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Welcome to the new-look Prayer Diary! We hope you like how we’ve split up our communications and hopefully this will help encourage you to pray, connect and stay up to date with all the work of CSUK. As you read this, I would value your prayers as I’ll be out, God willing, in California under my role as volunteer Team Manager for the English Para Surfing Team.
There are lots of exciting things going on at the moment within CSUK. Join with us in prayer; pray for Rob and the Trustees as we navigate and share plans for the year ahead and beyond. I’m excited for the CS Women’s weekend away and bless them to have a fantastic time together.
Thanks for committing to pray with these exciting times ahead! 🙌
PHIL,
UK National Director
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November’s Prayer Zoom will be hosted by the team in Ireland on
TUESDAY 12th at 7:30pm.
We look forward to seeing you there! It’s a crucial time for us to gather as surfers and believers. Let’s lift up the final few months of 2024 and start pressing into what the Lord has for us in the new year!
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7815018182?pwd=UmYxTXY2QTdMYVQ3OUFmS1MvY2pYdz09
Meeting ID: 781 501 8182
Passcode: 867419
(Next months prayer Zoom is tbc)
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THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
HE IS WITH ME
It was the first decent swell for a while and I decided to head out for a solo surf at a nearby beach break. Despite having surfed for about 20 years, I'm definitely still intermediate and absolutely not very brave. So, after having a look and seeing it was a decent size, I decided to take out a shorter board (I always ride a 9"0) and just give it a go.
I got in and managed to get out back quickly and had a try for a few waves. I fell off the first one or two, but then I got such a great wave – the first decent one on this board! I was grinning from ear to ear and sat out back, feeling on top of the world, waiting for the next set and started to paddle in a bit. And paddled a bit more. Then I paddled a bit more again. And more. Until I looked around and realised that I wasn’t moving in at all. In fact, I seemed to be just paddling on the spot. After about 20 minutes of solid paddling, going nowhere, I really started to panic. I daren’t stop paddling as the wind was taking me out to sea, but I was exhausted and verging on a panic attack. With genuine fear in my heart, I whispered a prayer, ‘Help me, Lord. Please, I need you to push me in to shore’.
Seeing a guy nearby, I said to him, ‘Um, hi, I don’t think I can get back in’ – he could clearly see the panic on my face and my breath was coming out in gasps by now.
‘Yes you can,’ he said and smiled at me and as I struggled forward, I realised that he had paddled alongside me. After a moment, I felt a push on my board and then another. I stopped for a breather and he was still just behind me, offering encouragement. Finally a big set came and he called out, ‘this one’ll get you in!’ and – along with giving me a hideous working – it did! I finally staggered in to the shore, and sat down on the sand.
God was absolutely with me in the sea today. Along with useful experience in wind, tide and rips, I realised how close God was to me – and not just in a moment of need. How many times do we cry out to God for ‘help’ when we are panicked and fearful, and forget to cry out his name when we celebrate and worship? I’d caught the best wave and had the worst fear all within the same hour. He amazingly and beautifully answered my specific prayer (and I have been praying blessings on the wonderful man at Perranuthnoe – if you ever happen to read this, my heartfelt thanks) with a push just when I needed it the most. He was also there, smiling and hooting with me when I got that great wave, I just didn’t acknowledge it at the time.
Life is often like this; highs are mixed with the lows in equal measure and if I hadn’t paddled out, I wouldn’t have had either experience. God powerfully reminded me just how tangibly close he is when I panicked. My prayer is now that I remember this every single day in whatever life brings.
PIPPA RENYARD,
CS PORTHLEVEN
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As always, the journey of CS is covered in God’s goodness and grace! Here are some of the things that we’re grateful for and praise the Lord for His unwavering faithfulness:
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CS Men’s Weekend: an incredible weekend of fellowship, surf and good food! Praise the Lord for relationships built over the weekend - the feedback has been nothing short of beautiful and we are in awe of how the Lord never fails to take the time to meet us where we’re at, be that in the sea, over a full english or a deep conversation with a new friend.
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Junior Surf Series Finale: as some of you know Phil heads up the junior surf series for Surfing England, a series of five events focused on under 12 and under 14 boys and girls, with the finale this year at Fistral. Andy Holter found out the event was happening and came down just at the right time and got some great shots which Surfing England have used for their publicity. A really great example of Andy being prepared to serve alongside myself, and Surfing England really appreciating what Christian Surfers does.
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We believe that prayer changes things! Join with us to lift up Phil and the team over in Cali over the next few weeks at the World Para Championships and for all the women heading to Georgeham next weekend:
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World Para Surf Championships: Huntington Beach USA (3-9 November)
Please pray for Phil as he serves the English Team for another year as volunteer Team Manager at the ISA World Games. Please pray for safety for the athletes in and out of the water, for a sense of unity, and for the opportunity for Phil to share his faith in any relevant ways
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CS Women’s Weekend: blessing for the organising committee as they finalise all the last minute details. For each and every woman attending that they’d leave the weekend feeling blessed, refreshed and encouraged
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DIARY DATES
CSUK Leadership Gathering
14-16 March 2025, St George’s House, Georgeham
Jesus Surf Classic (2024 Event)
5-6 April 2025, Coryde Bay, North Devon
CSUK National Gathering
20-22 June 2025, TBC
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