Faith based groups merge
The University of Indianapolis’ Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action recently merged to form one group, now called FCA/AIA. The groups merged after winter break because of their similar goals of fellowship among athletes, according to FCA/AIA President junior Haley Miller.
“The goal of the group is to provide a place where student-athletes can learn about Christ and share their faith openly among believers,” Miller said.
According to FCA/AIA Secretary Libby Anderl, FCA/AIA “equips, empowers and encourages people to make a difference for Christ.”
Miller said that athletes need to have a support group grounded in faith, because Christian athletes share a love for sports, as well as Christ.
“Fellowship is about being in community with people who share common interests and become a part of each other’s lives. For FCA, this means that fellowship is coming together because we love Christ, and we share the same mission field, which is our sport,” Miller said.
Anderl said that while UIndy has plenty of faith-based organizations, not many reach out to the population of student-athletes. Currently, FCA/AIA’s attendees have been mostly from the track and women’s soccer teams, but Anderl and Miller hope to reach out to a wider range of student-athletes from different sports.
According to Miller, FCA/AIA supports student-athletes playing “for Christ’s glory,” a task that she said can be challenging in collegiate athletics, especially given the emphasis on winning.
“In today’s culture, playing sports is about winning games, winning awards, being recognized and being the best,” Miller said. “Ultimately that glory is self-centered and quickly fades.”
Although the group is designed with student-athletes in mind, Anderl said that all students are welcome and encouraged to attend.
“[FCA/AIA] is for all students desiring to positively influence the world of Jesus Christ. Therefore, membership is open to all students,” Anderl said.
Anderl said that she hopes FCA/AIA will help heal the disconnect that often occurs between student-athletes and the general student population.
Each FCA/AIA meeting is centered around fellowship. Meetings typically open with prayer, and then a student-athlete leads a Bible study and discussion before ending in prayer.
In addition to fostering fellowship, FCA/AIA also has service projects underway. On March 3, the group plans to volunteer in downtown Indianapolis with Andy’s Project, an organization that provides hot meals, clothes, Bibles and conversation for homeless individuals. Miller said FCA/AIA also wants to organize a banquet to give back to the surrounding community, but this project is still in the planning stage.
Miller emphasized the importance of serving others in addition to FCA/AIA’s weekly fellowship gatherings.
“It’s important to engage in service because that’s what Christ calls us to do,” Miller said.“Faith without works is dead. We have to put our faith into action to show Christ’s love.”
FCA/AIA meets for approximately an hour on Sundays at 8 p.m. in the ARC Wells Fargo Room. All students are welcome, including students not involved in UIndy athletics. For more information on FCA/AIA, students can contact Libby Anderl at anderle@uindy.edu or Haley Miller at millerhb@uindy.edu.
