“The FCA has had a greater impact on me than any other ministry in my life!” – Dr. Randy Peck

fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:2)

Are you willing to pray for favor for the FCA for one week? One month?

As mentioned in my devotional on November 20, November 18 was the best day of 2008 for me. One of my highlights for that day was attending the annual FCA Fundraising banquet in Fredericksburg VA. During that banquet, God rekindled the fire in my heart to bless the FCA and teens, especially in Culpeper and Virginia.

The banquet room at the Holiday Inn Express in Central Park was full with about 400 people. Julia and I were blessed to be seated at a table near the stage where the speakers were, so I was able to get some good photos. We were also blessed to be seated with Randi Jones (the area rep for the Prince William area, which includes Culpeper), Larry Dix (an FCA Board member), and David Davies (VP of Stewardship and Gift Planning from the national FCA office).

One of the things that impressed me the most was what God is doing at Mountain View High School in Stafford County, VA. A group of 5 students from that school came on stage to play and sing an awesome worship song for the entire audience. That is something they do every Wednesday morning at school. Wow! Then two other students from Mountain View shared what the FCA has meant to them. One of the head football coaches shared his perspective.

But what struck me the most was the foundation for all the Kingdom successes at Mountain View, namely intercessory prayer. A mother of a Mountain View student shared her story of how God took a family disaster and turned it around for His glory. She told how her son was so rebellious and making horrible choices in 9th grade that were going to take him out.

That drove this lady to her knees. She had never understood the power of prayer before that. As a result of her prayers, God connected her to a lady who connected her to the head football coach at Mountain View. That coach ministered to her son on the football team. Eventually her son committed his life to Christ and now he’s serving the LORD.

One of the first things this lady did to break through was ask for the email addresses of all the parents of the football players. She then sent an email asking for volunteers to pray for the team. While she received several unfriendly replies, 4 other people stepped forward to pray. Now that intercessory team has grown to about 60 people.

Imagine what’s possible if a few parents in every school in America do something similar – form their own intercessory teams.

The keynote speaker for the evening was Bob Jones, a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He played 4 years in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and 8 years for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was named to the All-Defensive Team first team for 10 of his 12 season. He received the John Wooden Award in 2005, recognizing him for his character and contributions both on and off the court.

As I was soaking in the wonders of God during this FCA banquet, I was reminded that the FCA had a greater impact on me than any other ministry in my life. Being exposed to the FCA Bible in the Fall of 2001 led me to start the habit of daily journaling on January 1, 2002. Journaling eventually evolved to become the lead domino for my life. Several times I have had Jesus tell me, “Coaching people to journal to hear Me is your sweet spot.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You for the FCA and the blessing that wonderful organization has been to me personally as well as to my family and our local community. Thank You for Kerry O’Neill and his godly leadership as the Director of the Fredericksburg Area FCA. Grant Kerry and the FCA UNCOMMON favor with You and man to soar to new heights for Jesus! Show them how to harness the power of the web to communicate their messages and allow students to share their God stories with the world. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Photos from the FCA banquet on Nov 18, 2008

Blessings to the FCA students, staff, and volunteers to soar to new heights for Jesus!