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Just because it is summer doesn't mean ministry stops! In reality, much like the Kentucky weather, it actually heats up. This summer alone Central Kentucky FCA hosted/participated in nine camps and clinics locally! These, in addition to ongoing discipleship meetings, summer Bible studies, continued coach/athlete engagement, and planning for the upcoming school year, have made our summer slam-packed with growth, fellowship, and tons of fun. We are so grateful for the "off season" and how the Lord continues to work in new and different ways as we steward the summer. It is so evident that He is never "off" or done as we continue to see His overwhelming goodness flow through our ministry. Check out a few highlights revealing this from the past couple of
months below to see just we mean!
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Yes, that's right! "Camps," plural! As our resident wrestling expert and star staff member, Rusty Parks, has paved the way for Kentucky FCA Wrestling Camp over the past several years, it has grown so exponentially in popularity and success that this year we launched a second week of camp to accommodate more students. What an incredible "problem" to have! This year our two camps were hosted back-to-back at Asbury University and welcomed approximately 500 coaches and athletes traveling from multiple states to attend.The quality of this camp is always impressive, and 2025 was no different, even with the added dates. Clinicians teaching the students come from a National Champion background and Olympic sport competition level. College wrestlers serve as our Huddle Leaders, and students spend several days learning how to grow in their sport ,and more importantly, in their faith. Wrestling Camp features chapels and small-group Huddle times every day in addition to their sport-specific training. This year 70 people even gave their life to Christ! What an incredible praise! They might have come for the wrestling, but they left transformed by the gospel and saved by grace. This is why we do what we do! Sport is such a special way to connect with people that allows us to share Jesus with them, and we are so thankful that He has given us this lane to leverage for Him. Rusty worked so hard on this event, and his labor was not in vain.
We praise God for the fruit He produced, and we are so thankful
to Rusty for how he allows the Lord to use him. Hallelujah!
| | Basketball June Jam Events | | Last year we launched our first "June Jam" summer basketball scrimmage for teams around Central Kentucky, and it was such a hit that we decided to run it back this year! And it even grew! Not only did we host one in Fayette County, but our CKY South FCA office also put on a June Jam for students/schools in the greater Danville area. These one day sport-specific FCA functions are always so fun and a great way to bring athletes in the community together during their off season to play some basketball and let us love on them. During these events we get to provide the kids with snacks, an FCA T-shirt, a Bible, and more when they come to participate. They spend time playing against other teams, and in between games we get to share the Gospel and a short message/testimony with them. This year we had several FCA staff speak to the players. What a blessing it is for our staff to come alongside and serve one another by helping them in ministry even when it is not their school or area. We are so thankful for how our team leads and invests and love getting to see intentional gospel-centered events like this in the summer! | | |
After taking a brief break from meeting toward the end of the spring semester, our UK Multi-Sport Huddle jumps right back into gear and keeps going strong throughout the summer, continuing to meet every Monday night. Although the summers look a little bit different, they still provide a beautiful time of intentional fun/fellowship as well as time in the Word of God as led devotional-style by some of our students leaders or FCA staff. The summers always allows for a more intimate and laughter-filled environment, and we just simply love this time of the year and the relationships it brings. We even got to have our annual photo-scavenger hunt for the athletes
again this year, which is always a blast! Thank you, Father,
for the summer and these sweet memories!
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| Collegiate Summer Bible Studies | | For our collegiate athletes staying in Central Kentucky for their break, and the Lexington natives returning for summer from studying elsewhere, we intentionally provide summer Bible studies/opportunity for community (in addition to the summer Huddle). This enables college students from any school to gather during their off months and to stay rooted in the Word and continue to grow while school is out. The school diversity also allows for a sweet time of fellowship and connection with new friends and people outside of the athletes' typical circles, which is such a fun blessing! This year Tripp Corum hosted a collegiate men's study at his home weekly and Heather Summers led the women's one at her home with the same pattern. Aaron Hogue, Chaplain of the UK football team also continued to invest in a team study with the young men from UK football, even hosting them at his home during the break (as seen above). We are so thankful for these summer studies and all of the fruit they produce! This is just another way we try to steward this season! | | |
East Kentucky FCA Leadership Camp | Historically, the Kentucky FCA Leadership Camp has been our biggest event of the year, hosting recently upward of 900 campers at Western Kentucky University's campus during a week in the summer. As we have grown over time, we made the decision to introduce a second camp to allow more students to attend. This year was our launch of two leadership camps, and our east camp hosted right here locally at Asbury University had an incredible inaugural year! With approximately 200 students in addition to many FCA staff members from around the eastern part of the state, campus was buzzing as we kicked camp off right after the Fourth of July. Our few days together were spent in worship, growing in small group Huddles run by college athlete volunteers, going on a prayer walk around Wilmore, awesome teachings on our 2025 ministry theme circled around the glory of God, and of course--so many sports, games, and friendly competitions! This intimate take on what we have known to be so good and fruitful was just as incredible, and we are so thankful that the Lord showed us His favor in this move! We even saw 8 students give their lives to Christ for the first time! Hallelujah! The ministry that happens at summer camps is so powerful, and we absolutely love getting to witness it. To God be the glory indeed! | |
Much like our June Jams in the summer, 7v7 is a one-day football scrimmage event hosted in partnership with local Central Kentucky schools. This year we hosted two 7v7s as well, one in Fayette County and one in the greater Danville area, allowing us to reach more athletes. This event follows the pattern of June Jam and provides time for teams to play each other before we have a time of gospel presentation and speaking. This is another great touch point from our ministry to our coaches and athletes as we serve them in their specific sport lane, intentionally sharing with them our love of football and more importantly, our love of Jesus and His for them. We were blessed to be able to distribute Bibles to participants here as well
and all-in-all had a really fun time! Until next year!
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In FCA's international initiative, the state of Kentucky is paired with East Africa, but more specifically, Egypt. Having developed ministry partners and relationships in the country over time, we have had the great privilege to send mission trip teams over to partner and serve with them in the last few years. This summer, one of the July trips to Cairo was led by our very own Jaci Babbs and was comprised of four FCA staff members and four UK FCA athletes! During their week there, the group helped host two sport days, one of which was with Sudanese refugees. Our ministry partner informed us when we got back home that 50+ individuals made the decision to follow Christ as a result of these sport days! What a praise! In addition to these clinics, they helped lead a multiple-day, leadership camp-style training with CRU staff and volunteers from all over the nation. The ministry training camp was a blessing as our team got the opportunity to invest in and equip other believers by teaching on FCA core values and practical ministry skills/topics like sharing your testimony, discipleship multiplication, E3, etc. It was such a gift to have some of our athletes serve in this capacity and to watch them grow as they stepped out of their comfort zones to share their faith in a new culture. They also got to lead several of the teachings, which was an awesome experience for them and us to witness!
We thank God for what He is doing in the Middle East
and for allowing us to play a small part in it!
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His work is never done, and He keeps showing up for His children in new and exciting ways. We thank You for Your many good gifts, Father! Help us to steward them and the mist of life You have given us well. Help us to joyfully serve as an encouragement to others, always pointing them back to You. Amen! | |
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
(1 Thessalonians 5:11)
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