The Growth of Spiritual Seeds

Seeds.

For them to grow into strong plants and bear fruit, they must be planted in fertile soil, nurtured by water and sunlight.

Brent and Liz Moore were happy with their lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. They both coached and loved their jobs. Once they started a family, however, they saw the landscape in their town change and felt it was also time for a change.

While a multitude of factors went into their decision to leave Fort Collins, the Moores longed for a smaller, more traditional town to raise their three children. A town that, they felt, would provide a more fertile soil for their values to take root.

God opened a door in Sheridan, Wyoming, which is roughly 10 percent the size of Fort Collins, and they felt a peace and nudge to move.

As they settled in, the Moores looked for ways to continue coaching and investing in athletes. Brent became the Director of Aquatics for Sheridan County, coaching the high school boys and girls swim team, the junior high swim team and a club swim team. Shortly after Brent was hired, Liz was also offered a position, and it allowed their children the opportunity to tag along with their parents while they coached.

“My parents are the best!” said 13-year-old Grayson Moore. “It is fun growing up around the track and pool, because you get to swim anytime you want!”

In addition to coaching in the community, the Moore family got involved in FCA Sports Camp.

“I first became involved with Black Hills FCA Sports Camp as a swim coach,” Brent shared. “I took our family and we all just loved it! It has been the highlight of our year for the last eight years.”

Experiencing the first year of camp was eye opening for the Moores. They appreciated the opportunity for their boys to witness older kids worshipping God with all their hearts while loving and praying for each other. Seeing athletes at FCA Sports Camp had a big impact on their 11-year-old son, Maclane.

“FCA Camp is one of my favorite things to do in the summer,” Maclane said. “God is my No. 1 priority no matter what I’m doing or what sport I’m playing.”

When athletes from the Moores’ school or club teams attend FCA Sports Camp, they get the freedom to coach from a Christian perspective. That uniqueness of a coaching perspective is extended to the athletes they will later compete against.

“During regular season, seeing the athletes I coached at FCA Camp lead their teams in a spiritual way is one big thing that keeps us going back to camp,” said Liz. “I just want more kids to come and experience camp and grow in their love for the Lord.”

During FCA Camp, leaders help athletes know who they are in Christ and teach them how to not let a win or loss define who they are as people. This lesson became imperative when the Sheridan High School (SHS) swim team lost a state title by only five points.

Losing a major title is a letdown for any athlete or team. Fortunately, SHS’s team leader already knew losing was not the end of the world.

“Having a Christ-centered student-leader was a big deal for our team,” shared Brent. “I think that is all just part of God's plan. We do not have to win every time, and we were given the strength to handle it with dignity.”

FCA Sports Camp provides coaches, volunteers and leaders the ability to plant seeds in the hearts of attendees. The athletes return home and the seeds of faith that were planted during camp will hopefully be watered through local FCA Huddles and 1-on-1 discipleship. The prayer is for the athletes’ faith to eventually grow and spread to other teammates.

“FCA Sports Camp has had a bigger impact on my teams than anything I could have done as a coach—physiologically or technically—to make them stronger,” said Brent.

The Moores are all in, both as coaches and as a family.

Photos courtesy of the Moore family.