveled to Atlanta where they underwent three days of spiritual preparation, cultural and sports ministry training. They were intense days of prayer, time in the Word, workshop style training and lots of fun team building competitions and games!

On June 3rd it was time for the interns to head out on their month long internship in either the Dominican Republic or Malaysia. During the month there were physical challenges including long days of travel, battles with COVID, new and sometimes not so delicious foods, intense heat, and exhausting days of FCA sports camps. Along with the physical challenges there were mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges as well: sports ministry training, learning different cultural norms, seeing up close the brokenness of our world through local outreach, having to pivot and change plans quickly, and sharing the Good News of Jesus in a different cultural context.

However, our interns learned that right in the middle of all the challenges International ministry can bring, the presence of God is there! Our interns experienced the hand of the Lord through doing ministry alongside our FCA staff from Malaysia and the DR: learning by watching, modeling and launching. There were nights of prayer and worship, deep conversation with local staff, and most importantly seeing firsthand the power of the Good News of Jesus when shared with young athletes at a Sports camp!

Upon their return home our interns reflected back on their experiences...

“Talking to people from places where the Gospel is life or death, it really showed me, who cares what people think about me, I’m just going to go after Jesus…Some people aren’t going to like me, some are really going to like me, whatever, it’s about me and Jesus.” - FCA Global Impact Intern

"I learned I needed to surrender parts of my life that I hadn't yet, in how I treat others and how to be more like Jesus and actually show that they are worth dying for and that {Jesus} loves them so much that He wants to be their Father."- FCA Global Impact Intern

"One thing that I was learning throughout the trip was just how to love people better. Listening to the testimony {of one of the International staff} really enforced that. It was a wake up call that anything can happen at anytime and you have to love people...unconditionally, without limits."- FCA Global Impact Intern

As the Inters head back into familiar rhythms and places, the Lord is still using their experience on Global Impact to shape their walks with Him. All the interns are continuing to go through a "Post Trip" process that consists of monthly meetings with their fellow interns to reflect on Global Impact. Also they will connect continually with the international staff they served with overseas. Also they are meeting monthly with a mentor who is helping them live out a plan for ministry on their campus that they developed during Global Impact!

It is our hope and prayer as an FCA Global Impact planning team that our Interns know the Lord more deeply through their Global Impact experience and always remember what He did for them and through them during their time in Malaysia and the DR.

Father let these interns lead their generation to know you and all that you have done for them. Amen!