On Monday nights just before 8:00 pm you can expect to see the front doors held wide open, along with welcoming words and smiles. Fellowship of Christian Athletes, commonly referred to as FCA, meets in the ADM Middle School teacher’s lounge every Monday (except when there is no school) from 8:00-9:00 pm.

Before 8 the room is already crowded and as the clock hits 8, an adult sponsor starts a slow clap to grab everyone’s attention, and the clap grows to the whole room. Then students stand to represent each in-season sport and activity to share updates for the sports and activities report. Although the group has “athletes” in its name, everyone there will be quick to say that anyone is invited, no matter what they are involved in.

“I like seeing how many people come each week because each week this year, so far we’ve been getting more and more people. And so it’s really cool to see that and see all these people, who are athletes or just anybody from the school, come to hear more about God,” said Callie Moyer, a part of the FCA leadership team. 

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is not a new activity at ADM, and adult sponsor, Kurt Moyer, is not new to this group either. FCA started in Adel in the mid-1900s by boys basketball coach, Conrad Githens, not long after it began nationally. Moyer’s father took over FCA after Githens, and now he became an adult leader because he “felt [it was] a calling that God wanted for [him].”

His wife, Heather Moyer also said, “He loves kids and he loves Jesus. He’s very passionate about it.” The sponsors’ job stems from just that, organizing the meetings to keep FCA going as a place where high school students can go to hear, learn, and talk about God. This year the sponsors are Kurt and Heather Moyer, Jeremy and Sarah Schwertfeger, and Bart Mueller.

Involvement in FCA runs in the Moyer family. Kurt Moyer’s older son and daughter were leaders when they were in high school, and daughter Callie Moyer is currently a member of the leadership team.

The student leadership team has a large impact on FCA. Each of the 11 students leads a small group every week, and although Kurt Moyer says they are not as vocal as leaders compared to previous years, he is excited about this quiet group of leaders and everything they do and are going to do this year. The team is Callie Moyer, Josi Dufoe, Makayla Crannell, Alexis Nemechek, Nicole Storck, Tess Kenny, Brevin Doll, Cade Morse, Vincent Benetti, Tom Hook, and Brayden Rynearson.  

There are a lot of things to look forward to each week and throughout the year ahead. A favorite part of the night for everyone is the snacks. “Free food,” first timer, freshman Haley Nelson said, was one of her favorite parts about FCA.

Games also get all the athletes and the non-athletes involved and up and moving before they settle back down in their seats to listen to a speaker or watch a topic video.

After the large group time, the kids are released to small group time to talk with each other about questions prepared by the speaker, sponsor, or leadership team. Everyone heads back into the teacher’s lounge to wrap up before the head count and they head home.

Nelson said she enjoyed FCA and the large group time because she thought FCA would be more serious than it was and she liked how people jumped in to talk.

Callie Moyer said the leadership team has “a lot of good speakers lined up” and “some fun things planned, like outside of Monday nights, we have like, we had a bonfire, and I think we are trying to plan some things in the gym and stuff.”

When they were asked about FCA activities outside of Monday nights, Kurt Moyer mentioned FCA had gone to their church in the past for a speaker, and Heather Moyer added that this year they were talking about going to Meals From the Heartland.

Callie Moyer said personally she was looking forward to seeing how the number of people going to FCA could grow this year. So far, the number of people has increased every week and hit in the 70s. FCA’s Instagram, run by Josi Dufoe, is a way they get the word out, but inviting friends is another way word spreads about FCA. Heather Moyer said they have been seeing new kids from the freshman football team, who are looking up to the upperclassman. 

Students are encouraged to come “just come for a good time,” and to “listen and get some free food,” says Callie Moyer. FCA gathers because it “makes a difference” when students talk to other students about Jesus Christ, says Kurt Moyer.

Kurt takes time out of his week to be at FCA, “Because the most important thing in somebody’s life is Jesus. And if you follow Jesus at an early age, you are more likely to follow Jesus your whole life. And somebody that doesn’t hear about Jesus until they’re older, it’s harder, you know, you get old, you get set in your ways, even if you’re not old old. And I believe that if you know about, hear about Jesus, even if you don’t have a personal relationship [with Him] at an early age, if that’s spoken into students’ brains, and their hearts right now then it’s going to stick… it’s going to come back in their life at some point if it doesn’t stick now.”

Heather summed it up as, “Seeds are planted.”