Kennedy Anderson

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes pose for a photo at the front lawn of one of the leaders houses. The club members are food and played games. “It was really great to be able to talk and hangout with kids in the FCA outside of school. It felt nice talking to them and also having fun outside of a school environment,” Cole Rideout said.

Every Tuesday after school, you’ll find a group of students in a classroom or at a house sharing their love and passion for one thing: God. The group is called The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and its mission is to provide a community for Christian students to talk about Christianity and athletics.

“We try to get the word of the Lord out into Clayton High School. We’re not a religious school, so it can be hard to find those people you connect with on that level and spread that idea of Christianity. We’re trying to make those relationships with others and make a group of students [that] feel like they have a place to go,” senior Kennedy Anderson said.

The FCA’s focus is on gaining new members. To this end, they started branching out of the meeting at the school format so the group could connect further. 

“[Our] slogan is food, fun and fellowship, so we want to create a community between everyone. This year, we have started trying to get a community and friendship vibe in the FCA,” Anderson said. “We started making every other meeting at one of the leader’s houses to feel more friendly, like a hangout. This has created a closer connection within the group. We’re trying to focus on getting many people involved and comfortable, so having meetings at the leader’s houses and having food has helped make everyone comfortable.” 

The FCA has not only helped members develop a deeper connection with God and a community of people, but it has also impacted the leaders. 

“I have learned how to speak what I think. Hearing other people’s ideas and learning how to communicate [with] people has been something the FCA has helped me with,” Anderson said. “All the leaders went to a training camp where they [taught] how to make sure everyone feels included. I have applied that not only [to] FCA but to school, too. I apply all I have learned from being a leader in FCA to discussions with people outside.”

Although the FCA’s target audience is Christian athletes, they welcome all to attend and get involved. 

“People should join the FCA even if [they]’re not an athlete or religious. It’s a welcoming environment to step into religion and see what you like and believe in. Everyone in FCA is nice, and we promote trying to be as inclusive and not judging,” Anderson said. “There are different levels of faith happening in the FCA, and I think it’s a great environment for people to connect through sports and religion.”