"Prayer"athon
Join us for a day of prayer, praise, and pizza on Sunday, October 8, 2023!
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Introducing the 2023 FCA "Prayerathon"
2022, Buffalo FCA was at a point where we were going to be unable to sustain the growth God had given us with the limited resources and personnel we had. As a leader, I was at a loss for words and ideas until, one day on a run, the Lord dropped an idea in my spirit to run a marathon and seek God’s face for the future of FCA. I would run from Highmark Stadium to Keybank Center to UB North to New Covenant Church, pray the entire time, and we would host a prayer and worship night in the evening after I finished. We would call it the FCA “Prayer”athon.
Like King Jehosephat in 2 Chronicles 20, we called a time of prayer and and consecration in the face of impossible circumstances. We petitioned heaven just as the king did, saying to our Lord "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (2 Chron 20:12). And God showed up. Not only did we see God respond to our prayers with increased volunteer support, more coaches and athletes to serve, and a culture shift in our ministry that stretched our influence across WNY, but we also raised $27,835 (our goal was $26,200) from generous donors as we completed our race. And, we continued to execute on our conviction for prayer throughout the year to follow with a weekly prayer call that totally shifted the atmosphere for all our meetings, sports, and events. We truly didn't even know if we would make it, and yet every aspect of our ministry ended up growing exponentially deeper and wider this past year.
Our FCA Training Camp Graduation and Fields of Faith at Highmark Stadium (June 13, 2023) was covered by national news outlets such as K-Love, CBN, and the Christian Post. The 3-month discipleship program leading up to the event consisted of a record-setting 139 Volunteers, 25 huddle leaders, 30+ churches, 252 athletes from 61 different schools in WNY. Our athletes read 65 Chapters of the Bible in the books of Acts, Romans, and John which equates to 584,136 Scriptures as a program. And, we got to hear from Damar Hamlin, Dawson Knox, Von Miller, Steve Tasker, and Bills Trainer Nate Breske from the stage, plus all the athletes and kids got autographs from Buffalo Bills players Greg Rousseau, Matt Barkley, Reid Ferguson, Greg Mancz, Trent Sherfield, and Baylon Spector. Around 630 athletes and a total of 1,270 guests got to hear the gospel clearly presented from the turf of Highmark Stadium. 7 athletes surrendered their lives to Jesus for the first time and many more recommitted their lives to him and accepted our challenge to share their faith with a teammate this coming year. There was a party in heaven for sure!
Also this year, we launched our first season of FCA Soccer at Sportsplex, led by Kim and Vince Wagner. Over 70 new athletes received 12-weeks of elite instruction on the turf and participated in weekly huddles, Bible studies, and prayer time. Our FCA Flag Football program expanded to include boys and girls in grades K-12, and we are thankful for Tom Ryan and Jeff Fancher’s leadership of many new groups of coaches and families. This year, we will have over 300 flag football players between our two seasons.
The 2022 FCA Prayerathon worked. And we are going to pray again.
We’d love for you to be a part of all that God wants to do through FCA in the year ahead. As we begin our season of Year-End Fundraising, would you consider becoming a distinguished mile sponsor ($1,000 tax-deductible donation), or give your best gift of any amount to help us reach our goal of $26,200 ($1,000 for every mile of prayer and running) at the 2023 FCA Prayerathon? Your financial support is critical to lay the foundation for what God wants to do for these coaches, athletes, and families in the year ahead.
Would you also join us on October 8 on our social media channels as we consecrate the day to the Lord in prayer? And would you bring your family out to our night of prayer and worship from 6:00-8:00pm at New Covenant Church after I run the Marathon? We will have pizza, drinks, and desserts, along with lawn games, sports, and activities for the kids while we get together and release a mighty praise to our God for His faithfulness.
Finally, would you make yourself available to God through prayer and consecration in the time leading up to this event and throughout the year? We believe in the power of prayer, and we are desperately asking for you to join your prayers to ours as we seek God’s face for another year of miracles. Having grown to an unsustainable level again this year, it is only by His might and His power that we will be able to do what He is asking us to do to change lives and bring the kingdom to our region.
Thank you for your continued generosity and for sowing into this incredible mission in WNY. I look forward to seeing you and praying with you this October. The best is yet to come!
-Jake Hannon, Buffalo FCA Director
Like King Jehosephat in 2 Chronicles 20, we called a time of prayer and and consecration in the face of impossible circumstances. We petitioned heaven just as the king did, saying to our Lord "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (2 Chron 20:12). And God showed up. Not only did we see God respond to our prayers with increased volunteer support, more coaches and athletes to serve, and a culture shift in our ministry that stretched our influence across WNY, but we also raised $27,835 (our goal was $26,200) from generous donors as we completed our race. And, we continued to execute on our conviction for prayer throughout the year to follow with a weekly prayer call that totally shifted the atmosphere for all our meetings, sports, and events. We truly didn't even know if we would make it, and yet every aspect of our ministry ended up growing exponentially deeper and wider this past year.
Our FCA Training Camp Graduation and Fields of Faith at Highmark Stadium (June 13, 2023) was covered by national news outlets such as K-Love, CBN, and the Christian Post. The 3-month discipleship program leading up to the event consisted of a record-setting 139 Volunteers, 25 huddle leaders, 30+ churches, 252 athletes from 61 different schools in WNY. Our athletes read 65 Chapters of the Bible in the books of Acts, Romans, and John which equates to 584,136 Scriptures as a program. And, we got to hear from Damar Hamlin, Dawson Knox, Von Miller, Steve Tasker, and Bills Trainer Nate Breske from the stage, plus all the athletes and kids got autographs from Buffalo Bills players Greg Rousseau, Matt Barkley, Reid Ferguson, Greg Mancz, Trent Sherfield, and Baylon Spector. Around 630 athletes and a total of 1,270 guests got to hear the gospel clearly presented from the turf of Highmark Stadium. 7 athletes surrendered their lives to Jesus for the first time and many more recommitted their lives to him and accepted our challenge to share their faith with a teammate this coming year. There was a party in heaven for sure!
Also this year, we launched our first season of FCA Soccer at Sportsplex, led by Kim and Vince Wagner. Over 70 new athletes received 12-weeks of elite instruction on the turf and participated in weekly huddles, Bible studies, and prayer time. Our FCA Flag Football program expanded to include boys and girls in grades K-12, and we are thankful for Tom Ryan and Jeff Fancher’s leadership of many new groups of coaches and families. This year, we will have over 300 flag football players between our two seasons.
The 2022 FCA Prayerathon worked. And we are going to pray again.
We’d love for you to be a part of all that God wants to do through FCA in the year ahead. As we begin our season of Year-End Fundraising, would you consider becoming a distinguished mile sponsor ($1,000 tax-deductible donation), or give your best gift of any amount to help us reach our goal of $26,200 ($1,000 for every mile of prayer and running) at the 2023 FCA Prayerathon? Your financial support is critical to lay the foundation for what God wants to do for these coaches, athletes, and families in the year ahead.
Would you also join us on October 8 on our social media channels as we consecrate the day to the Lord in prayer? And would you bring your family out to our night of prayer and worship from 6:00-8:00pm at New Covenant Church after I run the Marathon? We will have pizza, drinks, and desserts, along with lawn games, sports, and activities for the kids while we get together and release a mighty praise to our God for His faithfulness.
Finally, would you make yourself available to God through prayer and consecration in the time leading up to this event and throughout the year? We believe in the power of prayer, and we are desperately asking for you to join your prayers to ours as we seek God’s face for another year of miracles. Having grown to an unsustainable level again this year, it is only by His might and His power that we will be able to do what He is asking us to do to change lives and bring the kingdom to our region.
Thank you for your continued generosity and for sowing into this incredible mission in WNY. I look forward to seeing you and praying with you this October. The best is yet to come!
-Jake Hannon, Buffalo FCA Director
Contact Info
PO Box 894, Buffalo, NY 14213, United States
(716) 807-1397
buffalo@fca.org