Over 4,000 people attended the annual Fields of Faith event sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at San Angelo Stadium Wednesday night.
FCA is a faith-based international organization that partners with local schools and churches to encourage athletes to bring their Christian faith onto the field or court. Participating schools host “huddle groups” and a faculty member affiliated with FCA sponsors the group. In the Concho Valley, FCA boasts huddles at Angelo State University as well as several area high schools and middle schools. Fields of Faith began in San Angelo 2009 as an effort to bring area students and churches together for the common goal of sharing their Christian faith.
It takes a village to put on an event of this size. Brett Lange, the Area Director for FCA, proudly bragged on the involvement of area churches and their willingness to help coordinate the Fields of Faith.
“We called over 70 churches to volunteer…some of them even bussed in students to the stadium.”
He noted that this isn’t just an event for athletes either. FCA sponsors encouraged members to invite their friends regardless if they played a sport or not. Students who attended the event got to experience live music from a Christian-rock band and were able to hear a motivational speaker. After which, trained volunteers were available on the field for discussion in small groups.
Inclusion is a common theme when it comes to Fields of Faith. Lange wanted this to be an event “to bring churches together,” and he hoped that the students whose lives were touched continued to work on the commitment they made to their faith.
“We don’t want this thing to be an emotional, one-night event, “Lange said. He will spend the next several days compiling the data and information regarding students who decided to pursue their faith and will relay that to their FCA sponsors and/or youth ministers so that each student has the opportunity to be held accountable to the life-changing commitment they made on the field.
C.B. Sutton, Paul Ann Church’s Middle School Pastor, said that he spoke to about 15 students in a small group at Fields of Faith. Sutton was only one of many vested counselors down on the field and was responsible for “sharing the Gospel” with students and then letting them share about their own personal battles with faith. Sutton also mentioned that for students who were dealing with “heavier” situations, like abuse, FCA provided licensed counselors and representatives from the Tom Green County Crisis Intervention Unit to ensure that those students were helped and that their outcry was heard by the proper authorities.
At the end of the event, students had the opportunity to publicly commit their lives to Jesus Christ, at which point the volunteer counselors were able to help them do so. According to Lange, approximately 212 students accepted Christ at Fields of Faith.
Sutton described it as an “incredible move of God.”
One such student, Central High School sophomore, Michelle Barnett, has been deeply impacted by FCA and Fields of Faith. She believes that Fields of Faith is a “great opportunity for students, like myself, to find Christ.”
Barnett says that she also loves seeing her friends experience the power of God like she has, and she looks forward to the event every year.
“I love FCA and everyone in it!,” Barnett declared.
Lange and Sutton have been participating in Fields of Faith since 2010, and both men said that this is the largest event to date. Fields of Faith is only growing, and this year, has expanded across the country, and according to Lange, around the world.
Organizers want the event to be around for years to come and to continue to touch the lives of young people across the Concho Valley.
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Seems like they had a strong business turnout event, lots of souls/customers won. I'm wondering who footed the operational maintenance and other costs for this religious networking meeter/greeter? Was it the FCA, local schools and/or churches? Who foots the same costs at the periphery meetings held at the university and local schools? Just wondering if it's tax dollars, private donations or the churches and religious orgs themselves?
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PermalinkThat's a fact. Having that said, and even though I have a strong distaste for religion, their sorted histories, hypocracies, perversions, financial fraud, evolutionary cycles coinciding with the flavor of the day, "buinessifications" thereof, etc., they still, to a point, deserve their do. Thus, I don't discriminate, as they have their rights and preferences like anyone or anything else, organized or not. What I despise is the holisitic indoctrination of any religion into every level of politik and policy...the two have gone hand in hand to assure the continual degredation of this country. Though utopia is nonexistent, other western indsutrialized actors similar to our country experience much more successes, in large part, due to the assurance they will "religiously" separate church and state at all costs. You mentioned mental illness: this might be the reason why the U.S. leads the world in not only street drug consumption on per capita basis-but also for the ingestion of prescribed psychiatric medication. Wonder why that is?
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Permalink"To understand religious faith is to understand mental illness." Man that's a low blow.
Why not just let somebody believe what they want to believe? If you so desperately feel the need to disagree, you can simply state that respectfully. Here. Allow me to demonstrate:
Well I don't believe in Christianity at all. In fact I think these people would be better suited seeing the world from my point of view. In my opinion it's a much more rewarding lifestyle being grounded in reason and science. In fact, I might be so audacious as to say I feel many teachings of organized religions are quite detrimental to society. It is important to note, however, that people that choose to believe in something are guaranteed that right just as I am guaranteed the right to publicly express my distaste for it.
Wow that was tough. You see how at no point did I insult someone or call them crazy? That's the tricky bit.
I guess respect isn't a word in your vocabulary, though. Your parents must not have raised you properly. I don't call religious people crazy. Heck I don't call people who spend their lives chasing ghosts, aliens, or cryptids crazy. Simply because I was taught, no matter what these people think, they don't deserve to be mocked or insulted for believing in something I don't.
Sure you can say whatever you want to say. Free speech, and what not, but nobody appreciates someone who spends their time berating people for practicing their religion or making comments like yours. You'd do well to learn some manners. All I see in that comment is bullying. Don't do that. You're better than that.
Diversity makes this nation awesome. Cruelty is best left to the inhumane dictatorships of the world.
Hitler was intolerant. Look where that got him.
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Permalink...until he solidified his power. Then his intolerance began.
Evil Preaches Tolerance Until It Is Dominant, Then Seeks to Silence Good. Details.
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PermalinkI knew someone would pick apart my choice of intolerant dictators. I just didn't expect it to be Mr Joe Hyde.
So you endorse actively insulting Christians or people who practice religions on your website then?
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PermalinkDon't worry Triple J,
Mr. Hyde is as as rightwing religious as any red blooded Christian can get. It's his right. Eerily, his explanation describes Rick Perry's tenure as governor--which his family has actively supported. There's no better example of a Christian than RP--a beacon of southern exceptionalism for all to admire-and I'm not just talking about his organization of the pray for rain event. He's done a great many number of Christian-like deeds and works.
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PermalinkChristianity is not the only religion or non- religion that have caused atrocities throughout history. There are current countries of other religions that are still killing their own people. There are also other countries who will murder their own people if they choose to believe in any religion at all. Most people in these countries have very small abilities to leave so as to practice their beliefs or non-beliefs.
In America we have freedom of religion or non-religion and by having this freedom we should show respect to one another and not bully one another. We have freedom of speech and so your opinion counts as your own opinion and is protected just as mine is. However as a person of a conscious mind we also have the ability to understand how our words may hurt, harm or infuriate people. We all have the ability to say words that are detrimental to others or that help people. If people would stop and think about the words they are about to speak or type in this instance and realize the ramifications of those words wither for the worst or for the best then perhaps we could have less arguments. I try to always think before I speak or type. I have my own opinions and my own judgments but I also try to see both sides before I make a quick comment. If you desire people to see your point of view and understand you, this is a suggestion that you not insult them, because an insult just cause’s people to become angry and will fire back an insult at you.
All people at least in America have the freedom to believe in what they want to, whether it be science or a religion, but we should all as neighbors in this country respect one another’s beliefs and not disrespect one another with either our words or actions.
On another note, I am glad these high school students could gather together respectfully and have a good time, regardless of their religion or beliefs.
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PermalinkMs. Ellringer,
I assume you do understand that I fully advocate every citizen within this country to excersise all of their consititutional rights and priviledges to the fullest. I also applaud any function that gives young people, especially those that may be living under harsher conditions than others, the chance to stay off the streets and do something very constructive. However, some religions, as well as their associated events and activites, are more "influential and intimidating" than others, even though they appear not to be. As such, my concerns were twofold: the micro, being seperation of church and state--as far as tax dollars being used to operate these activities on public property within SA. The other macro, with that being christian ethics, principals, etc. being integrated into many aspects of local, regional, state and national, as well as international policy formulation, implementation and review thereof. The "countries" you refer to are some third world countries where the citizenry do not have such rights to practice various faiths, and some even have their lives in danger when doing so. However, all western industrialized nations, suh as America, give their populations the same rights we as Americans have--sometimes even more. At a minimum, they all enjoy freedom of speech, freedom to practice what religion they choos without living in fear or being discriminated against, etc. They also possess the right to affordable healthcare, even dogs and cats have their own set of rights--as it is illegal to euthanize animals in some of these other countries. They are also very, very adament about the seperation of church and state. Probably, the only right they don't have but Americans get to enjoy on a daily basis is the right to own and also carry a gun. As such, it appears the more religious a state actor is, the more violent it is.
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PermalinkMr. Swami
I most certainly was not trying to cause offense to you. I agree there are several countries that are able to separate church and state and do so well. Mind you America is a very young country from the rest of the western industrialized world. We have not seen as many wars on our own end as many of the other countries have. In many ways we are still evolving as a country and a people in our own right. I was simply stating based on some of the other comments that we should respect one another's beliefs and not simply insult one another or our beliefs.
I completely agree that church and state should be separated, and that the government should be respectful of people's religious rights and beliefs. No one religion should be forced upon people including non-religious beliefs. By the way would you consider China is a developing country? Most would not consider it developing but rather a developed country similar to many western countries; however they do not have freedom of religion or freedom of speech.
I also have no problem stating that several religions have corruption just as any government around the world does. We are human we all make mistakes and bad decisions at one time or another. To deny this would be denying ones humanity.
As far as tax dollars paying for these events, typically I would say no. Typically the organization rents the facility from the city. This is true regardless of the event type. Now an individual could have donated the use of the facility if it is privately owned. However a city owned property typically like the stadium will have a rental fee based upon the season and timing of the event. Take for example when planning a wedding you can have various locations to hold the wedding and reception. These locations could be city property or owned privately. Each will have its own pricing, times available and blackout dates. Back to the event though, it is possible that an individual could have paid for the venue as a donation to the event. It is also possible because I do not know the policies of this venue that the city allows the free use of the venue regardless of the event as long as it does not disrupt any other event planned for that same day or night.
Would this matter to if it was for the relay for life campaign; or is that different from this event in your opinion. The space is still being used but should tax dollars be used to pay for one organization over another is that not showing favoritism as well. In my opinion city owned property should be rented straight across the board or open for people to use as long as they reserve the space ahead of time. For me it is one or the other not this organization is better than this one so we will donate over renting it. If the city needs more money for various projects then renting the facilities would be a better option for more revenue.
Geez, not what I was trying to get into but here we are. I just wanted people to think more before they typed an infuriating response. Again Mr. Swami my last post was not intended to offend you nor was it directed at you. From most of the posts I have read that you make, you do think before you type and explain yourself well. I may not agree 100% with your responses but they seem to be well thought out and typed well.
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PermalinkNo offense taken, Ms. Ellringer and no clarifications necessary on your part. I respect your opinions. My mistake not mentioning China--yes, they even have a seat on the U.N. Security Council. Don't forget--real politik has been alive and well, as China has been able to finance our debt and keep our economy humming, lest our print machine runs out of ink. And, true, we are a rather young, evolving nation---would enjoy debating that topic with you over a cup of coffee....much too long for this platform. However, I feel we should be much farther along the civil society curve, as there is simply no excuse for the way this country is being holistically managed. We are supposed to be the "unoffical leaders" of the free world. As such, we are supposed to lead by example. Unfortunately, and more times than not, the journey to that ultimate destiny hits a road block every time southern exceptionalism rears it's ugly head..............
A good day to you, Ms. Ellringer...and I've enjoyed our conversation. I'm sure we'll bump surfboards again soon enough--it would be my pleasure.
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