About 1,300 student-athletes from ages 13-18 spent four days on Liberty University’s campus as part of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ regional Competitors Camp in late June and early July.
While campers received coaching and skills training in one or more of the 25 sport options, they were also impacted by Christ-centered messages about integrating faith into athletics.
As a result, more than 300 campers made either a first-time commitment or recommitment to Christ during the week.
This was the first time FCA, which utilized many of Liberty’s athletic, community, and dining facilities throughout the week, has partnered with Liberty to host the camp. Nick Richmond, FCA’s Mid-Atlantic regional director of ministry advancement, said Liberty’s venues and staff made the camp “the smoothest program that we’ve ever had.”
The camp’s chapel services were held in the Vines Center.
“Working with the different departments at Liberty — the event staff, dining hall staff, athletic staff — really set apart the experience from anywhere else,” he said. “All of our kids got to compete in really top-class athletic venues. Being able to utilize places like the (Liberty Indoor Track Complex), football facilities, and Liberty Baseball Stadium was second-to-none in terms of camper experience. They were getting a taste of what (NCAA) Division I athletics has to offer at a place that’s also excellent in its Christian mission.”
Richmond said in addition to the 300-plus campers who committed to Christ, hundreds more in attendance (including adults) felt a call to ministry.
Campers traveled to Lynchburg from across the country, including from states as far away as Maine, Florida, and Oregon. Campers from four overseas countries — Spain, Malaysia, China, and Singapore — were also participating.
Liberty and FCA are both driven by the desire to train Christian young people to excel in their chosen field while giving God glory, and Richmond said that’s what makes the partnership for the camp a good match.
“Our vision is to see the world transformed by the influence of coaches and athletes, and our mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church,” Richmond said. “We look at a whole person and want to develop whole athletes, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though the words are different in how we at FCA say it, FCA and Liberty have the same mission, which is ultimately the Great Commission.”
“One of the reasons why we wanted a partnership at Liberty was that for many of our campers, this is their first experience on a college campus, and we’ve seen campers end up going to the schools where we’ve had camp,” he added. “We want kids to come to Liberty if they choose. This is a comfortable place where not only can they land here and be safe, but they can grow and be trained up to be Champions for Christ in whatever field they end up going into, including the opportunities to be student-athletes.”
By the end of the summer, Liberty’s campus will have hosted 75 camps this year, with over 8,000 campers having visited Liberty Mountain. Most of the camps have been led by Liberty athletic and academic programs, but the university has also hosted external groups, such as the MasterWorks Festival, Lifeway FUGE Camps, and the Teach Them Diligently homeschooling convention.
Credit: Ryan Klinker – Office of Communications & Public Engagement: Liberty University
