It's hard to believe, but my two oldest boys started school today! Can summer really be coming to a close so quickly? The obvious answer is, "yes," and I pray that you have stewarded your summer well. The Bible reminds us that we are just a mist, here for a moment and then gone (James 4:14). Thus, it should not surprise us that 3 months goes by in the blink of an eye. However, I need reminders like this to be sure that I'm not wasting a day. We have a mission to carry-out, and time is short! May we steward today and the rest of our 2014 season well -- intentionally, strategically, courageously, and faithfully making disciples. God bless you as you do this!

As with the summer, the last month has been a blur of blessings. As such, we're going to get right into some updates and celebrations. The first celebration is the announcement of our next EMI Retreat. EMI San Antonio is scheduled for October 24-26, and we'll be hosting it at a beautiful retreat center, Camp Eagle. I've said it many times, and I'll say it again... EMI Retreats are the most powerful thing FCA Endurance does to unite and equip Teammates for disciple making. You will be blessed and equipped through this experience, and this investment is well worth it. Registration opens today, and early registration discounts are available. Get signed-up today!

The next celebration I want to announce is FCA Endurance's new ten-day reading plan through YouVersion. We created this plan with two primary goals in mind. The first is to increase Bible distribution within the endurance community. God will do what only He can do through His Spirit and His Word.  As such, we are continually looking for ways to more effectively encourage the endurance community to read the Bible.

While we will continue to hand out physical Bibles (please see Bible Distribution Request), we realize that there is a HUGE and growing opportunity to help endurance athletes access the Bible electronically.  We made this plan available, praying that as athletes access it, they will download and read the Bible.  Whether this will be the first Bible they own or simply one they will actually read (because it's with them or they prefer it), we want to remove barriers and engage as many as possible.  Another plus... shipping is WAY cheaper this way. Who will give me an amen for good stewardship?

Secondly, we wanted to provide an endurance-specific plan that will encourage, challenge, and grow those who engage with it.  Yeah... basically, we want to help endurance athletes mature as disciples. We pray that the Lord will use this plan, along with their involvement in their local congregation and other spiritual disciplines, to mature the disciples (and disciple-makers) on our ministry team.
 

I've got one more update to share before we get into Huddle news. For the past few years, Peachtree City FCA staff member and Huddle Leader Mark Anderson has had the vision for a large-scale FCA Endurance event that would impact thousands for Christ. The Lord has continued to shape this vision and open doors, and we are excited to announce the 2015 FCA Endurance Multi Sport Weekend. This event will offer running, cycling, triathlon, paddling, mountain biking, swimming, and more. It will be held April 23-26 near Peachtree City, GA, and we would love to see you there! Check out the site for additional details and this link for some early discount codes.

Welcome New Huddles!

We are excited and thankful that the Lord called Craig Farmer of Columbia, SC and Jason Weems of Thomaston, GA to launch and lead huddles.  We look forward to seeing what the Lord can do through each of your ministries.  Thank you for your service to the Lord, and commitment to grow his Kingdom.

Huddle & Event Celebrations & Highlights: 

Auburn/Newcastle, California Huddle

The Auburn/Newcastle huddle participated in the Firecracker 5K Family Fun Run/Walk to benefit the local food closet. This is an annual event put on by huddle member, Karen Nickel. The event collects canned goods instead of entry fees from participants. What a great idea to show God's love! Thank you Karen for organizing, and to the entire Auburn/Newcastle huddle team!   

 Rocky Mount, North Carolina Huddle

The Rocky Mount huddle meets every other Tuesday evening. The group consists of walkers, runners, and occasionally the group participates in a bike ride together.  Presently, the group is studying Jesus's teachings from the sermon on the mount in Matthew. Studying the word together is a great way to grow closer as a team, and equip teammates to share the gospel with others. Thank you to huddle leader, Scott Edwards for your leadership and to the Rocky Mount huddle team!

Orlando, Florida Huddle

The Central Florida huddle raced at the Roy McConnell Believe Strong race. In conjunction with the race, the group held an Old Running Shoe/Old Race Shirt charity drive collecting items for the Bread of Life Ministry in Central Florida. The shoes collected will be used during a foot washing ceremony where they will wash the feet of the homeless and then provide them with a pair of shoes. The shirts will be distributed to those in need around the Central Florida area. An additional 300 Shirts was donated by the race organization Epic Sports Marketing.The Lords work was truly on display as race participant after race participant stopped by to drop off items! Thank you to huddle leader, Brandon Rousch and the rest of the Central Florida crew for your amazing work. The recipients of those items will truly be blessed!  

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Huddle    

The Sioux Falls huddle recently put on a 40K Time Trial for Cyclists in Crooks, SD. Funds raised through the event will benefit the local FCA Endurance Ministry. The group blessed the participants with a goodie bag, individual photos of the athletes racing, and fellowship following the race with food provided by local sponsors. Way to go team!

Littleton, Colorado Huddle

The Littleton huddle successfully organized the Iron Prayer at Ironman Boulder. Given short notice of the need, the huddle stepped up to make it happen. The group was encouraged by the 24 people in attendance, which were from all across the United States and Europe. Thank you to Jeremy Albright for organizing this event, huddle leader Brad Cooper, and the rest of the Littleton huddle teammates.

God is good!  

As we close, here a few additional items to highlight:

AMP Drive 2014: There is only a week and a half left in our ongoing AMP Drive! Over the next ten days we'll continue to celebrate those who are faithfully investing in our mission through giving away FCA Endurance gear and Hammer Nutrition Fuels. We would love to add you to this list of dedicated Teammates and Friends. Check-out our AMP Drive Page, and get enrolled. We've got much to accomplish, and your support goes a long way!

Ironman Louisville: For those racing in the Ironman Louisville; the Iron Prayer is scheduled for Saturday, August 23rd at 9:30am on the lawn near the swim exit (Joe's Crab Shack). We'd love to see you there!

Ironman Augusta 70.3: For those racing in the Augusta 70.3, we would love to get you plugged in to some ministry opportunities for this event!  Please rsvp through "The Body" event calendar, and contact Chris Anderson for more information.

104.7 The Fish Celebrate Freedom Run: The Peachtree City, GA huddle is looking for volunteers to serve at this 5K/10K road race in Marietta, GA on Saturday, August 30th at Jim R. Miller Park.  The race kicks-off the annual Celebrate Freedom Festival, which brings in awesome Christian artists to perform.  If you are interested in serving, please contact Mark Anderson.

God bless you as you finish this season strong!

For God's Glory,

~Team FCA Endurance~