Sharing Christ at the West Virginia FFA State Convention – by Michael and Karen Steele

FCFI witness Karen Steele (left) shows one young FFA lady the Wordless Bible colors and reminds them all of the salvation message of Lord Jesus Christ. A FFA chaperone looks on.

The Pennsylvania Northern Tier Chapter (PANTC) of the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International (FCFI) recently had the privilege of participating in the West Virginia FFA State Convention at the Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley, WV.

The FFA State Convention Career Day was held on Friday, July 11, 2025. Though the event was shorter than many other state FFA Career Days—lasting only from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM—it was filled with meaningful opportunities to connect with students. At 11:30, the students transitioned to prepare in their formal FFA attire for the remainder of the day’s activities.

Even in this brief window, God opened the way for great conversations and interactions between the FCFI volunteers and the FFA members. Many students stopped by the FCFI display, received encouragement, and heard the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

We are grateful for the faithful FCFI volunteer team who served at the event: Michael and Karen Steele, John Norris, and Bill Nichols.

Though the time was short, the impact was eternal. Seeds of the Gospel were planted in the hearts of young people who are the future leaders in agriculture and beyond. We continue to pray that God will nurture those seeds and bring forth much fruit for His Kingdom.

Now for some great pictures of that day!

John Norris came from southern West Virginia and this was only his second event as a volunteer but he was a great help, staying busy for the entire time. Here he is sharing with a group of FFA ladies

A young FFA lady is all smiles looking at the Bible verses on the inside of the FCFI gel bracelet. This feature makes them very different from many other gel bracelets with the gospel colors

Looking down the line at the ministry table manned by Bill Nichols (close left) and John Norris (far left) shows how busy they were all day

FCFI witness Karen Steele shows these two FFA ladies the little corn buckets with the FFA logo on one side and the American flag on the other. It comes with an FCFI gel bracelet and a card explaining the Wordless Bible colors

The FCFI staff received wonderful assistance from the FFA students throughout the day. When the team arrived, several students eagerly helped carry in all the FCFI supplies. At the end of the event, those same students pitched in again to carry everything back out—making the day much easier for the volunteer staff.

Most importantly, the FCFI volunteers were blessed with the opportunity to pray with many of the FFA students, seven of which asked Jesus Christ into their hearts and lives! Praise the Lord for this eternal impact.

Here are more great pictures from the event!

Three FFA students are looking at the FCFI gel bracelet as FCFI witness Karen Steele explains the Wordless Bible colors to them

FCFI was blessed with two tables. The volunteers were spread out along those two tables. You can see how busy it gets for the four witnesses on their feet, constantly talking and interacting with the FFA students

FCFI witness John Norris was a great help! Here he talks to two young ladies about their plants and about Jesus Christ!

Occasionally, there were moments like this. FCFI witness Bill Nichols has his hat off and bowed in prayer as Bill and two West Virginia FFA students spent some time in prayer with the Lord!

A special word of thanks goes to Bill Nichols, who traveled from northern Ohio, and John Norris, who came from southern West Virginia, to help make this day such a success for the Fellowship of Christian Farmers International. Their dedication, along with the entire volunteer team, was a blessing to the ministry.

We are already looking forward to returning for the 2026 West Virginia FFA State Convention!

We also want to thank each of you for your faithful prayer support and financial support, which make it possible for FCFI to attend so many events. In 2025 alone, FCFI was represented at around 25 different FFA state conventions, where the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ was shared with countless students and families. None of this would be possible without your partnership.

Remember, you are a vital part of this ministry. The Lord sees your prayers, your support, and your generosity—and you are credited with helping bring many people to faith in Jesus Christ.

God bless you, and thank you so very much!