This story appears in FCA Magazine’s March/April 2016 issue. Subscribe today!
FCA’s Women’s Ministry is digging deeper into the hearts of female coaches and athletes who delight in their position as God’s daughters. They’ve created resources to equip and encourage sisters of the faith to embrace their God-designed shape and role, and to walk confidently in their personal, spiritual and athletic journeys.
A balance of godly femininity while retaining a strong competitor’s spirit frames the essence of a woman of sport. Through the monthly Competitor’s Edge email newsletter, Bible studies, small groups and conferences, women are connecting, supporting one another and sharing stories and strategies while navigating the world of women’s athletics.
These resources balance the grace and strength of a female competitor in an arena that is rapidly evolving.
“Our goal is to develop resources that will help our field staff more effectively minister to female coaches and athletes,” said Donna Noonan, FCA National Director of Events and Women’s Staff Development.
Bold and Beautiful—FCA’s most recent team Bible study on identity—is a free, downloadable 10-session study that directly deals with hard and oft-neglected topics. It fosters honest, challenging and open discussion with Biblical truths to illuminate the hidden spaces in a woman’s spirit.
“Our hope is that after going through studies like Bold and Beautiful, women will have a deeper understanding of who they are in Christ,” Noonan said. “They can be an athlete and an authentic follower of Christ, and their witness impacts others."
Resource development has directly impacted female FCA staff to pour out their own hearts and talents as they involve themselves in helping create material that serves their spheres of influence. Oklahoma FCA’s Sarah Roberts, along with some of the collegiate athletes she ministers to, merge the ferociousness of competition with the natural design of female psyche.
“FCA resources are equipping these female athletes with the truth and grace of Jesus,” Roberts said. “These resources help them grow in their faith as they work through struggles unique to the female athlete.”
At Southern Illinois University, the women’s swimming and diving team has been traversing through the weekly Bold and Beautiful study, which has created an opportunity for teammates to open up and forge a spiritual bond with one another.
“I’m struggling with the same things my teammates are,” said Lauren Stockton, SIU junior and member of the SIU FCA leadership team. “To bring those cards out on the table, I feel like I can be a little more vulnerable around my teammates with stuff I don’t like to share or talk about.
“When you think of sports, identity and body image aren’t discussed often, but they’re really important in athletes’ lives. I also really like how it puts Scripture relevant with each topic.”
During an era where it’s easy to float along with society’s current, FCA’s Women’s Ministry keeps swimming upstream in the light of the Lord to best equip females who long to embrace their divine design.
Read on for a taste of the Bold and Beautiful team study, and visit FCAResources.com for more.
Bold and Beautiful
What defines you
Session 1: Identity
KEY VERSE:
“LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.” - PSALM 139:1-6
INTRO:
Imagine you’re reading a women’s magazine and you come across a headline for a quiz that tells you how to “find yourself.” You stop where you are and get down to business. Because, really, who doesn’t want to know who they are? That’s why we’re going to start out today’s lesson with a load of questions. So, take a few minutes and jot down your answers to these identity-oriented questions:
1. What three words would you use to describe yourself?
2. What three words do you think others would use to describe you?
3. What characteristics do you hope others see in you?
4. What are the most influential things in your life (e.g., sports, money, clothes, family, grades, etc.)?
5. Who do you think you are?
THINK IT THROUGH:
This world is all about self-discovery—about individualism, personality, uniqueness and finding your niche. We’re encouraged to know ourselves and follow our hearts. We’re told that being comfortable with who we are is a key to life.
But who are we kidding? While those questions might be fun to answer and self-discovery might be an engaging psychological exercise, we’re in for a frustrating experience when we try to figure ourselves out all on our own. Seriously, how many times have you changed your mind about your favorite color or ice cream flavor? How often have you gone back and forth between being an extrovert and an introvert or changed your mind about whether you hate practice or love it?
We’re all human beings who change from time to time—and if we worry about discovering who we are, we’ll never get to the bottom of it. Or, if we do, we’ll just have to go looking for ourselves again once we’ve aged a few years and learned new lessons. The point is that finding our identity on our own is fruitless. We might know ourselves really well, but that understanding won’t last, and it will change.
1. What is something you used to believe that you don’t anymore? Why did you change your mind?
2. How many times have you tried to “find” yourself only to go back to the same question later with a different answer?
3. To this point in your life, how would you define yourself? If someone was to ask you who you are, what would be your response?
There’s a common phrase among Christians that says we are to find our identity in Christ. But what does that even mean? How can we be identified in someone else? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of finding who we are? It would certainly seem so—at least on the surface. But there’s a lot more to it if we really take the time to study it.
In fact, finding your identity in Christ is actually the only way to discover the real you.
“LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, LORD. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me. This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.” - PSALM 139:1-6
Based on Psalm 139, consider how well God knows you. He knows what you do at every moment. He knows your words before you say them. He knows when you sleep and when you get up. He knows you. Why? Because He made you (Psalm 139:13). And no one knows an object more than the one who designed and created it—especially when that object was made in the image of said Creator.
Think about it. God formed you. He knows why He made you (Ephesians 2:10), what gifts He gave you (1 Peter 4:10), your desires (Psalm 37:4) and even the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30). And to all of His children He gave certain rights and traits that contribute to who we are according to His true version of us.
And you know what all this adds up to? You guessed it: our identity. Who we really are. By looking to who God created us to be, we will learn the Truth about us at the deepest, most critical level.
TEAM TIME:
As teammates, you can help each other to learn the Truth about who you are as God’s daughters. The theory that there’s strength in numbers is supported in Scripture—starting with the Father Himself as One of Three—and it certainly applies to you in your quest to embrace who you really are. By joining forces with your teammates, you can multiply your strength and resources in the battle for your souls.
ACTIVITY:
1. As a group, discuss things on which you tend to pin your identity (e.g., sports, grades, popularity, friends, possessions, family, etc.).
2. Why could it be dangerous to place your identity in any of these things—particularly your sport.
3. Now discuss why it would be safe to find your identity in what God says about you.
4. Finish your discussion by considering the questions, “What is God saying to me?” and “How will I respond?”
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Want more female-focused FCA resources?
You can read and download all of the Bold and Beautiful team study and find all of the newest FCA resources designed with women in mind, including those below, at FCAResources.com.
Just Ask: 21 Devotionals for the Girl Who Loves Sports by Sarah Roberts
Oklahoma FCA Area Representative Sarah Roberts asks tough questions and answers them through the lives of Biblical figures and athletic testimonies. The book is a journey toward tackling the issues faced as an athlete, girl and child of God, and it’s perfect for female athletes seeking to learn life lessons from women in sports. To learn more, click here: Just Ask
Virtuous Woman: Serving & Teamwork
The third installment of the FCA Virtuous Woman series, this 10-session, question-driven small group study focuses on two of the FCA core values: serving and teamwork. The goal of the FCA Virtuous Woman curriculum is to present to women the privilege and challenge of learning and living out biblical womanhood in all areas of life. To learn more, click here: Virtuous Woman
The Gathering
A discipleship model started through Oklahoma FCA, The Gathering is designed to create community among female athletes from local universities who gather once a month to worship the Lord, have authentic fellowship, encourage, pray and speak truth over one another. To learn more, click here: The Gathering
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–This article appears in the March/April 2016 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue digitally, click here: March/April 2016 FCA Magazine Digital
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