KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For 65 years, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has been laser-focused on the vision to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
Now, to celebrate this milestone anniversary, FCA is introducing a new concept called “The Four,” which will equip Christian coaches and athletes to share their faith with others.
“‘The Four’ is a new initiative at FCA that gives our staff and volunteers a simple, relevant, repeatable way to clearly communicate the Gospel and four biblical truths within our disciple-making efforts,” said FCA President and CEO Shane Williamson. “Using simple truths, FCA hopes to engage coaches and athletes, as well as equip and empower staff and others to more easily share their faith.”
“This method of sharing the Gospel is starting conversations about Christ around the world,” Williamson added.
To share “The Four” with others, FCA teammates have access to supportive resources, including a mobile-friendly website and a digital “Faith Response Tool” that collects faith decisions and provides follow-up for coaches and athletes who are saying “yes” to Jesus. Throughout the remainder of the year, into 2020 and beyond, “The Four” will be utilized at FCA events, Camps, Huddles and one-on-one discipleship meetings.
These four Gospel truths include the following:
- God Loves You: God made you and loves you! His love is boundless and unconditional. God is real, and He wants you to personally experience His love and discover His purpose for your life through a relationship with Him. Genesis 1:27, John 3:16
- Sin Separates You: You cannot experience God’s love when you ignore Him. People search everywhere for meaning and fulfillment—but not with God. They don’t trust God and ignore His ways. The Bible calls this sin. Everyone has sinned. Sin damages your relationships with other people and with God. It keeps us from experiencing the fulfilling life that God intends for us. The result: you are eternally separated from God and the life He planned for you. Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59:2
- Jesus Rescues You: Sin does not stop God from loving you. Because of God’s great love, He became a human being in Jesus Christ and gave His life for you. At the cross, Jesus took your place and paid the penalty of death that you deserve for your sins. Jesus died, but He rose to life again. Jesus offers you peace with God and a personal relationship with Him. Through faith in Jesus, you can experience God’s love daily, discover your purpose, and have eternal life after death. 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Romans 5:8
- Will You Trust Jesus? God has already done everything to show you how much He loves you. He offers you fulfillment and eternal life through a relationship with Jesus Christ. This involves agreeing that you are sinful, accepting God’s forgiveness, and turning away from your sins and toward God. You choose to trust Jesus when you believe and confess that Jesus is Lord and surrender your life to Him. Are you ready to place your trust in Jesus? Romans 10:9-10, John 1:12, Rev. 3:20, Ephesians 2:8-9
To help promote “The Four” to coaches and athletes worldwide, FCA partnered with NFL star Benjamin Watson, who recorded a video to explore the salvation concepts:
Sixty-five years ago, on Nov. 10, 1954, FCA was chartered in Oklahoma after God gave basketball coach Don McClanen a vision: coaches and athletes impacting lives for Christ. This stirring led to a movement and the founding of FCA. Today, FCA is still fulfilling the vision and following the Great Commission as it uses the vehicle of sports to make Christ’s name known. After much growth over 65 years, FCA has reached millions of people with the Gospel through the priority of putting the Word of God into each competitor’s hands.