With great excitement we would like to invite you to our 2012 Annual Banquet to be held February 26, 2012 at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal at 1 pm.  Our invited guest is NFL Linebacker and University of Illinois Alumni, J Leman.  J is passionate about his faith, his family and football.  We are looking forward to hearing from him!

Our banquet is a celebration of the work God has done through the ministry, but it is also our opportunity to share the excitement with you for the future of FCA.  We take this time to thank all of our Home Team Supporters for their continued financial commitment to FCA.  It is also our opportunity to share the message of FCA with others who may wish to come alongside our ministry to support our work.

If you are currently a Home Team member, would you consider hosting a table and inviting some new friends who may be interested in joining our team?

If you’d like more information, please contact Cherie  at cfroelich@fca.org.   She would be happy to provide you with more information about becoming a Table Host or attending the event.

Congratulations!!

Last night at Normal Community High School over 30 students along with FCA staff and families came together to eat pizza, fellowship with one another, hear ISU Men’s golfer Parker Freiburg give an outstanding message and pack shoes boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Students sold Chomp Cards to raise money to purchase all the items that would be stuffed into the shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, an organization run by Samaritan’s Purse that distributes the boxes worldwide to poverty stricken countries.

Children will receive in their boxes toys, coloring books, yo-yos, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, washcloths, cars, headbands, candy, and games!

Once the boxes were packed, each student took time to fill out a letter to the child that would be included in each box.

We are proud to announce that we were able to fill 62 boxes!  That is 62 children who will receive the love of Christ in a shoebox this Christmas!  Thank you to everyone who participated and donated to this most worthy cause!

To conclude our Extravaganze, our student athletes were put to the test with crazy party games!  We had them in knots, running races, and freezing in crazy poses!

Our evening would not be complete without praying over the boxes we had filled and for the children who would receive them.

It was a great evening of fellowship, service and fun.  Thanks to all who participated!  You changed a child’s life today!

What difference has FCA made in your day to day life?

FCA, for me, more than just a way for me to grow in my faith, has become somewhat of a safe haven. I think that the atmosphere that FCA provides allows people to be refreshingly genuine, to the point where they don’t feel its necessary to hide who they are. And I think that just stems from how accepting the group is. So for me FCA is a stress reliever, a way to wind down after my day once a week and hang with people who have my best interest at heart. On the spiritual side, its presented me with the challenge of being a stronger Christian. It’s influenced me to read my bible every morning, to be conscience of the time I am giving to God (or not giving to God), and to be more of a witness for Christ.

What do you think is the most beneficial thing about FCA?

I think one of the most beneficial things about FCA is the fellowship. Obviously that is what the “F” stands for and that part of it is immeasurably important. Yes, people can no doubt grow in their faith on their own by reading their bible and staying in prayer.  but it truly adds another powerful element when these things are done within a dedicated community. I have certainly grown more because I have others who are growing with me.

Why would you encourage others to join an FCA? (Specifically those younger than you)

I would encourage people to join FCA because it provides this atmosphere that is unmatched in its unity and its honesty. It  provides this avenue to faith that impacts all areas of one’s life in such a positive way. It’s like gaining a family.

TPC-Sawgrass

Thanks to all who participated in the 2011 FCA Golf Scramble and congratulations to our 4 teams advancing to the FCA State Scramble on Monday September 26th.

This year’s FCA Golf Scramble will take place:

Monday, September 12th at El Paso Country Club.

Don’t miss your chance to qualify for the National FCA Scramble at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida. A team from the Bloomington-Normal Area has qualified the last 2 years and received this all expense paid trip.

12:00 PM Registration & Catered Lunch

12:45 PM Players’ Meeting

1:00 PM Shotgun Start

Dinner & Awards Immediately Following

Format: 4-Person Scramble

Entry Fees: $100 entry fee per player

Each golfer will receive:

• 18 holes of golf with cart
• Catered Lunch and Dinner
• FCA gifts and prizes
• An opportunity to win $10,000 cash (Hole-In-One prize)

Advancement to State Scramble Championship:

At least 2 teams (low gross and low net) will advance to the Illinois FCA State Scramble Championship this September.

Advancement to FCA National Championship:

State teams with the 2 lowest gross scores and the 2 lowest net scores will advance to the FCA National Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL on November 18-20, 2011.

For Questions or Registration Information please contact Jon Berry at jberry@fca.org or visit our Golf Scramble page

The Normal Cornbelter’s are offering a special ticket rate for anyone affiliated with the B-N Area FCA Ministry.

Box Seats usually priced at $11 will be available for $5. Some of our Power Campers will be watching the game from the Luxury Suite as they won the “Chomp Card” contest.

Please let us know if you are interested in ordering tickets. You can contact us at office@bnfca.org or at (309)-454-6920

THIS CAMP HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO LOW REGISTRATION
Please contact our office with any questions.

The FCA Campus Leadership Training Camp is designed to equip athletes & coaches to impact their school campuses for Jesus Christ.

This year we change venues from East Bay and head to the Timber Pointe Retreat center in Hudson, IL. It’s coming up quick, so check out the details and get registered!

WHEN: August 1st & 2nd, Mon. 10 a.m. – Tues. 12 p.m.

WHERE: Timber Pointe Retreat Center – Hudson, IL

Each campus with an FCA Huddle is required to have at least one student athlete leader at the training camp. However, we recommend that at least two athletes and one coach attend for maximum impact on your campus.

Training Camp Fees & Deadlines:

Athletes – $45.00*
Coaches – Free
*Campers can sell 3 “Chomp Cards” to cover the cost of their fee as well.

Enrollment Forms and Deposits are due Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Mail enrollment forms to:
Bloomington-Normal Area FCA
706 Oglesby Ave., Suite 112
Normal, IL 61761

Full details as well as enrollment forms can be found at the Leadership Training Camp page.

ATTENTION COACHES:
This camp will feature a Coach Specific Session from 3-6 PM on Monday including:

• The role of the Huddle Coach
• Getting the most out of your Huddle Leaders
• Coaches’ Round Table
• Have dinner with us!

Coaches can attend this for free!

Questions? Feel free to contact our office @309.454.6920

What is the value of the training you do every day in practice?  How efficiently could your perform on game day if you didn’t train well?  What are the rewards of such training?  Today’s scripture addresses these issues for all of life.

In the first letter to the Corinthian church, Paul the Apostle writes at chapter 9 and verses 24 and 25, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

Obviously you couldn’t perform well at all on game day if you didn’t discipline your mind, your body and your emotions.  You’ve had to exercise self-control over these things throughout your athletic career with respect to diet, running, weight training, studying video tape and more.  Expect it to pay off in today’s competition!  Win the crown!

What’s more, exercise discipline in the most important areas of life and you’ll find yourself winning championships that don’t fade in importance, collect dust on the shelf or diminish in value.

This is the latest in a series of weekly emails to my friends and colleagues around the world.  It is an excerpt from “Heart of a Champion – A Year-long devotional for the people of sport.”  It is available from www.crosstrainingpublishing.com or various on-line book sellers.

God bless,
Roger
Roger Lipe
Southern Illinois FCA
719 S. Giant City Road
Carbondale, IL  62901
618-559-2735
www.sifca.org

http://sportchaplainsportmentor.blogspot.com/

Today we’ll read one of my favorite scripture passages related to competition.  Every time I hear it, I want to play racquetball and wear somebody out.

Paul writes to the Corinthian church in his first letter at chapter 9 and verse 24 saying, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.”  I like that!

Let’s do three things he describes here:
1) Compete – determine to overcome your opponents.  Don’t give an inch to defeated attitudes.
2) Strive – drain every drop of potential from your abilities.  Go after your personal and team goals with all your heart.
3) Focus – Clear your mind of all distractions and train your mind on the ultimate goal… a championship.

In today’s competition; compete, strive and focus.  Run in such a way as to get the prize.

This is the latest in a series of weekly emails to my friends and colleagues around the world.  It is an excerpt from “Heart of a Champion – A Year-long devotional for the people of sport.”  It is available from www.crosstrainingpublishing.com or various on-line book sellers.

God bless,
Roger
Roger Lipe
Southern Illinois FCA
719 S. Giant City Road
Carbondale, IL  62901
618-559-2735
www.sifca.org

http://sportchaplainsportmentor.blogspot.com/