Ken Lewis is State Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Idaho. Here, he stands by boxes of Bibles that were given out at the 2026 NW FCA Sports Camp held in June at NNU in Nampa. (Photo by Gaye Bunderson)
By Steve Bertel
“There’s the Creator – and everything else is the creation. The Creator has the capacity to be worshipped; the creation does not,” Ken Lewis explained. “But, all too often, we invert it. We get it wrong. We worship money, our homes, our vehicles, our jobs, movies, the media. We worship movie stars, rock stars. We even elevate professional athletes and coaches. In fact, there are athletes who put playing their sport, or coaches who put coaching sports, above their family. And above God. But Matthew 6:33 says ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else … and he will give you everything you need.’”
In 1997, as a Kuna High School teacher and wrestling coach, Ken Lewis knew he was making an impact on his students’ lives. But he wanted to take it one step further, especially when he felt called by the Lord to use – or “leverage,” as he put it – his love of sports to help students and coaches have a closer relationship with God. So he started the first FCA – the Fellowship of Christian Athletes – “huddle” on campus. A “huddle” is the FCA’s sports-related term for essentially a Bible study group led by students.
“I wanted to see them make their faith real, not just on the coattails of their parents, their youth groups, or through their churches. I wanted to help them find their identity in Christ,” he explained. “And what better environment to do that in sports?” So, following the national FCA process and working with school administrators, he started the FCA Kuna High “huddle.” “It was an opportunity to show young people that ‘Your identity is not found on the scoreboard. Or in record books. Or in win/lost columns. Your identity is finding your faith in Christ, your purpose in Him,” said Ken. “So, being able to provide a way for kids to get to know God and dive into His Word was really exciting for me!”
In March, 1954, Eastern Oklahoma A&M basketball coach Don McClanen sent a letter to 19 prominent athletes, outlining his desire to form an organization that would eventually become known as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His letter read, in part, “For some time, I have had the idea of forming an organization of athletes and coaches in this hero-worshiping nation of ours. If athletes can endorse shaving cream, razor blades and cigarettes, surely they can endorse the Lord, too. So my idea is to form an organization that would project you as Christian men before the youth and athletes of our nation.”
Later that year, his idea came to fruition – and the FCA officially incorporated as a nationwide non-profit organization.
Today, more than 70 years later, it still adheres to the strategy of “engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to know and grow in Christ – and [to] lead others to do the same”: engaging, from 1 Thessalonians 2:8 … equipping, from Ephesians 4:12 … and empowering, from 2 Timothy 2:2.
Here in Idaho, Ken Lewis is the FCA’s State Director, a position he’s held for 20 years. He had served eight years before that as Kuna High’s FCA “huddle coach” (advisor).
And, like other FCA groups across the nation, “We don’t run each [campus] ministry; we train volunteers – coaches and student athletes – to run them,” he stated. “Each coach or student leader in the ‘huddles’ may represent a different sphere of influence, or a different sport – one may be on the baseball team, one may be on the volleyball team. They’re of different ages and from different grade levels. Some ‘huddles’ meet once a week; others meet every other week. And then, as student leaders approach graduation, they ‘hand off the baton’ to other students to step in. It’s nice to have that ‘FCA DNA.’” He added, “These FCA leaders get to participate and receive training in the discipleship process that’s very important to the FCA. Plus, the FCA works with local churches in many communities, encouraging coaches and athletes to get involved in good, Bible-believing churches near their homes.”
Most of the “huddles” are held on campus, before school or during lunch. Which begs the question: Has the FCA ever received any pushback regarding holding Bible studies on taxpayer-supported school grounds? “Not really,” Ken replied. “If a junior high, a high school, or a college allows non-curricular clubs on campus – say, a Chess Club – then they have to allow faith-based clubs like the FCA to meet there. Plus, each ‘huddle’ has an advisor, who works closely with school administrators. Of course, there are some schools which do not allow any groups on campus, whereupon we’ll meet, say, at a church near the school.”
“But overall, administrators have seen the positive environment the FCA provides, and how it helps their school’s culture,” he added.
While some may feel that when 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, in part, “ … Run in such a way as to get the prize,” it means to totally rely on your own strength to win a trophy, but the FCA stresses the true meaning of the metaphor: urging coaches and students that, by living with self-discipline, purpose, and dedication, you will receive the prize of God’s approval – obviously much greater than any trophy – and ultimately, His gift of eternal life.
FCA Idaho also holds a number of off-campus events each year: golf scrambles, sports-related summer camps, “Coaches and Couples’” marriage retreats, and even the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl FCA Breakfast, which the organization has been sponsoring for the past 23 years.
And it’s expanding.
Sean Rooney is the FCA Idaho Sports Director. After six years on the FCA staff in southern California, he and his family moved to Nampa – where, since 2018, he’s been spearheading efforts to form non-school-related/but-FCA-affiliated sports clubs for 8- to 16-year-olds in Idaho. These teams currently compete in baseball, softball, archery, and wrestling. “In fact, there are over 290 FCA athletes here in the Treasure Valley alone, where they get a chance to compete against other teams – and even travel to tournaments – all while growing in their relationship with Jesus,” Sean said. FCA Club Sports is funded by sponsors, community fundraising efforts, and private donations.
In recent years, the national FCA has gained the support of many well-known professional athletes, including Major League Baseball stars Adam Wainwright and Brian Roberts, NFL great Tim Tebow, New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh, female athletes like WNBA star Tamika Catchings and track and field Olympic champ Allyson Felix – and even support from entertainers like stand-up comic Jeff Foxworthy of “You might be a redneck …” fame and Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson.
You can learn more about the work of FCA Idaho on its website www.fcaidaho.org.
