The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a student-led club that helps student-athletes and coaches build stronger relationships with their faith. The club is returning for its second year after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Connor Strauss and Rebekah Wessman, seniors and FCA co-leaders, were the two students who initially pushed to bring back FCA by first approaching Randal Dunbar, current FCA sponsor.
“[Wessman and I] were the two that brought it back because [Dunbar] knew I’ve talked about my faith background before so, [towards the end of my sophomore year,] we talked about want[ing] to bring back [the club] and so then we started at the beginning of [my] junior year,” Strauss said.
Dunbar has sponsored the club for a total of six years, starting in 2015 and returning in 2023. As a teenager, Dunbar was involved in FCA with his father was the club sponsor at the time and he even attended various Christian camps growing up.
“I grew up Christian [and] going to church with my family, [and] doing FCA in high school.” Dunbar said, “I didn’t take ownership of it until after college, and I would say it’s really shaped a lot of things in my life: how I act, how I view people, [and] how I interact with people. I try to lead a life according to [my faith].”
Despite Dunbar’s long-time dedication to the club and his faith, according to Freedom Forum, US law restricts school faculty members from preaching their religious beliefs or converting students in any way, which provides guidelines for how Dunbar is permitted to participate in the club.
“In order for [the club] to be led in a religious way, it needs to be led by students,” Dunbar said, “[..] I can participate in the discussions and I can answer direct questions, [but] I can’t directly teach them and tell them my beliefs without being asked [a] question.”
As co-leaders, Strauss, Wessman, and other co-leader Dylan Fogelsong are responsible for coming up with engaging activities, bringing food to meetings, and leading the group in devotionals, such as prayer or a reading from the Bible.
“For example, [at one meeting], I had a teaching [lesson] about putting yourself second, I believe the Bible calls us to put other people ahead of ourselves, and in past [meetings], we’ve also talked about being the right example for other students at Lake Zurich,” Strauss said.
Despite the club’s heavy focus on Christianity and athletic activities, Strauss emphasizes its openness to all types of students.
“[The club] open to anybody, and it’s also not just like Christian athletes, I would say, and it’s for anybody that’s interested in the faith or well-developed in the faith,” Strauss said, “I would say that it’s not an exclusive club at all, we will welcome anybody if they want to come.
