Northeast FCA

Highlight Testimony: Wil'Lisha Jackson

Mon, 02 Jan 2023 16:00:40 GMT

Wil'Lisha Jackson

I didn't know I was looking for something until I was found...

I've lived a fortunate life. My family had a house to live in and vehicles for transportation. I received a good high school education and college for free. Not to mention, there've been many blessings from the hand of God. His favor has surely been upon my life.

While I can't say my life has been filled with a bunch of radical stories, it has been filled with change and a bunch of pivotal moments.

My life before Christ looked 'normal',just a girl who treated others well, smiled often, and desired to be a good influence on those around me. That is, until I became aware that there was a difference between how I was living and the righteous lifestyle God intended for me.

I started playing basketball at the age of 13. Most people would say that's a late start, but by the grace of God, he blessed me with talent and passion for sport. He blessed me as a 'starter' throughout my high school career.

I was never considered a top prospect in my class, but God positioned me to be seen by a coach while I played one of my best games of basketball, ever! I landed a full scholarship (Low Div. 1) at Saint Peter's University in Jersey City,

NJ. I rolled with it!!

Being away from home and losing my Papa at that time, began a rough season in my life. Many things lacked clarity. I didn't know how to handle the pressures in my life. I was alone more than I'd ever been. I slipped away from my family in exchange for overworking to somehow feel more secure. Truth is, in my loss, my soul longed for Jesus...

As my basketball season came to a close in the first round of the MAAC Tournament in March of 2020, an unbearable weight of all the things I'd been suppressing, forced a release of tears and conversation with my mom, who had come with my dad to support me during the tournament. The next word spoken came from the loud speaker instructing everyone to leave the arena immediately due to an 'unknown virus'. Shortly thereafter, a mass email from the school followed by a mass exodus...my bags were packed and I was headed home.

I knew I wanted to continue my career, so I put my name into the transfer portal. I knew I wanted to compete at the Division 1 level and narrowed my decision to two schools, ultimately giving a verbal commitment to Sacred Heart University. Little did I know that SHU coaches/trainers would raise me up, train me up better than I had ever been. As well as, help me to understand and play basketball in new ways.

What else was new? A Bible I'd been given by my best friends on my 18th birthday, but sadly, kept locked up in my college trunk for two of my darkest university years, was brought out and dusted off- as I had come to realize my need for the light could only be found within its eternal pages. Truth penetrated my life in power, bearing subtle- yet, significant changes within me.

As God is faithful, He surrounded me with new teammates, new friends, and a church community. One such friend and teammate, Olivia Martino, not only introduced me to FCA, but was God's chosen vessel to lead me to a personal relationship with Christ. I'll never forget reciting the sinner's prayer with Olivia and her dad, Pastor Ralph Martino, on a 3-way call, while sitting in the driver's seat of my car.

Since then, I've been growing in my faith, witness, and fellowship with other athletes through the FCA Huddle on campus. Our Huddle meetings and Bible Studies have been the highlights of my week. In addition, I also began praying more and watching sermons online.

Strengthened in my new faith, temptation and trial were lurking and bidding for mastery over me. While I fell to temptation and suffered injury requiring surgery, I cried out for God in my desolate state. I felt comfort the second I called His Name. He spoke to my spirit and told me that everything would be just fine.

From that point on, I dedicated my life to God. I said that I would do everything for Him. The best part is that I don't have to rely on myself, but can rely on God, my Father, who provides the strength and wisdom I need to please Him. All we have to do is 'ask' and have 'faith' In Him!!

" Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, & measureless grace will strengthen you." Psalm 55:22b

Highlight Testimony: Ollie Gray III

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:29:34 GMT

Ollie Gray III

I grew up in New York, the fourth of five children. Sports was my 'go to' in high school- football, basketball, track & field filled my afternoons. I went through some very challenging times during my teenage and young adult years.

At the age of 18, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. No sooner, I was met with drugs and fell prey. My life was spiraling out of control from drug addiction by the age of 25.

While attending a church service in December 1987, I cried out in prayer for God to help me. And...He did! Just days later, God's Grace made a way for me to submit and participate in a 20-day treatment program. During this time, I began to pray daily, asking God to help me more.

After treatment, I moved to Waterbury, CT. My life really changed. I was blessed to meet my wife and secure a good job working for the State of Connecticut as a Rehabilitation Therapist. At that time, in my pride, I thought I had my life all figured out. However, there was a conviction within, to the contrary. Something was missing and disturbing my soul. In my search and humbled state, I came to acknowledge the truth- that I wasn't fully surrendered yet- to Jesus Christ, and I was missing out on being part of His Church.

The next five years came with many questions about my faith- in particular, about life after death and eternity. My mom and I would often have these discussions before she passed away in March 1993.

That same year, while coaching football, I witnessed my best player and his dad praying together before each game. Watching them pray like that really ministered to me. At the end of the season, they invited me to church. I attended Living Faith Christian Church for the first time on December 12, 1993. On that day, I fully surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. My faith journey has been amazing ever since...

My wife, Cynthia and I decided to go to Bible College. We graduated and became the Youth and Associate Pastors at Living Faith Christian Church for the next 20 years of our lives. Those years, God also added four beautiful children to our family- Shamika, Ollie, Malik & Mya. He also birthed a new ministry in our hearts.

In January 2014, Cynthia and I began Cross Generations Ministries, a Pro-Life Ministry we planted in Waterbury, CT.

In 2017, while coaching football at Naugatuck High School, I heard about FCA for the first time. I believed in FCA's Vision and Mission, so I reached out to an FCA Representative to learn more about how I could get involved. As a volunteer, I helped introduce and support FCA Huddle Meetings for three years of football seasons with my teams. Many of the young men's lives were impacted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This past year, I coached at Saint Paul Catholic High School in Bristol, CT- where I was also able to introduce and support a FCA Huddle with the players and coaches. I realized in these Huddle opportunities, that there is nothing more fulfilling than making disciples who make disciples. I found myself in the 'sweet spot' of my gifting, my training, and my desire to live for Christ.

With much prayer, I have decided to leave the football field for field ministry with FCA CT as an Area Representative. I'm looking forward to reaching the schools, players and coaches of Naugatuck Valley with the glorious, life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ!

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." Matthew 28:19a

Highlight Testimony: Bethany Johnson

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 00:51:15 GMT

B ethany Johnson

I wish someone would have told me how important it is to have my own personal relationship with God...searching Him out, seeking and loving Him for myself, instead of relying on the faith of my parents.

I was born and raised sitting in the pews of the church. I was privileged to have a father with a strong faith. I was taught that prayer changes things. I even learned how prayer can be used to fight my battles. My dad trained me up in God's Word to understand keys to overcoming. I thought I knew the Lord.

Throughout my teen years I was known as the "nice Christian girl." And, although I lived a disciplined and respectable life, I was honestly living a mediocre Christian life. I believed my church attendance, service on the worship team, and volunteering in Sunday School made me a Christian. As well as, my personal choices to not drink, smoke, party and keep myself pure.

My self-righteousness would deceive me.

Soon, I was off to college determined, in my own strength, to be that "nice Christian girl". After a few short months, I fell prey to the world of sin being offered to me on campus. For four years, I was in bondage to my sin and shame while secretly battling an identity crisis of spirit, soul, body and mind. My sin opened doors of distortion in my thinking about body image, as well as, my view of love. I began willfully rejecting God and would shut out His voice.

He never stopped pursuing me and reminding me in whispers that He is the answer to every issue of my life. In my weakness, filth, guilt and shame, I continued to resist His love, grace, and forgiveness. In fact, I distanced myself further from Him.

Each summer, I would return home oppressed by the guilt, grief, and secrets I kept hidden within me- especially in the face of my father. I'd find myself repenting and promising God that I would do better and try harder, only to return to college and do it all over again.

After four years of this cycle, I finally graduated from college. At that time, my heart was still dismissive of God's love in the whispers, so God got my full attention when I saw the moon turn blood red. I knew this was a sign that Jesus is returning. This warning quickened my spirit with a godly fear, knowing that I was not ready for His return. That same week, oddly, Christian content kept popping up on my TikTok feed. This was far from normal and as I pondered the messages, the hardness of my heart broke before the Lord. I received a direct revelation of God's love and His great grace towards me. I cried out to God from my bedroom floor and He heard my voice. He infused me with His love. That night I said, "Yes to Jesus" and I haven't looked back since.

My faith journey continues upward, as God is faithful. My various trials, imperfections and weakness, I now submit to Him in exchange for His all-sufficient grace. He has never left me, nor forsaken me. I am now fully committed to Him and I want to live boldly for Him to share His love and advance His Kingdom. The gifts and talents He's given me, I want to use to bring Glory to His Name!

And MORE...I did make it a point to search God out for myself and discovered Him to be merciful, just, loving, gracious, patient and faithful to keep His promises. In the process, He renewed my mind and did some much needed heart surgery- redefining what real love is...His sacrifice on the Cross.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2Cor.12:9

Highlight Testimony: Madison La Forte

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:08:48 GMT

Madison La Forte

To me, FCA means everything! If I had not gone to FCA Lacrosse Camp three years ago, I do not know where I would be today.

From a young age, my parents always made sure they brought me and my two older brothers to church. This was especially important to my mom and we all respected that. At 10, 14, and 16 years old, we never fully understood what was being preached, until the summer before my 7th grade year, when my family's whole life got turned upside down. Our world was shaken to the core and God's word got real. I found myself personally struggling emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I couldn't understand how a God, who loves all creation, would ever allow such pain in our lives? Pondering doubt, coupled with feeling lost, numb, and eventually emotionless, I spent the next year operating on autopilot.

It was then, that my parents told me they had signed me up to attend FCA Lacrosse Camp with a friend from town. While there, every night we would have chapel and every night I would half-heartedly participate. I was there to get better at lacrosse, or so I thought...

On the last night of FCA Camp 2018, I vividly remember the Pastor preaching a word that seemed as though God was speaking directly to my heart. I 'felt' every word and it sincerely, scared me! So much so, that I even left the church for the next five minutes to try and comprehend what was happening. When I returned, the Pastor was giving instructions to form groups to be led by a camp leader to talk about what we had just experienced. When I stood up to move, I noticed that everyone in the room was crying. I found a random group, although two girls were from my Huddle, and they were all talking and praying,

but I remained silent. That is, until our camp leader turned to me and asked, "What is something in your heart or life that you want to let go of?" Right there and then, I broke down in a flood of tears. Standing there in that chapel, I cried for the first time in over a year.

As it turned out, I did not stop crying for the next six hours...

I cried through the whole two-hour Huddle afterwards. I even cried myself to sleep. However, in all those tears, there was surprisingly, room in my heart to comfort others. I prayed over every girl in my Huddle that night. I also opened up to my Huddle Leader and shared my story for the first time. She started crying, too!

When I left FCA Lacrosse Camp the next day, I felt something different and in fact, I was different. Now, I had a personal connection with God that I had never experienced before.

Eight months later, Covid-19 hit America and along with it a season of 'quarantine'. In other words, lacrosse wasn't happening and I could not participate in anything FCA with my team. Without the fellowship, depression and dark thoughts began to rule my mind. Without the supportive environment, I felt lost again and falling short in my relationship with God.

BUT GOD! In His faithfulness, He sent a messenger, Sadie Robertson, who would reach me through a 'reposted video' of her preaching on instagram. I liked what she was saying and began watching her everyday, sometimes even up to three times a day. Sadie spoke words that made me realize God was near and His eyes were upon me. I was moved to His embrace once again, knowing He is the only answer for my life.

Once I started giving everything to God, everything in my life began to change. I experienced joy again, like the joy I first experienced at FCA Camp. God strengthened me for the days ahead...my freshman year of high school!

After a few months of school, I realized my peers were struggling with the same things I struggled with. A lot of kids were lost and out of touch. This broke my heart and I felt God speaking to me to bring FCA to my high school. Kids need an outlet, community, support, and most of all...God himself.

No coincidence, while I was explaining all of this to a 'mom' at my brother's lacrosse game, she just so happened to work for FCA. She put me in touch with the FCA Connecticut State Director, Ed Trask. God literally put all the pieces together to establish His FCA Huddle in my high school.

After months of preparation, FCA Student Leader Training, and overcoming some opposition, I've prevailed in bringing FCA to Waterford High School. At last, as a Sophomore, I am now offering others hope, truth to answer their questions, community, full acceptance and God's Love through His Word.

Thanks be to God and all those He used to lead me in my call with FCA- especially my family, who have been unwavering in their commitment to help me pursue this!

"that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him,

being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" Colossians 1:10

Highlight Testimony: Olivia Martino

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 23:46:39 GMT

Olivia Martino

As a 'Preacher's Daughter', I grew up in the church and have been heavily involved in ministry all my life. For many of those years, I believed that I could thrive off of my parents' relationships with God, little knowing that one day God would meet me in my life's story with an invitation to come up higher and abide with Him in a personal relationship of my own.

Ever since first grade, I have played basketball. I have been blessed with skills and a love for the sport that opened doors for me to play increasingly at higher levels- AAU, HS, & College. Although my outward showed 'happy' in the sport, my inward was troubled by the demands the sport was beginning to have on my schedule. Due to practices and games, I began to miss church consistently. I always felt that basketball was separating me from God. This would be the catalyst to ignite a 'perfect storm' in my life.

My 'perfect storm' was the convergence of the slowly fading embers of my faith compass + middle school life + the pressures of the world and my desire to please everyone. The weight of it all was too heavy for this 12 year old to bear. I was quietly-yet, completely overwhelmed! Often, I struggled with suicidal 'thoughts' that eventually 'moved my feet' onto a downward path to end my life. Before I knew it, or anyone else for that matter, I had attempted suicide. And this, not just once, but on three different occasions.

It would be during my third suicide attempt that God met my desperate heart, flood of tears and 'child's cry' for help. I could now see His light in my darkness. His light exposed the deep of my heart and it actually felt good to be exposed, to repent, to be real, to be honest, and vulnerable before the Lord. I felt the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Even more, I knew in that moment that I had my very own personal relationship with the Lord and I would never look back.

Fast forward, I am now a graduate student-athlete at Sacred Heart University. I play on the SHU Women's Basketball team, though currently I've been sidelined from play, due to injury. However, and thankfully... not sidelined from the bigger purposes God has for me here on campus. Through my injury, I've learned that God can bring good out of any circumstance, even those meant to harm us or that we just don't understand.

Turns out, God has been using me on campus to bring my teammates to Christ and closer to Christ in many ways...first time commitments, rededications- even baptisms.

FCA was one of the major influences in shaping the way I think about my life and my various trials. While at Lafayette College, FCA led me deeper into the truth of God's Word and in my understanding of relationships with God and others. My mindset or worldview became increasingly 'kingdom-minded'. The word 'religion' was no longer suitable to describe the 'relationship' I'd come to know of personally, as a friend of God.

FCA has always had a place in my heart. And, that good seed in my heart, bore good fruit in my life and fruit that remains today. I want to pay FCA forward to my fellow athletes and students here at Sacred Heart University. FCA|SHU has now come to life, Fall 2021! I'm here for such a time as this!!

"...all things work together for good to those who love God..." Romans 8:28

Highlight Testimony: Laura Arena

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 22:54:24 GMT

Laura Arena

The Fall of 1996 was a pivotal time in my life...I began my career as a head volleyball coach at Farmington High School, I became pregnant with my first child and I started a 'personal relationship' with Jesus Christ, while in the journey of my growing faith.

For 25 years, I have continued on all three of these paths, but sadly with little communion between them.

My years as a coach have been wonderful and full of success with committed student-athletes and supportive families.

As well, through the years, I got more involved with my home church, Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon, CT. I taught Sunday school and ran summer sports camps affiliated with the Christian organization, Unchartered Waters. I joined Bible studies and built new fellowship circles, but oddly, not with any of my Farmington connections.

My four children did, however, enjoy sharing in the fullness of both my Farmington career and my faith, for which I am thankful.

Otherwise, it often saddened me that there was such a separation between my two life passions. That is, until last summer, when my dear friend and Athletic Director passed away suddenly. While attending his funeral, I heard how strong his faith was and realized then, that faith was something we could have shared, but never did. This sparked the desire in me to finally intersect two of the biggest parts of my life. I knew it was time to do something, but more importantly, God knew it was time!

Just two months earlier, I had joined the FCA CT Board. I was familiar with FCA since my brothers had played FCA Lacrosse and my daughter had been a member of a FCA Lacrosse team, one summer. I knew FCA was a fantastic organization that ministers God's Word and His Love to and through coaches and athletes unto new and growing relationships with Christ. This was the perfect intersection of coaching and faith I was looking for.

So, in the middle of the pandemic (God's perfect timing, not mine) I stepped out in faith to start a FCA Huddle at Farmington High School. This led me to greater faith, for an even greater outreach through me with the good news of FCA to other CT schools and coaches in my conference. My invitation was met with the faith and interest of my colleagues to join hands with me in growing FCA CT.

"...let your light shine before others, that they may see..." Matthew 5:16a

Highlight Testimony: Brian Krost

Mon, 31 May 2021 23:15:22 GMT

Brian Krost

As I look back on my life before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I can clearly see now that God had been a constant blessing and provision for me all along.

While I never had a rock-bottom experience or Spirit-inspired epiphany, I did sense the emptiness of my existence without God. Mine, was a more gradual transition from a self-centered life to a Christ-centered one.

I believe that God puts the right people in our lives at the perfect moments to draw us closer to Him. For me, that person was my friend and former Danbury Barons baseball teammate, Brendan Micik. "Bern" has always been a stand-up guy, the kind you'd go to war with. Before we ever spoke about Christ, he was ministering to me. I watched his easy-going way and radiant love for the Lord and the people in his life. I heard his subtle,

sporadic quotes from Scripture, while in the dugout. In context, it never seemed like preaching. "Bern" wore his hair long and would constantly talk about his "Samson-strength"and how we were going to "ride on the Philistines" a.k.a. the "other team". I honestly, had no idea what he was talking about, it just sounded cool and our team embraced his Biblical anecdotes- even integrating them into our game-time chatter!

Years later, "Bern" began to speak plainly to me about the Lord. Eventually, he brought me to a church service and connected me to Pastor Charlie Caviola. It was then, that I took definitive steps toward knowing Christ and surrendering my life to Him. Today, I am part of the Revive Church family and continue to be mentored by Pastor Charlie.

I have always loved sports, so it is fitting that baseball played a major role in bringing me to Christ. Not surprisingly, God continued to meet me in my love of sports and life of faith through Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

The blessing of FCA found me one Sunday morning at church! And, now I get to pass on the blessing to my students and young athletes as an Assistant Football Coach and FCA Huddle Leader at Westhill High School in Stamford, CT. It is a privilege to be able to share the love of the Lord and the truth of the Gospel with the youth. I believe KNOWING GOD and the PEACE HE PROVIDES, especially at this young age, will serve them long after their playing days come to an end.

Faithfully, For His Blessing, Glory and Honor!!

"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you..." Deuteronomy 28:2a