Cayden Brosseau
Cayden Brosseau, a senior at BFA-St. Albans High School in St. Albans, VT, found his voice through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
FCA uses the platform of athletics to share the message of Jesus Christ with coaches and athletes from professional to youth levels.
Q&A with Cayden Brosseau
How did you find God through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes? I was invited by a friend a year ago, when FCA was pretty small in my high school. There were maybe 20 kids. I didn't have a relationship with God, but I wanted one, and I knew there were donuts, so I wanted to go. I went and fell in love with it. I've gotten into my Bible and into my relationship with God, and it changed my life! I wanted more! I'm now a Huddle leader, and I try to do as much as I can in the community. I've done some FCA camps and sports camps, and I work for the rec department as a camp counselor. I try to be the best influence on those kids as well.
How has social media helped you grow in your faith? I think, as bad as social media is for youth, it has a major impact on the spreading of Christianity. At first, I didn't know what I was doing, but social media was a big help. It can lead people to the solution. I think people see Christian influencers and how great their lives are, and they want that.
What do you most enjoy about being part of FCA? I like the community, and all my friends are there now. They were either a part of it before I came, or came after. I think getting together so many of the athletes from my school and being able to talk to them about God is a great thing.
What is the response you get from most people when you speak about your relationship with God? Some think it's great and say they don't have one or plan on it, but others really want a relationship with God.
What is the biggest thing that surprised you about your relationship with God? It changed my life really quickly. The first impact was on sports. Last season, I didn't have the greatest start. Mid-season, I started going to FCA, and my performance got better and better. People came to me and told me, "You're a great human being." I knew something was changing, and it was Jesus.
The biggest thing that's changed is how much I want to impact other people. I've been so impacted in the past year as I've built my relationship with Him, I can't imagine not showing that to others. I want people to know there's so much more to living for Him.
It truly changed my life--from the mental and physical health problems I was in. I was constantly injured and delaying my return. Through starting my relationship with Him, a lot of things changed.
He shows me I'm not in it alone; He's there, and He's in control of it, and it's great.
What are you most looking forward to about being with FCA for the rest of your senior year? Mainly, I want to see how many people I can get there. I'd love to see even more people show up and hear God's word for 30 minutes a day, and I want to lead as many Huddles as I can.
Do you want to stay active with FCA in the future? If the college I attend doesn't have a Huddle, I'd like to start one. If they do have one, I'd like to continue with one.
What's a Huddle? It's a group of people who come to a Bible study. It's a big group of athletes, and we read scripture, ask questions, and talk about God. We have one that meets in our high school gym at 7:30 before school every Friday for around 30 minutes.
As much as it's a Bible study, it's more of a connection builder in our school that helps bring athletes together.
We have four huddle leaders right now, and we take turns each week sharing our lesson. If you aren't sharing, you're there to learn and talk.
What Huddle topics do people seem to be most interested in? From what I've taught, and I've taught about 10 Huddles, the ones people have been the most interested in were about God's love for us. I also did one about trusting in god and not being afraid, and that was a big one. I did one on reflecting His glory, which was well-taught.
How do you think what's taught at FCA impacts the mental health of athletes in your school community? There are a lot of teenagers who struggle with depression and anxiety--fitting in, school culture, and social media. I've felt it. When we meet, we know we're not in it alone, and He will get us out of it.
Telling people to pray is the biggest thing ever. I feel like, even if you don't have anyone to help you, God is always there and will help you out of it.
I had some friends talking with me six months ago, who were severely depressed. I encouraged them to pray about it and trust that God would get them out of it. Within weeks, they were telling me they were getting better. One told me he was struggling and talked to God for the first time in months. He saw a vision that night, and it took it off his shoulders.
Thankful: I had some friends talking with me six months ago, who were severely depressed. I encouraged them to pray about it and trust that God would get them out of it. I want to thank my parents and family for influencing me and telling me to keep going, because it's changing me into a better person.
