andy @ balticbuilders . net
August 10 , 2023 The Beacon • 13
Let ’ s discuss Coshocton ’ s FCA and the works of grace
What happens when you bring together a group of God-chasing teenagers from Fellowship of Christian Athletes , a football stadium and a congregation of 300 people ? Faith on the Field .
FCA has been uniting faith , athletics , and high school students in America and beyond for over 60 years . In 2017 FCA came to life in Coshocton because of John Strasser ’ s desire to speak God ’ s value , worth and love into young people through sports .
Preparation work for this year ’ s Faith on the Field event started months earlier as area FCA staff members Nick Johnson , Bre Kinsey and Strasser coordinated a team of students to sing worship songs , speak of personal testimonies that changed lives and challenged a student leader to share a sermon-style message for a gathering open to the congregations of all churches in Coshocton .
River View Superintendent Chuck Rinkes and River View High School Principal Josh Branch paved the way for FCA to “ take the field for Jesus ” with the July 30 Faith on the Field Sunday service event .
Sunday ’ s weather was bright , sunshiny , picture perfect . The FCA students , staff , board members and sound team were on the job at 7 a . m . to set up , rehearse and dry off the dew-soaked bleachers that had been scrubbed clean the day before . The friendly folks of Grace & Grounds coffee truck were onsite to caffeinate the sleepy and slow starters among us . All that was needed was for people to come , and come they did . By the time the service started , a crowd of over 300 people filled the stands
FCA Director Nick Johnson reflected the purpose of the service best with a question : “ We live in a world that seems constantly bent to divide . We just wanted to provide an opportunity for people of Coshocton to come together to meet and enjoy a day of worship and biblical study together . How can we best bring our community of believers together ? That ’ s the heartbeat behind today ’ s service .”
As the student-led praise team finished a song
that had the people in the stands on their feet , some of the FCA leadership team stepped up to speak .
“ When the chaplains speak with us , it helps remind us of what ’ s important . They pray for our strength , love and peace to calm our pregame nervousness ,” CHS athlete Isabelle Lauvray said .
High school junior Michah Shupert from Tri- Valley is leading the charge to organize students this fall in his high school . “ The unite events have been the best . I love the worship . And it gives Christian students , anyone who wants to come , a chance to get together .”
Brook Conklin from the career center and Alexis Starkey from Ridgewood shared of their special baptism experiences that happened at a local FCA event . “ Though tender for God at a younger age , my heart had become hard because of my mother ’ s serious illness . Nick Johnson has no idea how his words encouraged me , causing me to reignite a spiritual fire that had nearly gone out ,” Starkey said .
Brody Stevens of Coshocton Christian School , where every student takes a Bible class and attends chapel weekly , was asked , “ Why get involved with FCA ?”
“ Because being around one another is fun . Besides , you can always improve your walk with God ,” Stevens said .
Over and over the common thread of community spoken by the young people led right into keynote speaker Caily Shriver ’ s message : How does God apply the concept of grace to man and how should man apply the concept of grace in the community ?
Shriver , a River View High School senior , has been involved with FCA since seventh grade . “ FCA has given me opportunity to grow and taken me way out of my comfort zone . Without that opportunity there ’ s no way I could stand in front of this crowd today and share a message .”
Shriver ’ s address then came out swinging a powerful message on grace . “ The world ’ s definition of grace is ‘ courteous goodwill .’ The difference from a spiritual perspective , God ’ s grace is the free , unmerited favor of God , the bestowment of a blessing that can ’ t be earned , nor one we deserve .”
With that definition on the table , Shriver ’ s sermon then proceeded to knock the people out of the park with her reflection of the four types of grace : saving , justifying , teaching and enabling grace . Each term was peppered with scripture and an easy-to-apply example .
Her message also explored the conviction of what it is like to live without grace . “ Without grace we tend to want to trust our works to help us be good enough to earn the love of God . The other huge danger , we become ‘ grace killers .’ The traditional term for this is a legalist , one who is always measuring not only self but others against the rules . When we do that , we become so unwelcoming to anyone who is new to the church .”
Bringing it home , Shriver admonished us to live a life that includes grace . “ Grace makes it easier to give up sin , go beyond in good ways the requirements of the law and freely give grace to others .”
As I thought about the unbridled joy in the students ’ worship team , the moving testimonies of the students , and the raw truth of what grace is and means in our lives as shared by
FCA ’ s keynote speaker , I was reminded anew of the importance of grace . God has given us so much grace . He ’ s called us to freely share without judgement or reservation that grace with others .
To those who have an awareness of this gift and this calling , the young people of FCA share a message loud and clear : Share God ’ s work of grace with not only yourself , but also with everyone you possibly can — for we all need grace .
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andy @ balticbuilders . net
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