This story appears in FCA Magazine’s July/August 2015 issue. Subscribe today!

At the most basic level, the ministry of FCA revolves around daily interaction between coaches, athletes and FCA staff. For more than 60 years, those relationships have grown the ministry beyond the summer camp environment and into campuses and communities, as staff intentionally invite coaches and athletes into their lives.

Wanting to give readers a closer look into FCA’s grassroots ministry efforts, FCA Magazine traveled into the field—more specifically, into the home and life of T.J. Carlson, who serves as South Dakota State University’s football chaplain and the FCA Area Representative in Brookings, South Dakota. Carlson and his wife, Kristy, and their children, Noah and Sidney, are entrenched in the tight-knit community of Brookings, situated among stretches of rolling hills and farmland. Brookings, a town of about 23,000, revolves around SDSU activities. The Carlsons and FCA do their best to shine light on the campus and, more specifically, its student-athletes and coaches.

Follow along as FCA Magazine chronicles Carlson’s typical interactions on campus, in the office and at home, concluding with the South Dakota FCA Night of Champions featuring Tim Tebow in Sioux Falls.

Brookings FCA Area Representative and SDSU football chaplain T.J. Carlson attends a South Dakota State football practice where, as the team chaplain, he has an all access pass to interact with players and coaches.

The Brookings Area FCA Advisory Board meets in Carlson's office for a quarterly update on the ministry.

Carlson, Fellow FCA staff Nik Aamlid and SDSU football player and FCA Summer Intern Cam Jones discuss summer fundraising plans.

SDSU's weekly FCA Huddle meets in the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center, where Carlson provides pizza and the spiritual lesson for the week or hosts a selected guest speaker.

When not in the field, Carlson is at his computer in his Brookings FCA office.

SDSU Defensive Backs Coach Dan Jackson is a regular participant in Carlson's weekly coaches' Bible study and works with him to plan future FCA/SDSU camp opportunities.

Carlson and his family open their home to SDSU students, including a monthly FCA Leadership lunch.

Carlson and his wife, Kristy, make nightly dinner time a family priority.

South Dakota FCA Staff Erika Hessman, Carlson and State Director Keith Moore make final preparations for the FCA Night of Champions featuring Tim Tebow.

Carlson greets Tim Tebow prior to the Night of Champions event.

–This article appears in the July/August 2015 issue of FCA Magazine. To view the issue digitally, click here: July/August 2015 FCA Mag Digital 

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