A New Season In Life

Last weekend FCA hosted its annual College Getaway.  Over 200 college athletes from around the state of Mississippi were in attendance.   I have literally seen 100’s of lives impacted at this event over the years, including mine. The event is very special to me because 11 years ago when I attended as a walk-on linebacker at MSU, God called me to the ministry.  After 3 years in the coaching ranks I was given the opportunity to serve as the MSU FCA director for the last 8 years.  It is only appropriate that the event where God started my journey with FCA, would be the event where God concluded it. 

As of February 15th, I will resign from my post as MSU/District 1 & 4 FCA Director.  I could never put into words what FCA has meant to me.  The relationships that God has allowed my wife and I to forge during our time with FCA are phenomenal. 

I have had the honor of co-laboring with the best FCA board in America.  Our local FCA board has worked extremely hard to make sure that this ministry was one of excellence.  They have locked arms with me over the past 8 years as we have worked diligently to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.  They have taken FCA to new heights and will only continue to take FCA farther.

FCA cannot function without finances.  Over 500 people have been so faithful to give sacrificially to make sure our staff were paid, to make sure students had Bibles, and to scholarship students to FCA camps.  I pray for this group often.  I am indebted to you for your faithfulness over the years and pray that you will continue to support our hard working staff. 

Mark Boren, Alex Hagler, and Cortez McCraney are the current FCA staff at MSU and in the District.  They are truly like my brothers and sister.  We have worked together as family in spreading the Gospel.  We have climbed mountains and walked through valleys together.  These are some of the godliest people I know.  They will continue to be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel and by the grace of God will take the ministry of FCA to new levels.  Ashlea and I are also indebted to the numerous FCA staff around the country.  You could not ask for a more God honoring group of people to work alongside.  

The MSU athletic department has welcomed me and considered me family for my entire 16 years as a walk-on, Graduate Assistant, and FCA director.  Larry Templeton and Coach Sherrill opened the door for FCA at MSU.  Since then our current administration has held that door open wide and everyone in the department and all our coaches have welcomed my staff and I.  Every coach has opened doors for us to minister to their teams.  My wife and I have a have so many memories surrounding MSU athletics and we are forever thankful for you opening the door to us.

The student athletes we have had the opportunity to work with over the course of the years have given us way more than we could ever give them.  The impact they will have on the world will not be fully known until we get to heaven. 

Fortunately Ashlea and I will not be leaving Starkville!  So our heart is that all the relationships God has allowed us to cultivate over the last 8 years with FCA will only continue to grow as we enter a new season of life at Pinelake Church.  Pinelake currently has 3 campuses; one in Brandon, Madison, and Clinton.  The fourth campus will be coming to Starkville soon and I will have the honor of serving as the Pastor for Pinelake Starkville. I am very humbled to join the staff of such a life-giving dynamic church like Pinelake. I'm very impressed with the spiritual men that God has placed in leadership at Pinelake and I am extremely honored to lock arms with them in ministering to the Starkville community. It is my hope that Pinelake Starkville will become a place where people of all ages and from all socio-economic and racial backgrounds will come together and share the abundant life that is found in Jesus Christ! And by leveraging the opportunities of being connected to the already established Pinelake family, I am expecting that Pinelake Starkville will be a church that impacts the nations.

Ashlea and I hope you all know that although my employment contract with FCA will be severed, our love for you and for the ministry of FCA will continue for eternity.  Our home, our phone, our email, and our new church will always be open to you.  Please let us know how we can continue to serve you.

As we follow His footsteps…

May God Bless You Always and In All Ways,

Josh and Ashlea Gilreath
Ephesians 3:20