Greene Publishing, Inc.

Submitted by Steve McHargue

FCA Director

Students from Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton, Taylor, Suwannee, Lafayette, and Dixie County schools  will be joining thousands of other youth on athletic fields all across America on Wednesday, October 12,  to share their Christian faith with fellow students during the sixth annual national Fields of Faith event. This rapidly-growing, interdenominational outreach event will be held at more than 475 locations throughout the nation on this same date.

While many Christian rallies are anchored to an entertainer or professional speaker that creates a spectator event, Fields of Faith is structured as a student-to-student ministry movement. Peers invite their own classmates and teammates to meet on their school’s athletic field to hear fellow students share their testimonies, challenge them to read the Bible and to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

I love this event! When I first heard about Fields of Faith at our national staff training I knew immediately this would work in our North Florida area. (Steve McHargue area FCA representative.)

This will be the second Fields of Faith event for our North Florida schools.  Last year, approximately 2,550 students and supporters attended in these seven counties.

The national growth of Fields of Faith has been remarkable. Since the beginning of Fields of Faith in 2004, over half a million students have joined in the movement. In 2010 alone, more than 150,000 students gathered on 475 fields across 40 states to participate in the event.

It’s not just those numbers that have FCA organizers excited about Fields of Faith. It’s the real-life impact that these gatherings are having on young people. Last year’s series of events saw 3,568 students make first-time faith commitments to follow Jesus Christ, 5,290 recommitted their life to Christ and 12,786 committed to reading the Bible daily.

“The impact of Fields of Faith has been incredible in just these past few years,” said Les Steckel, FCA president and former veteran NFL coach. “It’s all about young people in these communities coming together on their school’s athletic field and challenging each other to go back to the fundamentals of reading God’s Word and coming to faith in Jesus Christ.”

The impetus for Fields of Faith began with Jeff Martin, an FCA staff person, who conceived the idea from an Old Testament reference in 2 Chronicles 34 after searching how to help today’s generation of students face spiritual battles and temptations. In the scripture, King Josiah, an influential teenager very similar to Fields of Faith attendees today, gathered his people and challenged them to read the Bible. As a result, they changed their culture.

In 2004, the Josiah-influenced dream came true when 6,000 students gathered on school athletic fields throughout three states for the first Fields of Faith event. That was the beginning of what has become one of the most significant faith-related gathering of students in a single day.

“Fields of Faith challenges this generation to be committed to reading the Bible and living a transformed life for Jesus Christ,” said Martin. “It’s students challenging students, peers challenging peers and that’s the heart and soul of Fields of Faith. We are seeing entire communities changed because of Fields of Faith.”

While Fields of Faith has its roots with FCA leadership, the event is designed to include multiple national Christian organizations, local churches and ministries. A local leadership team will determine the program of each Fields of Faith event.

More information about Fields of Faith is available at Fields ofFaith.com. To learn more about the event in your area, contact Steve McHargue 850-464-0325 or smchargue@fca.org

By Nell Dobbs

God’s love is amazing and unending. “Morning by morning new mercies I see.” And morning by morning, we ask to be led to someone in need.

Preacher Law’s message was about the answer to the question, “Well, then, who is my neighbor?” Jesus told about the Good Samaritan who saw a need and met that need when two others (religious leaders) passed by on the other side, saw the need, failed to meet the need.

Sad, one of Mother’s favorite songs was “Others” (though she never sang) – the chorus: “Others, Lord, yes, others, Let this my motto be, Help me to live for others, that I may live like Thee.”

Hard to believe that even in our area there are those who only have one meal a day. May God help us who love Him find them and feed them and since Jesus said that’s how we serve Him – while being aware Jesus said we’d have the poor with us always. Imagine 40 days with no water, no food! We are to feed on God’s Word.

There are many other hurts in the world – those with one parent; those with no parents; those in bondage of any kind – evil leaders, evil doers; those in jails and prisons with no hopes of ever getting out – just think of being in isolation 23 hours a day, alone in the dark. Jesus said He was in prison and no one visited Him. Bless all who minister in this area.

What great music we have! Worship Choir sang a new “At the Cross” with Willa Branham reading the touching words, “I know You love me.”

Billy Washington gave the offertory prayer.

Our class shared concern for Jimmy and Princess Roebuck and Teresa and pray for strength and healing and wisdom. There are others in sad situations who need prayer, love, support from those who love the Lord and then.

How blessed our whole church is for the family of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ragans – for them and all theirs down to the third and fourth generations. Beautiful flowers were played in memory of Mr. Ragans and in honor of Caleb’s birthday on the 15th by Paula and Tim Ginn. Continued blessings in all their family every days in all their needs.

It’s strange how things come about – talking about donkeys. Sunday night, Frances (Copeland) called and in talking, she said they’d been to see her mother, Mrs. Stewart (now 100) and the donkey they’d gotten her (named Gabriel) and how exciting that was. When we go to our brother Jimmie’s and Bonnie’s in Tennessee to make apple butter in October, we hear their neighbor’s donkey braying. Jimmy (Dixon) will bray so the donkey will keep braying. Our sister Nancy’s (gone since 1993) oldest, Teddy Lee, lives in Texas and he wanted to come to their land down from us and plant to make hay for the donkey someone gave his wife, Babbie and the baby colt, but after figuring the cost (about $20,000) and time he bought a truck, traxtor, gas, etc., they’d just buy hay out there at a great cost.

Then there’s the story of the donkey who got mad at the man riding him and asked why he was being beaten cause there was an angel in the road.

We think of Mary riding to Bethlehem. We think of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on one. Hilda helped me find other references and she also said donkeys are kept in our area to keep coyotes away from farm animals. They can be stubborn!

Many are sad. Many are ill! And all of us stand in the need of prayer.

From “Guide Me, O, Thou Great Jehovah, verse 3: “

When I tread thee verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside; Bear me thru the swelling current, Lead me safe to Jordan’s side; Songs of praises I will give to thee…”

Amen!