The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (commonly known as FCA) has had a large impact at Palatine with over 60 weekly attendees. The group meets every Friday morning and is led by students who share their testimonies, spread their faith, and play games.

“I’ve really loved hearing the testimonies of the student leaders,” teacher sponsor of FCA Josh Ware said. “Just seeing kids be vulnerable in front of their peers, and just being open and honest about how God has worked in their life has been a huge reason for the growth of FCA.”

To kick things off, meetings typically start out with an engaging game where members can win prizes like candy or gift cards. From there members listen to student leaders present on a variety of topics such as personal testimonies, Bible stories, and how to live a meaningful Christian life. Finally, members break out into small groups and discuss the weekly questions which typically relate to their faith.

Students say that attending FCA is a great way to start their day and helps encourage them in their faith walk.

“I think the biggest impact of FCA is that it has been strengthening the presence of Jesus in students’ lives,” FCA member Karim Melek said. “I believe that there is a major Christian revival sweeping this generation and engaging youth groups like FCA is one big part of this revival.”

FCA is a global organization focused on spreading the message of Jesus to coaches and athletes alike. It has helped communities worldwide since 1954 and is continuing to do so throughout school districts in over 100 countries. Their goal is to get kids to talk about the word of God with others around them.

“I think that gathering in fellowship and prayer and the short devotionals reminds kids of how much they are loved by God,” FCA student leader Colten Hilgers said. “[This] sets them up to spread the message with others.”

Students can join FCA by coming to Room 216 every Friday morning at 7:30 for faith, food, and fun.