Created to Be: Connected

Another school year is starting at MSU Athletics, and we are enthusiastic about the direction that the Lord has for us! As Justin and I met to discuss the coming semester, we felt led to focus on the life and teachings of Jesus, as emphasized by Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:8-9 – always remembering and focusing on the Good News that Jesus was raised from the dead. We decided that day that we would explore the life and teachings of Jesus in the New Testament this fall. That same day, I came across a little booklet in the park's Little Library box that compiled the story of Jesus and His teachings. I could not believe it! Upon discovering that we could request these booklets for the athletes, we knew it was the right direction to concentrate our time, conversations, messages, and energy on the life and teachings of Jesus this fall.

At our first huddle yesterday, Justin introduced the theme "Created to Be: Connected," teaching about the connection we were meant to have with the Father, Son, and Spirit. This connection was lost in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus restored it through His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus is THE connection. We can live connected to God, self, and others because of Jesus. 

We believe that we were originally designed for connection, and we want these athletes and coaches to discover, or perhaps rediscover, their design in Him. 

We are looking forward to the semester ahead and can't wait to share testimonies with you!

Bethany Pigott

MSU FCA Campus Rep/Student Leadership

New Year, New Staff

We are so blessed to have an incredible FCA staff team at MSU! This year, we have added three new staff to our team! Meet them below!

Darius Brown

Men's Basketball Chaplain

Darius joins our team this year to continue the great work Tyson started with the men's basketball team. As an MSU grad himself, Darius loves MSU Athletics and walking alongside students as they pursue Christ and grow in their faith. We cannot wait to see how God continues to grow the ministry to men's basketball through Darius!

Mary Ashley Culpepper

MSU FCA Intern

Mary Ashley joins our team this year to serve as the social media intern. Mary Ashley played soccer at Meridian Community College where she was very involved with FCA. She brings fresh ideas and new energy to our team! We are excited to see how God will move through her as she shares the story of MSU FCA on our online platforms.

Jason Stoker

Campus Ambassador

Jason joins our team this year to serve the golf and tennis teams, as well as help with our relationships with churches and fundraising efforts. He is a career entrepreneur and has been a resident of Starkville for many years. With his experience in business and relational networks, he will help our team connect the story of MSU FCA with more people. He has a heart to walk alongside students to grow in their relationship with Jesus and has a gift to teach, which makes him a perfect fit for our team.

Summer Story

Athlete Spotlight: Becca Walk

I was asked in May by two friends from back home to volunteer as a counselor at Camp RapaHope, a nonprofit camp for children who have been diagnosed with cancer. I had taken just about the last 6 months off of volleyball because of an injury and was home for the majority of May and June, so I thought this would be an awesome experience to get to be a part of. I had no clue how much this experience would change my perspective on my entire life. One of the campers in my cabin had just been diagnosed with cancer a few months prior. She would leave camp each morning to receive chemotherapy and radiation at the hospital, then would join us for activities the rest of the day. She was sick and exhausted from everything she was going through, but every day when she got to come back to camp with us, she had the biggest smile on her face and the best attitude. I knew God was working so closely with every single person at this camp. He was walking step by step with every single camper who was suffering from cancer treatment or the effects that it had left on their lives. But He was also working in me. I found so much joy in pouring into these girls that I had met in such a short amount of time but I heard Him constantly reminding me of His faithfulness to every child there as well as to myself. Now that I am back at school working towards my final volleyball season, I think about these kids who didn’t have a choice but to have faith in the way God was laying down their path. This experience gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to truly trust in God’s plan for my life and to walk with joy in the truth that He will never fail me each and every day, even when the path in front of me looks different than what I desired originally.

Becca Walk

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