1985 Grom Group
MITCH. You’re running a local thing at the moment called Shaping Bay. Do you want to tell us what that is, how long it's been going for & the idea behind it?
BD. Yeah. Well, I've been running Christian Surfers as basically a Grom program I realized for 34 years…so for 34 years Christian Surfers for me was teenage boys. So, 34 years of teenage boys. I've been living in this area for a long time and just had this revolving door of 17 year-olds leaving the group you know, which is typically what happens if you're down with teenagers, and very few would make the transition to becoming leaders because so many of them moved out of the area to go to uni to find other jobs or whatever. And so, as I was getting older and maybe a little tired of growing camps aha
MITCH. They're wild.
BD. I was just more and more convicted around just now seeing some of those 16 year olds who were 26 and then they’re now 36 and like I'm still good friends, but there's nothing in Christian Surfers where I can invite those kind of people to because they're not in the grom stage. So, I just had this restlessness around what would it mean to create a missional route that older guys could come to, and was really thinking about that because you know I've got older and all my main surfing peers are getting further and further away from 17 year olds and 16 year olds ,and I'm hanging out with older and older guys. Church stuff is still a massive jump. So, I'm thinking they can't go to church, they can't even go to Christian Surfers, here I am with all these personal relationships. So, I started thinking and reflecting on what it would have mean to create a community that was a different kind of model than just a sort of Bible study more proclamational thing but a conversational model for older friends.
So, the Shaping Bay, it was started six years ago around the idea of community, that it would be a community for older guys. We had that through surfing but to actually land it at someone's house in the meal then it would be topical, we would find a compelling topic that we would think about, or it was something that just came up in the community as some crisis has happened, we'd have a topic. But it would be a conversation and the best way to get conversations is to pose some questions. So, three questions would be posed, and each question would take you deeper and then it would be a discovery. It would be a facilitated conversation, no pressure. But we would discover the things around these topics and then at the end the facilitator- which is a Christian Surfer guy- would draw the threads together and somehow maybe draw some biblical connection, which we would often refer to as an ancient text. I'll often tell guys man, listen to this, it's like 2700 years old, it's from this book of Proverbs. You'd read it out and guys are going yeah, that's the same stuff we were talking about, and they find out at the end that Asian text is the Bible and how good is that!? So, that's my latest development I guess of, what does it mean to pioneer a new expression or mission to a much older group of guys who'd be very shy of Christian Surfers. None of them would think they're going to Christian Surfers. And so, I would say it's a community conversation that's facilitated by Christian Surfers, it's not a Christian Surfers group. So, it's quite different.
Cronulla 1984 girls.
MITCH. There's a there's a girls group happening too?
BD. Oh, yeah, there's Shannon Hughes- WSL commentator, great surf coach. She had a bunch of girls who were quite keen to get out of the community of surfing what does it mean to have more conversation. So, my wife sort of stepped into that, my daughter was happy to be part of that and yeah, she's been left carrying the baby because the other Christian girls moved on haha. But that has been another interesting expression, they’re mostly in their late 20s, early 30s- quite a challenging group to wrangle that one. My wife says she has been the mum figure and some of the girls don't have mum figures, so it's been quite special. She's also navigating this space; it’s some pretty hectic topics with some very politically savvy, well-educated women who have very little regard for Christianity but find this group quite amazing.
SAMMY. Wow. That's cool. I've had the privilege of going to a couple of them and I think what you said is right, like the way it's so organic- it's not blatantly non-Christian but it's disarming enough so that someone that's pretty opposed to the church can walk in and go yeah, I feel comfortable here.
And even the way you word stuff like there's an ancient text or an ancient idea so and so. It sort of disarms them to want to listen a bit more. The unfortunate thing is I guess when you go hey from proverbs or whatever they go oh, that's from the Bible. I might switch off here…
BD. Yeah.
SAMMY. But I think the couple times I've gone, I've heard you lead with that and it's a really cool way to not surprise attack people.
BD. It's gotta be genuine and authentic, and I say if there's going to be any Christian content coming out, it's just going to be because some of us happen to be Christians in the group, and if the topic and the questions are your faith; it has some meaning on how you answer those questions- you've got to own it, and you've got to own it with words that a person can relate and understand to.
So my mate Alex, who I was surfing with this morning, he came up to me a while back and said was this a Christian group. I said no, it's not a Christian group in that some of us happen to be Christians, there’s plenty of guys that aren't, but all views are welcome, every views welcome, welcome including the Christian one. We're not gonna we're silence or shut down anyone, because in certain conversations when you're in the Christian world ,well if you have this kind of view you're going to be shut down , but equally if you're in another setting and you happen to have a Christian point of view well you're going to be shut down. So, I'm saying no, no, we're going to learn to have honest conversation and no one's going to be shut down, and most people find that refreshing.
MITCH. Yeah, you don't often have honest conversations these days.
BD. No, it’s too polarizing and most people deep down realize that, so it's quite refreshing to go well I don't understand that at all and don't agree with it, but good for you, and maybe we can learn something from each other. So, all of the guys have said that whether they're Christian or not they've said I learned a lot from listening to the stories and the way you've answered those questions.
The thing is for that to be multiplied all around the place, and I've applied exactly the same principles to various other main groups and other groups that got nothing to do with surfing- but that model could be utilized anywhere and in today's world, and as a church, is looking at ways of creating community or doing mission or building relationships, there's a lot to be said there.
1986 ‘Behind The Lines’ Opera House
MITCH. What’s going down in CS? Like what’s some upcoming stuff, do you have any of the gossip?
SAMMY. National or Intergalactic.
MITCH. Intergalactic.
SAMMY. You can throw it out at us.
BD. I sit on the side a little bit, I'm not in the center anymore. But as the founding advisor, I still sit on the International leadership team which is incredibly generous of Roy, who when I was the international director he was on my team. Now, he's the international director and I'm on his team, because at the end of the day, we're not here to build our own kingdom we're here to build the kingdom of God. We're on the bus and who cares what seat you have on the bus because you know you can switch seats according to the season and timing of life and you've got the humility, where you can continue to play a role. But that space is very rare in organizations and the chairman of the boards, it's very unusual that Christian Surfers is able to do this. And so, sitting in those places for sure Roy at the International Conference said we're definitely going to step out of the fogginess of a Covid era, and it's time to step up and step out, and the vision was cast , that at the moment Christian Surfers is around 30 nations and about 150 missions. But by 2030, we're going to be a thousand missions in a hundred countries.
So, that's growing our ministry seven times in terms of the chapters which is probably the most significant side of growth. It's echoed by Christian Surfers Australia, who announced that Easter this year, that at the moment there's about 20 chapters and we're to be 40 chapters in the next three to five years so doubling the size. Globally you're talking about increasing seven times the size. So, definitely a big push to not look down or look in, but to look out.
I think there's some incredible opportunities emerging. I'll put Indonesia on the table because I'm filling a gap at the moment as the regional coordinator for Japan and Indonesia. There is no Christian Surfers in Indonesia, Ado and the crew had done that role for over 20 years & decided to shift sideways with a focus with other church planting movements. So, it's positioned vacant but I've developed a network of surf Ministries that are operating in Indonesia, and Ado and his crew are still one of that, they still want to partner with Christian Surfers but not be Christian Surfers. We had a face-to-face meeting on a new charter boat which is another new ministry starting in Indo, and decided the best thing that Christian Surfers could do in Indonesia would be to mobilize short-term missions of guys to go and either service some of these other organizations and secondly, to rebirth a faith-based surfing hostel which was called the Bali Surf house. A couple of great girls ran that for a very long time, and it's been dormant for three years. We feel like it'd be great to see that start again. So, there's a position vacant that will be pitched about some young crew thinking about living in Bali and running a faith-based surfing hostel.
There’s plenty of other opportunities around short-term mission stuff, and the Olympics is being held in our region in Tahiti, which will be the only time a Pacific island- probably for the rest of history- will ever host an Olympic event. So, Kevin Hemingway's got a big sort of welcome sign for people, particularly from our area to come to Teouphoo, which actually you won't be able to access the event, it's going to be closed and televised but there'll be opportunity to do some ministry around the Olympics, because it's the biggest event in Tahiti’s history.
SAMMY. Wow.
BD. So, that's beyond next 2024. Japan's got a big open sign for some short-term mission stuff there and that will happen next year. So, a couple of short-term mission things, and potential for some long-term stuff, opportunities for expansion. So, there's some really good things to look forward to. More stuff around leadership development, I think we'll see more of that and the new Surface Bible is going to be getting developed with back-end digital platform for multiple stories and testimonies and stuff that can be constantly updated. So, that'll be an awesome resource that you can look forward to as a Christian Surfer person.
Taiwan 2012 Temple.
2005 CS Japan National Conferance.
SAMMY. Oh, that's so exciting. There's so much going on and it's so cool to hear that sort of perspective and vision because you can get so, not lost, but just caught up in what's going on in your community. So then when you hear that snapshot just going wow, there is so much bigger and more happening than what is happening in just our community. So, that's super exciting & encouraging.
BD. Yeah, I mean everything from you thinking you could start another local mission in the beach down the road, which might mean you moving and becoming a new hub of activity to starting ministry in a new country. There's all kinds, but definitely I feel like Christian Surfers is in a lookout and grow mode.
SAMMY. Let's go. Watch this space.That's so good. That's a good encouragement for anyone listening as well just to hear that and take that in. If that's prompting you or making your G-d up, or getting you excited maybe listen to it and do some journaling haha!!
BD. It's great to reflect on where we've come from, because you talk about where we're going, but it's all based on where we've come from. So the Groundswell book, since you mentioned, if you’re listening or reading and like to find out more about Christian Surfers, a great way- you can look at the current stuff which will tell you the state of things and where some things are going- but by securing that book, you can also see where it's come from. A that's inspiring in itself because at the end of the day, the theme of the book is ordinary people but an extraordinary God. That’s my story and maybe that's your story.
SAMMY. So, good. I like how you use the word securing a book because they’re going like hotcakes haha.
MITCH. Yeah, flying out the door.
BD. That's right. Good guys thanks, great to chat with you, and I just want to cheer you guys on, guys and girls young and old. There's a fresh opportunity in Christian Surfers because surfing has expanded it's no longer a young grom thing or a single person- it's multi-generational, it's multicraft and it's also multi-causes- there are so many causes that surfing’s attached itself to. So, it's a great time to step into Christian Surfers now whatever you ride, whatever your age, whatever your interest is, great opportunities. Go for it.
SAMMY. So, good. Going forward as well, are there any prayer points that you'd want to throw out there for future or current?
BD. Oh, there's endless need of prayer for a new generation of leaders to be raised up. It's always that. I think vision is being clarified you know we want every surfer and every surfing community to have the opportunity to know and follow Jesus. That's razor sharp and really good, but I think the leaders and the resources to go with that from people in Australia to others overseas, thinking about KK in Japan, it's just a desperate need for people to step up and partner with people who really want to go for it in a bigger way- by leaving some paid work and coming to work with Christian Surfers. So, lots of prayer for that and I think to pray into some of these really tough sectors of the surfing community. Indonesia's the largest Islamic you know, Muslim nation in the world, it's the largest Muslim surf population. Japan's the largest unreached surfing population in the world and their so close to us.
MITCH. Our neighbors.
BD. Yeah, yeah, and here in Australia we have one of the largest percentages of people living in the coastal area, and whilst the vision is for 40 new missions, we actually need a hundred. Easily a 100 missions in 100 key surf towns in this country with multiple staff. So, pray, pray, pray that God takes it and makes it more in all parts of the world including our own backyard…
1982 Brett Davis, God Rules.
2003 Jesus air, Daniel Looman.