January 2014
Relentless Love: God pursues me
Relentless Devotion: I pursue Jesus
Relentless Freedom: I pursue life
Relentless Mission: I pursue others
Celebrating Sixty Years… and Counting
1954 -2014
“The question often asked is FCA as needed or relevant today as it was back then, and I would say more so. FCA is God’s amazing,
miraculous dream being fulfilled still to this day, and the question is can we continue? Can FCA continue? …to be Christ-centered and
see that cross and not get caught up in the instruments of the sport world that may go whatever way and lead people whatever direction,
pro or con, positive or negative, which is the world in reality. Sin is real. The life of Christ is real.”
- Don McClanen, FCA Founder
FCA History
It started with some old magazine clippings crammed in a dresser drawer of well-known Christian athletes, a practice a
young Oklahoma basketball coach named Don McClanen continued for several years. He began wondering, if athletes
can endorse shaving cream, razor blades and cigarettes, surely they can endorse the Lord. He wrote letters to the men
featured in those old clippings. Of the 19 men who McClanen reached out to, 14 replied that they were interested!
One of the men who did not respond was Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Branch Rickey, who had gained fame for
inventing baseball’s affiliated minor league system while running the St. Louis Cardinals organization and knocking
down the game’s color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization.
McClanen tried enthusiastically to get a meeting with Rickey, because he sensed that Rickey could be an important cog
in the future of FCA. Finally, McClanen was told by Rickey’s secretary that if McClanen wanted to drive to Pittsburgh
for the possibility of a five-minute meeting with Rickey, that he wouldn’t stop him.
On an August day in 1954, after mortgaging his own car in order to pay the extra expenses to travel and meet several of
the men who expressed interest in his idea, McClanen got his five-minute meeting with Branch Rickey. It lasted five
hours. After talking, Rickey was on board. “This thing has the potential of changing the youth scene of America within
a decade. It is pregnant with potential. It is just ingenious. It’s a new thing, where has it been?” he said.
Rickey then led McClanen to another Pittsburgh businessman, Paul Benedum. Within a year, Benedum put the
organization on stable ground with a $10,000 donation. After seven long years of prayer and perseverance, and three
months after McClanen’s meeting with Rickey, on November 10, 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes was
chartered in Oklahoma and McClanen’s dream turned into a movement that has lasted 60 years… and counting.
---Check out fca.org through 2014 for throwback stories, photos, videos and quotes about FCA and from those involved with the ministry since 1954.
“One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4 HCSB
FCA Upcoming Events
 Sunday, January 12th – “Middle School Gathering” 5-7 pm @ Faith Family Baptist
Church (see below)
 Friday-Sunday, Feb. 7-9th “Weekend of Champions” Junior High Retreat @ Huntsville’s
Carolina Creek Christian Camp (see page 4)
 Monday, February 24th – Southwest Regional Golf Marathon @ La Torretta Lake Resort
on Lake Conroe
 Monday, March 31st- Bruce Matthews Golf Classic @ Houston Oaks Country Club (see
below)
SUMMER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL
FCA ACTIVITY NIGHT
Monday, November 18th 6:30-8pm
Fun – Dodge ball
Food – Physical; Pizza
Food -Spiritual; Message- Brandon Bales – NEHBC
Fellowship – FCA Huddle Meeting
Family – Prayer Partners
“But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain
life.” Hebrews 10:39
Junior High Retreat
February 7th-9th, 2014
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COME- Join us for a Weekend of Faith, Fun, & Fellowship!
Check out the 2011 Camp Video!!!
COST- $75…includes camp t-shirt and a “Relentless” FCA Bible
TRANSPORTATION-: You are responsible for your own transportation to and from
camp… Arrange with your school FCA/and or parents –
Carolina Creek Christian Camp
84 Wimberly Lane
Huntsville, TX 77320
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH - Arrive- camp registration 6:30-7:30pm The program officially
begins at 8:00pm. (Please Note: Students should eat dinner before arriving as the snacks will be the only
food we are providing Friday
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY
9TH - Departure- 10:45am –Parents we encourage you to come early on Sunday morning and
join us for the Sunday Team Meeting @ approx. 10am. Please arrive no later than 10:30am
as students will be packed and ready to go at approx. 10:45am.
night.)
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WEEKEND OF CHAMPIONS- Featuring: Camp Speaker- Brandon Bales;
Camp Musician- Ryan Wesley Band
PRE REGISTRATION: Click Here to register online!
Click Here for CCCC Medical Waiver
Click Here for FCA Waiver (pg2-3 only)
Relentless Love: God pursues me
Relentless Devotion: I pursue Jesus
Relentless Freedom: I pursue life
Relentless Mission: I pursue others
FCA began its initial partnership with AIM in 2013. With 2014 upon us let’s
begin collecting new and used sports equipment to send to the Dominican
Republic this summer. We will collect all sports equipment at our Annual East
Houston FCA Banquet in May. Let’s work to “fill up the trailer!!!” Due to our
efforts last spring, two Kingwood Park students went on the AIM Mission trip all
expenses paid! Let’s send more equipment, students, & coaches this summer!!!!
Update:
Fields of Faith 2013
Communities gathered under the stadium lights from New Jersey to Florida, California to
Texas, from North Dakota to Louisiana. The entire country was covered with impact
students challenging their peers to seek God through His Word and to accept Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior!
The eternal impact was immense. There were 463 fields and over 170,000 attended
Fields of Faith! Of those, Field Organizers reported 5,397 commitments to Christ, 7,921
recommitments to Christ, and 9,834 commitments to read the Bible. God has used Fields
of Faith to impact over one million people since it first began in 2004.
East Houston FCA
Prayer Ministry
East Houston FCA
Prayer Ministry…Please
send any specific prayer
requests to
[email protected] and
I will forward them to
the prayer team. In
addition, let me know if
you are interested in
joining the prayer team.
Would you like to see
more Coaches and
Athletes come to Christ
through FCA? Please
prayerfully consider
joining the East Houston
FCA Home Team…to
donate to FCA visit
FCA.org, myFCA.org, or
HoustonFCA.org
Dennis (Denny) Schwartz
East Houston Area Director
3610 W. Lake Houston Pkwy
Kingwood, TX 77339
(832) 877-8379
[email protected]
www.houstonfca.org
UNVEILING….
2014 FCA CAMP THEME
“And whatever you do,
in word or in deed, do
everything in the name
of the Lord Jesus,
Giving thanks to God
the Father through
Him.”
Colossians 3:17 HCSB