A Place of Healing for Hurting Lives

French Camp Academy

When traveling along the Natchez Trace Parkway, it’s easy to notice the beauty of nature—deer grazing on the side of the road, turkeys crossing an open field, a turtle optimistically taking one step at a time. In the midst of all this, at mile marker 181, a different type of beauty is seen. It is the beauty of God’s hand at work in human lives.

This beauty takes place at French Camp Academy (FCA), a shelter and place of healing, for kids who are struggling; a place where they are loved and cared for; a place where they can flourish and thrive.

FCA, a Christian boarding school, was originally founded in 1885 out of a community’s desire to provide excellent Christian education. That same desire still lives in the hearts of the staff on campus today. FCA’s history is filled with stories of changed hearts and lives.

Stewart Edwards, President, describes FCA, “It’s a very peaceful place. It is in the woods on the Natchez Trace Parkway and I think that contributes to the quiet atmosphere, although there is a lot of activity here. I would attribute the peace to the fact that God’s hand is here. His Presence is just felt. A lot of folks that come to visit for the very first time come off the Trace and they sense something different. They sense that peace. We would say that is the presence of the Lord—His protection, His provision, His presence.”

A Place of Healing

Students come to FCA for a number of reasons. Difficult family situations top the list. An overwhelming number have experienced the pain of their parent’s divorce and many are being raised by someone other than a parent. The backgrounds of the students reveal the hurt that many of them deal with on a daily basis.

When they come to French Camp Academy, children experience stability through the structure of a daily schedule and encouragement through building relationships with Christian adults. Randy is one of those students who has benefited from being at FCA. Bearing scars of abuse from a drug-addicted father, he now experiences consistent encouragement, structure and stability. Now that Randy is here, he has hope.

Knowing that many of the students struggle with events in their past, this semester French Camp Presbyterian Church invited students who have experienced the death of a loved one to participate in Grief Share. Grief Share is based on biblical principles and led by staff members who have weathered the storm of grief in their own lives. One of the staff leaders says, “We have been delighted to see students taking in the truth of God’s purpose for us in the midst of suffering. They share their own struggles with one another and also reach out to their fellow students to comfort and support. And further, we are seeing them grow in their personal walk with God in the process!”

And day by day, by the grace of God, healing takes place. Stewart says, “Healing comes directly from Christ. He uses us as vessels unto mercy for these young people. He is very gracious in allowing imperfect people like me and everybody else here to share about someone who is perfect. Someone who can love perfectly. Someone who is wholly trustworthy. We can bring young people to the throne of grace where they can receive help in their time of need. It’s a great privilege to do that and see the Lord’s work in their lives to turn them around.”

A Place of Shelter

For many of our students, French Camp Academy is a place where they can shift out of survival mode and begin to thrive. Part of the stability FCA gives is in providing the basic necessities of life on a consistent basis. Our students enjoy a safe place to live, hot meals, a solid education, and people who love them. Stewart tells this story, “One day a little fellow who was new to FCA ran to the front of the dining hall serving line, looked through the glass, jumped up and said ‘Yipee! Another hot meal!’”

The FCA staff strives to put some distance between our students and the world’s influence. For this reason, iPods and cell phones are not allowed. At first, students aren’t sure they can live without these things. But hushing the noise in their lives often results in developing a focus on things that are truly important. Students admit that their grades are better here because they don’t have these distractions.

Removing external temptations that pull kids away from a godly focus also gives students a chance to see the night and day difference between FCA and the world. “Everyone out in the real world just tries to cut you down,” says James. “People here just try to build you up and help you in any way they can.”

The world bombards kids with messages and even Christian kids get snared by the constant distractions. “I was a Christian before I came here,” says Demetric, “but I wasn’t strong. I went to church, but wasn’t really into it.” After being at FCA for three years he says, “Now I’m really into it.”

FCA is a place where students feel safe. “Here you don’t have to worry about being put around drugs or alcohol or all that stuff,” says Chelsea. In that safety, students can cultivate their talents. Erica has been here for four years and says, “For some of us, if we stay here we’ll actually get somewhere in life.” Demetric adds, “FCA gives a hope for the future.”

Kuma is one student that is thriving in the shelter of FCA. Originally from Sudan, she struggles with the English language. Finally, four years of hard work and the dedication of her teachers have paid off. She beams, “I can write an essay now without help and I’m on the honor roll!”

French Camp Academy Staff: Called to Serve

The staff at FCA is a diverse group with the common focus of serving the children God brings to this school. Different personalities, backgrounds, and ages of the staff match the diversity of the students. Stewart says, “French Camp Academy is a great place to work but also a very hard place to work. I use the terminology “God calls people here” because folks that work here have to be called to last. If they are not called here they will not last. You cannot do this ministry out of human strength.”

Life at FCA is intense at times, and very real. The majority of the staff and students eat, work, play and live together on campus. With so many people living in a small area, there are times of frustration. The staff knows the students are watching their lives to see what makes them different.

“We are a group of believers that are called to live out a genuine faith before an audience of hurting young people. When I say genuine I mean one that is real, that shares the heartfelt struggles of life but also embraces the fact that we serve One who is greater than our struggles and never leads us into those struggles without being there by our side.” says Stewart.

Because of the close-knit community living of FCA, students have seen staff experience the loss of a child, depression, and other difficult family issues. They see many of the same struggles that are out in the world. But here the difference is the hope of Christ. In the world, our students have seen loss and grief without hope, addiction without hope of freedom, abuse without hope of deliverance. FCA staff can point kids to Christ for healing because they have cried out for healing in their own broken lives. “As Christians, we really serve out of our brokenness, and I think that’s what we strive to do here at French Camp,” says Lance Ragsdale, Vice President of Development. Through our brokenness the power of the Gospel shines.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

Students experience shelter, healing, and changed lives. That is a tremendous blessing. Very often they turn around and share that blessing. God sends the overflow of their hearts into the lives of others.

This is seen in the way FCA students respond enthusiastically when given an opportunity to serve. At Christmas time, the students participate in Operation Christmas Child. Dorms work together to fill shoeboxes to send to children in other countries. During VBS last summer, the girls of Griffin Home sold brownies to help raise support for an MSU student to go to China on a sports ministry trip. Many students bought cookies last fall to help bring Karina, an orphan from Ukraine, into a loving family. And students gave of their time and money to help send students and staff on short-term mission trips to Mexico and Wales. During sports season, many students are working in the Snack Shack during home games, the profits of which help provide supplies and scholarships for future mission trips.

Bruce Hosket, Dean of Student Life, says, “These opportunities give our kids a heart to serve others and there is healing in that. Many of our kids come from hurting family situations and they feel hopeless. They think they can’t make a difference. They need to see that they can make an impact.”

It is powerful to be used by God to impact someone’s life for eternity. Students who experience this are enthusiastic about serving God. Kim, a senior, went on two FCA mission trips last year. God used these experiences to shape the way she sees the world around her. As a result, Kim plans to major in intercultural studies in college.

French Camp Academy is a small place, but it is being used by God in mighty ways. He is changing the lives of students, and using them to reach out around the world with an impact that has eternal effects. And in the process, the goal of FCA is being passed on by students for the glory of God. Stewart says, “Our prayer is for heart transformation. That takes patience and sacrifice, but it is the only thing that lasts. It is an eternal investment that leads to transformed lives.” And those transformed lives impact the world around them by pointing others to Jesus, who came into our broken world to give lasting hope and healing.

Welcome to French Camp

Located on 900 acres along the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, French Camp Academy has 13 resident student homes, a Christian Academy and associated sports facilities, dining facilities, staff housing, a swimming pool, and a 30 acre lake. Other FCA ministries located in and about the campus include WFCA Radio, a Historical District and cafe, Rainwater Observatory and the Rising Son Camp and Conference Center. To find out more about FCA or its support ministries go to www.frenchcamp.org.

• French Camp Academy has provided 45,500 safe nights and 136,500 meals this past year.
• Supervised 299,670 student work hours.
• Taught (instructional in the classroom) 213,360 hours in the high school.
• Provided 560 hours of professional counseling.

*The above stats are based on 160 boarding students and 70 day students.

A word from the students

What is French Camp Academy?

“It is a Christian home for kids that struggle in some area or who didn’t get what they needed at home.” -Kim

“It’s where people go to improve and get good character and get better input on how your life should be.” -James

“FCA will help kids from different situations back home. I came here because I wanted to.” -Kuma

“If I wouldn’t have come here, I most likely wouldn’t have decided to change my life around—my bad habits and all that stuff. French Camp helped me to see clearly.” -Kim

What We Like About FCA

“I like my work crew job, my friends, and I love the fact that this is a godly place.”

“You have smaller classes so you get more one on one time with your teachers. It’s easier to get help.”

“This place is smaller and there’s not a lot of pollution. We’re not around a lot of bad things like smoking, and drugs and alcohol.”

“I feel safer here.”

“I think it’s easier to talk to people here about a lot of stuff.”

“They help you with manners here.”

“I like the staff because they encourage me a lot.”

“I really like it here. It’s a good place to come to try to stay out of trouble.”

“I think the best reasons to come here is that it’s a good Christian environment and the football team is really good this year.”

Opportunities to Get Involved

Pray for students and staff.

Partner with us financially.

Discovery days—Get the French Camp experience on a tour of the FCA campus. See how our students live, explore some of our support ministries and end the tour with a delicious lunch at the Council House Café.

Volunteer service projects—In the summer months some dorms are closed for renovations. This is the perfect time for groups to come in and help make the dorms homey for our students.

Outreach—Every community has families that are broken and experiencing a lot of hurt and pain. Churches can partner with FCA to reach out to people in their communities who need a place of hope and healing.

To find out more about getting involved with French Camp Academy, contact Lance Ragsdale at 662-547-6482 or lragsdale@frenchcamp.org.

Bread Ministry

As you step out of your car in the Welcome Center parking lot, the aroma of bread baking is overwhelming. Enter the doors and it is almost irresistible!

For more than 50 years, French Camp Academy has been baking bread and using it to say “thank you” to its many supporters.

Rev. Sam Patterson, president of FCA from 1950 - 1967, started taking homemade bread, baked by students and staff, with him when he traveled. He would give it to supporters to show appreciation. Thus, the tradition of giving French Camp bread began. FCA now bakes over 15,000 loaves each year to use in a variety of ways.

A Gift of Bread

For Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a birthday, anniversary, or for any occasion, a loaf of French Camp bread, sliced and toasted, spread with butter and jam is a gift to savor.

Make a minimum donation of $15.00, and FCA will send a gift of bread in your name. Please include your friend’s name and address. We will send a loaf of bread and a personal letter acknowledging your donation. The students at FCA and your family and friends will all benefit from your gift.

For more information, contact Janice at the Welcome Center Bakery at (662) 547-6482 or jjones@frenchcamp.org. French Camp Academy is a non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.