Chase Ashcraft unwittingly sat at the table of an FCA Bible study one day during his freshman year at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois. He was playing a game around campus with some other students, and the table was in just the right spot. It soon became clear that joining the table was no mistake but an answer to prayer that would change his life.
Before his high school graduation, the track and cross-country runner asked God to lead him to a college where he could grow in his faith. Ashcraft said at the time he would have described himself as a Christian, but he now realizes he didn’t truly understand the Gospel and what it means to follow Jesus.
Yet God was working in Ashcraft’s life as he enrolled at Judson. When he sat at that table, the FCA leader invited him to join their group. That led him on a journey of hearing the Gospel, discovering how to have a personal relationship with Jesus and receiving mentorship from several leaders.
Ashcraft said sports were an idol in his life prior to his involvement in FCA, and he used his experiences in sports to determine his value. FCA helped him find his identity in Christ, and he began viewing sports as a means of glorifying God. He said this helped him keep perspective through the ups and downs of competitive running in college.
Ben Anspaugh, FCA Representative for Northwest Chicago, said Ashcraft was well known around campus and a successful athlete when they first met. Ashcraft’s faith was new, and he had many questions. The two met for discipleship over the next three years, and Anspaugh saw Ashcraft mature in his faith.
“Through his humble spirit, discipleship with FCA, the ministry of his local church and, ultimately, the work of the Spirit, [Ashcraft] has grown into a confident follower of Jesus Christ who is bold in sharing the truth of the Gospel and persistent in ministry to his peers,” Anspaugh said.
He recalled a time late at night when he saw Ashcraft in a lobby explaining the Gospel to another student and patiently answering his questions.
“[Ashcraft] has truly become the ‘go-to guy’ on campus for those who are seeking to know the Lord,” Anspaugh said.
As such, Ashcraft served as an FCA leader at Judson, serving as president in his senior year.
Ashcraft said that without the influence of FCA and being in Christian community at Judson, he doesn’t know where he would be in his faith walk. He said he could have easily been the seed Jesus refers to in Luke 8, which gets trampled on or choked out.
“I came to Judson, became a Christian and started to understand the Gospel, but the seed was new,” Ashcraft said. “I didn’t fully understand it. Having people come beside me and disciple me helped me.”
Not only did Ashcraft receive the gift of discipleship from others, but he also took time to disciple.
Victor Rodriguez, a baseball player at Judson, did not have a personal relationship with Jesus when he first came to college. Ashcraft explained the Gospel and shared how he worked through personal struggles with God’s help. This openness encouraged Rodriguez to grow in his faith and relationship with God.
“[Ashcraft’s] intent to reach out to people on a deeper level really makes him stand out as a leader,” Rodriguez said.
Ashcraft has moved on to the next phase of life; he recently graduated from Judson with a double major in business management and marketing. He also married his college sweetheart Sydnie, and they moved to his hometown of Cloverdale, Indiana.
Going forward, Ashcraft said he will take the foundational evangelism and discipleship tools he gained from FCA and continue to use them to share the Gospel and disciple others.