Luke Beardmore and Dannie Boyd are part of an evangelistic wave begun in Sydney that is set to flood surfing communities worldwide.
Luke explains that since "he came to the Lord' earlier this year thanks to Dannie and Maroubra Surfers Church, God has been working in him, helping him to put his "faith into action'.
A partnership between Sydney Anglicans, Christian Surfers Australia and Church Army Australia, has now seen the Rev Steve Bligh appointed to lead the Surfers Church, building on an existing Monday night ministry to the Maroubra surf community.
Together with substantial funding from Church Army, a new grant from the South Sydney region of Sydney Diocese, will make it possible for Steve to work there full-time.
"Time and money are important- and the Regional grant will help make it possible for me to put my full time into developing and co-ordinating the surfers ministry so that it can have widespread gospel effects- locally, nationally, and overseas."
Mr Bligh says that surfers churches have developed in South Africa, Brazil and on the Gold Coast.
These arose independently of the Sydney plant, but were driven by the same vision to see surfers evangelised and discipled over the long term.
However, the hope is that the Maroubra church will become a training base for young evangelists from around the globe.
"During the course of a generation, this has emerged as a global need," he says.
"We are seeking to provide the maturing, expanding, world-wide surfing network with loving Christian expressions of community- that are effective in evangelism, discipling, and training in mission- for the generations to come."
As Steve puts it, by funding Surfers Church, South Sydney Regional Council are directly applying the Diocesan Mission- "to take further initiatives to create fellowships by penetrating structures of society beyond the reach of the parish church with the gospel".
Steve sums up Surfers Church in one word: "Rugged'.
It's everything most Anglican churches are not.
It's young and raucous. Most members are under 35. Two-thirds are blokes, are generally well muscled and fit. Most surf, but some play Rugby League or are boxers. Some have seen the inside of prison. A number are heavily tattooed.
"Right now, Monday nights are our main gathering," Steve says.
"We average twenty guys and girls crammed into a grungy lounge room. Literally, people are sitting four abreast on three-seaters, sitting on the floor, and up the hallway."
Dannie leads Luke to Christ
Like many other young blokes his age, Luke has had his problems with alcohol. But what really made him think more about God lately is that he has been "pretty down'. One of his best mates has been diagnosed with brain cancer.
"I was really destroying myself," says Luke.
Luke has known Steve Bligh's ministry off-sider, Dannie Boyd, since he was a kid. So one day last year when they ran into each other in the surf, they got talking about what Luke was feeling. It's been a gradual process, but at the beginning of the year Luke came to a Surfer's Church meeting. Now he can't get enough God-talk.
"I wish we had a meeting every day," says Luke. "It gets you amped for life.
