THE CSA NATIONAL GATHERING WAS HELD APRIL 5TH TO 9TH 2012 AT COOLUM BEACH, QLD.  CHECK OUT THE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS REEL…

AND SOME FINAL WORDS FROM SOME OF THE CREW…

INSIDE-2012-02 (PDF)

The surf was pumping and the sun beating down as the paddlers for the twelfth annual Paddle Against Poverty arrived one-by-one bright and early on Saturday morning. As is usual for the event, the diversity of paddlers quickly became apparent as tiny, 13-year-old bodyboarder Darcy King registered directly before a group of much larger and older Bulli boys, including Sandon Point Boardriders president Jason Gava, a veteran of the pro surfing tour. They in turn were followed up by India Davis and Sophie Peatman, two 14-year-old girls, both of whom have only recently taken up surfing. Read full article at http://paddleagainstpoverty.org/

TO REGISTER:

1. Download and read – 2012 National Gathering Brochure pdf.

2. Make the payment:

Adult: $350
Big Grom (13-16yrs): $260
Grom (6-12yrs): $200
Mini Grom (2-5yrs): $100
Prices include 4 days dorm accommodation and food.

Account Name: Christian Surfers Australia
BSB: 036 123
Acct: 296 600
Description/Reference: “NGath-SURNAME” (eg: “NGath-SLATER”)

3. Book flights/organise travel.

4. Fill out online registration form here.

DONE!

ARRIVAL INFO:
If you’e driving …
NG is located at Luther Heights 1592 David Low Way Coolum Beach Qld 4573.
We’re 1.5 hours north of Brissy!

If you’e flying …
The best airport to use is the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore Airport. It’s only 15 minutes from Coolum Beach! We will do our best to pick you up anytime! If you need to fly into Brissy, we’ll have two pick up times on Thursday 5th April 6PM & 11PM.

If possible book you’re flights to arrive within that window. Returning flight shuttle drop off times will be
around 12pm so please book flights after 1pm! If you arrive or depart during NG times, there is a shuttle you
can easily book! Contact Adam Pearce at adam.pearce10 @ gmail.com or after 5PM on 0413 580 168

Paddle Against Poverty Manly – Dee Why 6km

19^th Nov 2011

Thanks to ALL who paddled, supported and donated to today’s Paddle Against Poverty! Crazy fog and a massive pod of dolphins added to the experience!

About Paddle Against Poverty Manly-Dee Why

As a surf community we are coming together to use our energy, boards and actions to voice our opposition to poverty! We are using the funds raised to practically to support World Vision Hunger project in East Sumba.

Surfers have always been passionate about caring for the environment and those in need. It is with this generous spirit and passion in mind that together we want to rally the Aussie surfing community to raise their voice and send a clear message to their communities and the Australian Government that we want more done for the poor in our world.

The East Sumba district in Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Province is one of the poorest districts in one of Indonesia’s poorest, least developed provinces. People who live there rely on dry land farming, which is highly dependent on good weather conditions for success. Today, East Sumba is experiencing a heightened food crisis, blamed mainly on prolonged drought and worsening weather conditions, as well as environmental degradation. These conditions have disrupted the planting season and caused harvests to fail. The dry season is longer, bringing extreme heat that kills crops.

Rainfall is heavier during the wet season, and has swept crops away. Food shortages are common and many children suffer from malnutrition. World Vision has been working in East Sumba for a number of years, mostly supporting long-term community development projects. But the people are stalled by this current food crisis. World Vision is helping the people of East Sumba to improve their livelihoods by introducing more sustainable farming techniques, making healthcare more accessible, and increasing the quality of education.

8 FEB – 13 DEC, 2012AD @ COFFS HARBOUR, NTH NSW.

For holistic leadership development, intern for CS whilst completing a Cert IV in Ministry through Alphacrucis College. Study and be practically equipped over the year (25hrs total per week) in a cohort with other likeminded crew! Students receive: expert training in Bible and theology, focused and personalised mentoring, heavily subsidised conferences (CS, CSI, Hillsong & more), optional OS mission-trip to India, and last but not least the opportunity to intern for CS Nth NSW (with RCs Nic & V Gilmour). Hone whatever gifts God has given you – from evangelism to artistic to practical to pastoral – and all things in between! The course is fully accredited, Austudy certified, can be leveraged for future study options, & will transform your mind.

Fearless & committed applicants with a passion to change the world need only apply!
More info: http://lifehouse.net.au/college/

LifeHouse Leadership College – 2012 Promo from LifeHouse Church on Vimeo.

The Christian Surfers Leadership Program is a 5 month or 1 year, cyclical course that’s been designed to equip people with the necessary skills for surf ministry and life. The program consists of a 3-month training phase, followed by 2 months of hands-on mission experience. The Year program consists of the same initial foundational phase with a further five months of internship working within the CS mission to complete the 10-month course. The course has two start dates and cycles through the program from each date. Start dates are 1 Feb & 1 July.

Ready to Launch

An interns perspective: by Jess Klette

Being the 1st intern ever to do the program in 2009, I have been around to see it grow as well as being actively involved, on the staff, in the shaping of the latest version of the program. The Internship started off with a blast (Similar to the experience that good surfers explain about being spat out of a sick, thundering barrel…don’t worry girls, I too, have no idea what that feels like.)

Since then we’ve had an Afrikaans surfer girl, a local skater, a large Aussie, an amped booger and a snowboarder from the heart of the US. Each of us have enjoyed the course and as well as us being shaped for Gods purposes, I feel we have also shaped what he is doing through the mission of Christian Surfers in South Africa.

We saw a need to open the program up for those who were keen to join us for a shorter time. So together we took on the challenge of designing a new 5 month program to run in conjunction with the 10 month stream. It is packed with training, service, exposure and a whole lot of fun. The program is officially locked down and ready to launch.

We’re gearing up for an epic Internship 2012. We have a great couple joining our team, the social justice rebel Rehgert and his Californian born wife Vanessa. They’ll be running the Aleph Surf Foundation and helping out with the CSALT program as well. We’re amped and excited for what God is going to do and who He is going to bring our way.

If you’re keen to apply or find out more email: leadership (at) sonsurf.co.za.
DOWNLOAD CSALT Brochure here (pdf)

Alternatively you can log out to the website at http://www.sonsurf.co.za/CSALT/.

To find out more about Aleph visit http://www.alephsurf.org/

Our idea of celebration over Easter…. get the Australia wide CS family together in one spot.  Kick it off with reunion hugs & smiles aplenty, add to that worship, frothing on God’s word from via our guest speaker (this year Travis Fitch), getting stoked on prayer & each other.  Surfing, hanging out, talking, dancing & plenty of ‘yeewww-ing’….. & we’ve been doing it for about 30 years!

It has for many years been referred to as Conference…. or ‘cono’ (because 3 syllables was waayyy too long); but that name has been retired.  We present the ‘National Gathering’ ….a meeting of the tribes; named to reflect the holistic & relational nature of the event….. but whatever you call it…. it’s rad & we love it.

I’m looking forward to seeing all the faithful regulars there, our wonderful army of leaders / volunteers + all the newbies that will be starry eyed & tres excited!

Travel safe, be expectant & see you on the Sunny Coast.

Jods 

DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO WORRY! 

Life as a girl in this world…..  at extreme ends of the scale, moments of sheer brilliance, through to gut wrenching bouts of crying to love power ballads. And what about all the stuff in between? What about those goober-ish moments you don’t know what’s going on?  Where you don’t feel clear or settled about things. What do you do then?  I cringe at suburban wisdom that says “everything will work out”….. “there’s plenty of fish out there in the sea” or whatever generic, broad-brush band-aid you want to slap on it!  Our hearts & minds demand more answers & comfort than that. I sit here a little perplexed trying to write this, not feeling clear about it – but I think that’s the whole point!  There are moments in life where you have just got to go with the flow….. where you don’t have all the answers; you may not even know what the questions is.  But that’s OK.  The comforting thing is that God’s got your back. Jesus said in the Bible:

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27, NLT Surfers Bible)

Recently I have been trying to coax beautiful native parrots to my balcony with my thrilling repertoire of native bird calls & an old pita bread I found in the fridge. I think they’re thinking “what is that two armed fool doing?”…..”we get looked after by God, as if we’re eating her stale leftovers!”.
It’s nice to know we are worth more in God’s eyes than the birds!  And we cannot make ourselves live longer by worrying.  I think I probably shorten my life when I do! We have a God who cares deeply for us.  So deep, that he actually asks us to let go of the ‘steering wheel’ of anxiety we grip on to so tightly & not worry.  Profound!

I have noticed over the past few months, the more I actually just go with the flow of life, trusting God & not doing mental gymnastics over every detail, God brings about the most amazing outcomes anyway.  Outcomes that have so much jaw dropping detail, fulfillment & breathtaking perfection. A result I couldn’t have made happen with all my best planning & carefully executed worrying!  Go figure?! And through that I know God wants to show his love, dependability & all out coolness to me! As you stop worrying, you start to build up a tidy resume of all the times God has come through for you, when you leave it to him.  It teaches you that answers are not needed; you just need to know God is there & that in itself is enough. It feels totally ironic & unnatural NOT to worry, but as Jesus continues in that passage, he tells us to just focus on today.  Our only worry for today …..and this week, is to stop worrying. Give it a red hot go!

Something to think about:

What are some of the common worries of girls / women in life?

In your own life, what is the thing you are worrying most about?

How does Jesus’ words of assurance not to worry help you with that situation?

Read Matthew 6:25-27 – what word or phrase specifically speaks to your heart & why?

How could you apply that specifically to your situation?

How can you do life differently TODAY with this passage from the bible in mind?

What would that look like practically?

SOME ONLINE MOVIES TO GET YOU FROTHING!

Some quick movies to help your surfing!

God bless grandma & those cheese slice wrappers.

My grandma & grandpa’s house was a big time capsule of the past.  It was great digging around in her stuff, looking through ornament cupboards & helping g-ma with cleanouts – because there was always some great fun & treasure to be had.

One thing I wasn’t so sure of is why g-ma saved the plastic wrappers off of cheese singles.  You know, the really thin, crispy plastic wrapper that comes off the processed cheese slices.  Why oh why grandma?!  I was convinced grandma was a hoarder, or a miser to keep something like that.  Sure, jars, old magazines & ornate curio’s….. fine – but cheese wrappers were not in that calibre of these worthy items…… surely!

I later came to understand that my grandma lived through a world war & the Great Depression, which gripped the world & Australia in the 1930’s.  Extreme poverty forced that generation to make the most of the very little they had.  Literally.  My generation & life experience was only one of peace & material abundance, so I could not imagine the value of something as trivial as a plastic cheese wrapper!  I had perceived my grandma in a framework, according to my life experiences; where in essence, she was a survivor of circumstances beyond my understanding, where the impact of that period on her life was so great, it meant she still lived out some of those behaviours today.  My viewpoint changed from being annoyed at all the clutter, to one of respect, admiration and the ability to let it go, because it was more important to accept & understand her as a person.

Ohh such a young foolish punk I was!!  Devoid of understanding or experience

Your life experience, past and present, contribute greatly to shaping your beliefs, ideals, behaviours; and conversely the framework through which you will view & relate to the world and other people.  Consider briefly the following questions for yourself:

• When & where were you born?  What generation are you from?
• Who raised you (mum & dad, single parent, another relative)?
• Where did you live (country, regional, city – house, unit, caravan, tent)?
• What social demographic did you grow up in (blue collar, white collar, rich, poor)?
• What is your ethnicity?  What is your religion or beliefs in life?
• Do you have brothers or sisters?  Are you an only child?
• What is your history of education?  What is your history of employment?
• What significant moments have you had in your life so far?

Now consider the countless combinations of answers for these questions you can put together for the 6.8 billion around the world!!  One persons idea of ‘normal’ can be light years apart from another persons concept ‘normal’!

Even though over half the world’s population live in extreme poverty (live on less than $2 per day) we can think we are poor, because we compare our circumstance to those around us that have more.  We would have no idea what it would be like for a kid growing up to live on less than $2 per day.  This is an extreme example, but it illustrates we cannot assume to have a full understanding or judge who others are as people, by our own experiences.  That does not void our experiences or make them less valid, but we need to be aware how our experience can be unique and limited.

Equally, life experience serves to be a wonderful chance to build relationships.  We can draw closer to others through ‘shared’ or ‘similar experiences’.  We can learn greatly from others who have experiences that are different to ours; or we can share with others our own experiences to comfort or encourage them.  Our differences should not divide us, but unite us.  Life is all about our experience and for us as Christians, how we go through those experiences with God.

For myself, sometimes (hmmm…..maybe all the time?!) I can be that way toward God.  I can’t understand why he doesn’t answer my prayer or give me what I want – “C’mon God, it makes PERFECT reasonable sense in my mind why that should happen for me?!!”  Then on the flip side, “Why did this happen?  C’mon God, you know I don’t need this??” (but apparently I did!).  I can be galaxies away from even comprehending why God does what he does.  There’s a great passage in the bible

 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
      “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      so my ways are higher than your ways
      and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9,  NLT Surfers Bible)

I actually think my brain would melt & run out of my ears if I truly comprehended all that was in God’s minds (full reps to the big guy for not disclosing all & sundry to me….seriously….thanks!).  Whilst that can be the case, we don’t have to feel isolated by that either  – like you’re in the dark. I remember one time I was baffled about some things in life & a friend shared this verse with me:

3 When clouds are heavy, the rains come down.
Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.
4 Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.
5 Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. (Ecclesiastes 11:3-5, NLT Surfers Bible)

While I couldn’t find the answer, or reconcile the thoughts I had in my head….. through this passage I understood, I’m not going to understand everything….. and that’s OK!  I then got the mother load of peace home delivered to my soul.  I felt relaxed & at ease that everything was where it needed to be…. even if I didn’t get it.

Thank you to the all knowing God & the not knowing very much….me.  J

Something to think about:

Think through your life experiences, past & present.  How would you sum up how these frame the way you see the world?

How different would your world view be to friends that are close to you?

What areas could you bring light to for others through your life experiences?  What areas could you possibly closed minded in or not able to understand others in?

Is there something in your life that you don’t understand?  What light does Isaiah 55:8-9 & Ecclesiastes 11:3-5 shed on this situation?

What feelings do you have when you can’t understand something in your life? ….how can you approach these moments from what is taught in these passages?