Fall 2013

Fall/Winter 2013
Jackrabbit FCA Update
Using Your Platform – Zach Zenner
Hometown: Egan, MN
Major: Pre Medicine/Biology.
FCA Involvement: I got involved with FCA when I came to
SDSU. I got to college and was
invited by a teammate, and it’s
grown from there. As my faith
has become my own it’s been a
huge blessing to me.
What do you like best about
SDSU and Brookings: It’s
small but it’s big… The opportunities I’ve had here in terms of
both academics and athletics is
unbelievable. There is no way I
would have had the same opportunities elsewhere. The church
community in Brookings is unbelievable.
How does your faith help you
balance the pressures of being a
student athlete?: It’s Huge definitely, it goes back to identity,
we’ve talked about it a lot at
FCA– our identity is not in what
you do, in tests, or on the field,
it’s in Christ, and knowing I am
perfect in His sight. A lot of that
other stuff is superficial. It allows you to relax, and not focus
so much on performance or a
win or a loss. It’s all part of His
plan, all I have to do is accept it.
A perfect example. I fumbled
against USD. Could I have done
anything differently? No. I had
Josh Ranek, Zach Zenner and T.J. Carlson
after chapel before this season’s UNI Game.
two hands on the ball. The guy
made a nice play. The next play
my defensive teammate Winston
Wright gets the first “picksix” (interception returned for a
touchdown) of his career. It was
a perfect moment for that to happen, it wasn’t like we were up by
20, the game wasn’t over. It was
destined to be that way, there is
no other way to describe that.
The FCA theme this year was
Relentless, and you were Huddle Leader at our Power Camp
we did here in Brookings. To
you what does it mean to be Relentless? To relentlessly pursue
Christ is to do everything you
do, full out– full go, with Christ
in mind.
“But we are not those who draw
back and are destroyed, but
those who have faith and obtain
life” -Hebrews 10:39
www.JackrabbitFCA.com
Would you consider a
year-end tax deductible
gift to help our ministry
end the year well on
sound financial ground?
Our local FCA is fully
supported by partners
like you (individuals/
businesses/churches).
Your generosity allows
us to minister to SDSU
and the Brookings area.
Please find an enclosed
envelope.
You can also make a gift
(one time or join our
monthly support team)
online at:
www.JackrabittFCA.com/donate
Every platform is important in
God’s eyes. Make the most of yours.
“You’ve been entrusted with a unique
set of circumstances, relationships,
and opportunities. No one else stands
precisely where you do. Your day-today relationships elevate you to a
singular position of importance in the
lives of your family, friends, coworkers, teammates, and neighbors– the
people all around you. They believe in
you and derive value from your input.
No one else can have the same impact
in their lives.”
Page 2
Jackrabbit FCA Update
Inside Story
As we end 2013 I want to celebrate what God has done and is doing through
FCA at SDSU and Brookings.
Currently we have over 130 student-athletes that attend our weekly FCA Huddle at State (almost 1/3 of all our student-athletes at SDSU!), several peerled team Bible studies as well as two weekly coaches Bible studies and our
pregame chapel services. We also distribute Bibles and FCA devotionals to
athletes and coaches.
We are excited about the rapid growth FCA has seen happen over the past 2
½ years in our Brookings area and at SDSU. We have an FCA presence at
Brookings High & Middle Schools, as well as at Arlington, Colman-Egan, Deubrook, Elkton, Flandreau and Sioux Valley and at SDSU. Through student led
“Huddles”, coaches Huddles, chaplain services, character coaching, counseling and resource distribution our campus ministry has seen the largest
growth. This past summer we developed a multi-sport camp for kids, using
the coaches and athletes we’ve served- to lead the camp, our first ever “FCA
Power Camp” impacted more than 100 kids. We desire to make many more
camp opportunities available to our community going forward.
The Champions Room packed out on a Wednesday night, at
one of our FCA Huddles at SDSU.
As excited as we are about the growth we’ve experienced, we do not want to
remain idle. It’s become obvious that we need to seize on the momentum we
have and continue to grow and develop FCA in our area, and to do that we are
asking for Teammates, like your self to consider investing in the work of FCA
as the year ends. As I’m sure you’re aware, FCA is a faith-funded ministry- all
our staffing, resources and events are all financially covered by donors who
believe in, and invest in our ministry to athletes and coaches. FCA is not funded nationally nor by the schools, we are completely funded by local individuals, businesses and churches who join our Team and who invest in the life
changing ministry of FCA.
The explosion of growth we’ve seen in ministering to the campus has been
tremendous, but has also put a strain on our time and budget as the opportunities to minister continue to exponentially present themselves. For your
convenience we’ve enclosed a donor envelope , please consider a year-end
tax deductible gift to our local FCA ministry.
On behalf of Kristy, Noah & Sidney we appreciate your support, and the prayers you offer for us, as we serve our coaches, campuses and community.
-T.J.
FCA Values
Zach Zenner with his Huddle at FCA Power Camp this past
summer.
Page 3
Jackrabbit FCA Update
We hope you had a great Thanksgiving! For the 2nd year in a row we were blessed
to spend Thanksgiving evening with the Jackrabbit Football family. As they prepared for their 1st Round Playoff game at Northern Arizona the Jacks were in
Brookings, and away from their homes. Several “friends of FCA” donated food
items and financial gifts and helped serve to make this meal possible for the players,
coaches and coaches’ families.
Please support our community partners as a way of saying “thanks” for their support of FCA.
www.stoneybrooksuites.com
www.brookingsunitedway.org
www.bankeasy.com
www.bracesbymeyer.com
www.millsproperty.com
697-3175
692-3663
www.wisemandental.com
692-9555
Ron Borchardt
Realtor
690-1999
borchardt@brookingshomes.com
697-3100
Contact TJ for more information or questions about FCA
605.651.3592 or tcarlson@fca.org
Jackrabbit FCA Update
Page 4
Closing Thought
Your Support Makes A Difference!
John Wooden, the legendary
basketball coach who led UCLA to
10 NCAA National Championships,
spent every off-season focused on
learning a specific aspect of the
game from those he considered to
be the best in that area. He became the most successful collegiate coach by recognizing there
was a lot he didn’t know and that
improvement could be gained by
gleaning wisdom from experts in
each facet of the game.
When the Bible speaks of wisdom,
it’s referring to God’s perspective.
James says that God’s perspective
starts with recognizing we need it.
See the sarcasm in “if anyone of
you lacks wisdom”? Clearly, we
each lack wisdom. To gain wisdom,
we must acknowledge that we don’t
have all the answers, that we don’t
even have all the questions.
Regardless of our wins and losses,
experience, giftedness or
circumstances, God’s perspective
is best. The great news is that
when we realize our need for God’s
perspective on our game, our
relationships, our circumstances
and our lives, we simply need to
ask. Not for God to fill our
prescriptions for problem solving
our problems, but for Him to show
us how to receive more of His
wisdom. We are not asked to jump
through hoops or meet minimal
requirements. God knows that
when we see the gap between our
lives and His will, the Holy Spirit will
provide the wisdom we need to
change.
“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he
should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it
will be given to him”. – James 1:5
Our Team
Bible Study
gave us an
opportunity to
talk to each
other about
our faith and
helped me
have a more
personal
relationship
with God. It also allowed us to get to
know each other even more.”
-Nate Wolters, former Jackrabbit
Men’s Basketball Standout
FCA Vision: To see the world impacted for Jesus Christ,
through the influence of coaches and athletes.
306 Hickory Street
Brookings, SD 57006
(605)-651-3592
www.JackrabbitFCA.org
Facebook.com/JackrabbitFCA
@JackrabbitFCA