What We Do
Christian Surfers is about surfers reaching surfers using their surfing. This also includes all associated people in the surfing community. We are an outreach mission more than a fellowship group for Christians who surf. Here are some of the things CS does locally and internationally.
World Network
We are constantly building a world network of individuals and groups who represent all aspects of surfing and churches. Even more than a network, CSI is a family of surfers with the same heart to impact their communities for Christ. This network consists of contacts as well as our affiliates.
Local Contact
A contact is a Christian surfer who is in relationship with the CSI network and has a heart for reaching their surfing community but currently lacks the resources to become an affiliated mission. Such contacts are vital in emerging surfing cultures and supported by CSI. They do not have the right to run activity in the name of CS but can be supported by other CS missions at hand.
Affiliated Missions
Where a mission is established with an evangelistic purpose, a leadership team, and supportive church they can become a CSI affiliated mission. These begin as emerging affiliates and become full affiliates in time.
A typical Christian Surfers mission uses an outreach “Christian Surfers club” model of mission. These are integrated into their surf communities and led by a team of leaders from supportive local churches. Typical activities include regular meetings and evangelistic surfer-friendly Bible input, surfing contests, camps and day trips, surf coaching, and outreach to secular events. Established surfing nations multiply these local missions around their coastlines to form national movements that can evangelise and disciple surfers of the nation..
This is the core strategy of Christian Surfers.
Volunteers and Staff
CSI is a volunteer based organisation. We have minimal staff, and those on staff are normally faith financed positions within the organisation supported by the local church.
Other Core Strategies
Whilst each mission in each country will develop its own cultural expression of surf ministry, CSI recognises that there are key strategies for aiding world evangelism of surfers.
Broad Geographic Strategy
A key strategy in CSI is the establishment of 6 geographic regions:- Australasia, Pacific, South America, North America (includes Central America and Caribbean) , Europe, Africa. We encourage established missions to partner with emerging missions with the support of regional leadership.
Strategy for Local Missions
-
To develop ever more effective local outreach models of ministry that can be shared worldwide
-
develop national movements of local chapters of CS
-
To provide a vehicle to evangelise and disciple whole nations of surfers with the local church
Network of International Bases
-
To establish a world network of CS bases.
-
Venue for training and development of workers that can in turn serve our mission world wide.
-
Creating communities by which people are both taught and caught with the CS culture and vision.
-
To reduce costs by living in community.
Hospitality and Servanthood
-
To see a world network of hospitality minded missions and individuals that can connect with and evangelise travelling surfers
-
`Surfpackers’ style missions/businesses at world surfing crossroads.
-
Servanthood role at key international and national events
-
Chaplaincy support for professional surfers and related staff
Short-term Missions
-
To communicate global opportunities for short term mission.
-
Established missions to serve emerging CS missions
-
To investigate new mission fields.
Leadership Development
-
To establish Leadership Development and Training as part of our culture
-
To deliver standardised entry level training to all missions and their leadership
-
To have a world network of training opportunities and trainers
International Office and Resources
-
To model Godly leadership
-
To be a centre for research and networking
-
To provide the assistance of the International Director
-
To develop key communication tools:- website, promotional DVD, international magazine, prayer, e-news
-
To develop surfer friendly evangelistic materials in various languages eg: the Surfers Bible
-
To be a source of information of best practices and world resources
-
To facilitate international and regional conferences