FCA's E3 Vision

FCA has a vision to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ. And we have a clear and compelling mission: to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. FCA’s way to pursue that mission is to engage, equip and empower every coach and every athlete around the world to grow in Christ. It is our goal to reach every sport, team, community and country. Our passion is to see the world of sports redeemed for God’s greater purposes, and we believe this transformation can only happen through one coach and one athlete at time. 

When someone makes a decision to follow Jesus, they begin the greatest journey of their life. They begin a discipleship journey; this is a lifelong pursuit and process of becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. We help give coaches and athletes clarity about what the destination of this journey looks like and certainty about how to make progress on this journey. Our definition of a disciple is this:

A disciple is someone who is growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.

When you are growing and walking with Jesus on daily basis, you are becoming more like Him. That process is called sanctification—which is the foundation of discipleship. 

Let’s unpack the FCA way of discipleship:

ENGAGE

We engage coaches and athletes through genuine relationships by sharing our lives and the Gospel. We want to excel in connecting and developing relationships. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:8,

We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News, but our own lives, too.

We connect with coaches and athletes in many different environments by identifying the space and place to cultivate relationships.

EQUIP

We equip coaches and athletes to grow in Christ through God’s Word with Christ-centered training and resources. This is where The Pursuit comes in: 12 sessions that will give you the building blocks to strengthen your faith. In Ephesians 4:12, Paul writes,

Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

We want to build you so you can be the follower God has designed you to become. You will discover the essence of the Christian life. The Pursuit is a game plan to have a personal, passionate relationship with Jesus Christ, and then to go impact those on your team, family and community. 

EMPOWER

We empower coaches and athletes to engage and equip others to know and grow in Christ. Once equipped, we desire to see coaches and athletes make disciples who make disciples through empowering others. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul writes,

You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

We are encouraged to not just hold onto our faith, but also to pass it on to others. 

How do coaches and athletes grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ? By engaging, equipping and empowering. When coaches and athletes begin to do the same, discipleship multiplies, and we see the world transformed by Jesus Christ. 

This is a great game plan that can bring personal transformation as you go through these core essentials. The journey gets even better when you can do the same with others. We are praying that God will help you grow in your relationship with Him, that He will reveal Himself to you in a powerful way, and that you will lead others in their journey.

When you make a commitment to be on God’s Team, you are signing up to walk with Him daily. You are training for this walk by reading His Word and understanding His plan. But where do you start?  Here is the Gospel message explained in four simple truths:

• God made you and loves you! God is real, and He wants you to personally experience His love and discover His purpose of your life through a relationship with Him. Genesis 1:27, John 3:16
• Sin damages your relationships with people and with God. The result is separation from God and the life he planned for you. Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59:2
• In love, God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for your sins. Jesus lived a sinless life, died a criminal’s death on a cross, and rose from the dead to prove his power over sin and death. 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Romans 5:8
• 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. Romans 3:22, Romans 10:9-10

A Suggested Prayer: 

Dear God, thank you for loving me and wanting the best for my life. I have lived for myself and done things my way, and I am truly sorry. Jesus, I believe that you are God and have forgiven my sins by dying and coming back to life again for me. I trust You and ask You to be Lord of my life. I surrender my life to You. You are my God, my Savior and my Lord. Let me experience Your love and Your good plans for my life! Amen.

Next Steps: 

• Click here for The Four online at FCA.org.
• Did you make a decision to trust Jesus? Click here to let us know.
• Already made a decision and looking for next steps? Click here to learn more.

When you trust Jesus with your life, you don’t have to hold on to the old sin, guilt, and performance mentality of the past. Now you can live with God’s power as you remember these promises:

• God makes you new. Because of Jesus, you have a new identity. Now you can use sports as a platform to point people to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17
• God is with you. Wherever you go, God will be right there. Through the Holy Spirit, God guides you from the inside out. Ezekiel 36:26-27
• God leads you. As the Holy Spirit lives in you, you will have direction in life. God will lead you through Scripture, prayer, discipleship, and any circumstance that you encounter. Galatians 5:16

If you want to see a change in your performance as an athlete, you have to put in the time and work. The same goes for spiritual training, which does three things for you:

• Transforms you. Spiritual training transforms your entire life, from your thinking to your priorities to your relationships. And the benefits are eternal. 1 Timothy 4:8
• Motivates you. You have two forces constantly fighting for your attention, and the force you feed will grow stronger. Spiritual disciplines motivate you to fight on. Galatians 5:17, Ephesians 6:13
• Helps you know God. As you master spiritual disciplines, God changes the way you think. That leads to a more personal understanding of God and his will for your life. Romans 12:2

Just like we talk to our family, friends, teammates and coaches, we must make time to talk with Jesus if we are to grow in relationship with Him. Here are three things Jesus teaches us through The Lord's Prayer:

• It's a conversation. Prayer is simply a conversation between you and God. It's not so much about what you say, it's about sharing your heart with Him. Matthew 6:7-8
• It can be about anything and everything. Prayer is not an empty spiritual ritual. Jesus taught believers to pray for daily needs, relationships, temptations, and more. Matthew 6:11-13
• It accomplishes God's plans. The purpose of prayer goes far beyond asking for what you want. The point is to align our world with God's will, not the other way around. Matthew 6:9-10