Surf Camp Rides Waves of Joy

“Let the heaven and earth praise God, the seas, and everything that moveth therein.”(Psalm 69:34)

On July 13th, 2009, the Surf Camp was launched. And in the words of several of our young people, it was “AWESOME!” We had eleven kids on our first day, ranging in age from 11 to 15 years old. And given the response, we expect the number to grow through the rest of the summer.

Now some people might ask, why a Surf Camp? Many years ago, when I was a lowly youth intern at Berkeley Presbyterian Church, the senior pastor, Earl Palmer, said, “One of the most important things our church can do for our youth is to teach them how to ski.” I remember thinking that was an odd statement to come from one of the foremost pastors in our denomination, but I learned the wisdom of it.

Many people think the church should teach young people how to be nice, good, Christian folk. Earl’s point was that the church should teach young people how to live, how to experience life to its fullest. And what better context to learn about life, than in the shadows of the majestic mountains that bear the Creator’s fingerprints. What more exhilarating experience than shushing down the slopes with the icy wind in your face. What more communal experience than living for a time with sisters and brothers in Christ.

Some time ago, I was reminded by Earl’s comment. But I realized with our limitations, FPCSA could not easily teach young people to ski. But given our location, we could teach them how to surf. And while ski lift tickets are very expensive, surfing is relatively cheap. And so, the Surf Camp began.

How does the Surf Camp work? Every Monday morning we meet in the church parking lot at 9:00 a.m. Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers come with lunches, towels, sunscreen, booties (the beach we go to is very rocky), and medical release forms. We caravan to Doheney State Beach. Then we take one small group at a time out into the small waves where the adult leaders literally stand (the entire day) and hold the kids on surf boards until a decent wave comes; then we push them forward onto the wave and they ride as far as they can go. We’re back in the church lot by 3:00 p.m.

The first few times they simply lie and feel the wave push them forward. The next step is to try and get up on their knees. Then they move to a squatting position. Finally, they attempt to stand. On our first day, several of our young people were able to stand for a time. And while it’s not so much fun for the adults to stand pushing surf boards all day, it is truly fulfilling to see the joy and excitement on these young faces. By the end of the day, my voice was sore from whooping it up.

Here are several responses from people. One said, “I can’t believe how easy and fun it is.” Another said, “I can’t wait until next week!” One who had been silent on the way down, could not stop talking all the way home. Another met her mom in the church parking lot when we returned and said, “I want a surf board for my Birthday!” to which her mother responded, “But your Birthday is tomorrow!”

Later in the week, I received two other comments that struck me. The first comment came from our High School leader, Norma Galeana, who said, “Pastor, surfing is not something that we Latinos consider to be an option.” Some of the kids that came to the Surf Camp have never even been to the beach. For them, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. The Surf Camp is building bridges and building self confidence.

The other comment came from long-time member, Carol Hatch, who asked how the day had gone and then said something like this: “I remember when my kids grew up in this church, there were lots of great programs for them. And they still talk about those experiences to this day!” It is my hope that thirty or forty years down the line, these young people will look fondly back at these times and say, “I learned how to surf when I was in my teens; and it was my church who taught me how to surf.”

Special thanks go to our leaders: Garrett McIntyre, Megan Acedo and Danny Jimenez. And special thanks to two very good friends of mine: Steve Sweet, the associate pastor of Laguna Presbyterian, who loaned us two surf boards; and, Steve Wright, the organizing pastor from Village Presbyterian of Ladera Ranch, who came with his son, Matthew to help train our youth. This is one more testament to the connectional benefits of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The Surf Camp will continue through the month of August. Please pray for the safety and positive experience of our young people. If you would like to assist by being a driver, please let me know. If you want to sit at the “base camp” on the beach and assist in keeping everyone happy, you are more than welcome. If you want to join Garrett and me in the waves launching the kids forward, we would love the company. And if you would like to donate a board, we could use more; they should be at least 7 foot (boogie boards don’t really work at Doheney).

Together we at First Presbyterian Church are building for the future. And we are furthering the Kingdom of God one soul at a time. Together we are stronger. And so we can echo the words of the psalmist, “Let the heaven and earth praise God, the seas, and everything that moveth therein” . . . including the youth of FPCSA!

May God richly bless us even as He blesses others through us!

In His Love & Service,

Lance