July 2006 CSBA Newsletter
From the Servant’s Desk
I have just a few items this month’s “Servant’s Desk”:
When I was at the Gap rally in May, I had the pleasure of
meeting Art Lohman from Centerville, MD.
Art had volunteered to provide a “Word of Encouragement” for the rally
attendees one evening in the conference room.
Being the cautious type, I asked Art about the theme of his message
beforehand…just in case. Art sensed the
concern in my questions and asked if I’d rather he deliver the scripture quotes
in the original Hebrew. “Sounds good to
me”; I answered with a smirk and a wink.
You’ve already guessed it by now, when Art was introduced he
started preaching in Hebrew! I learned
my lesson. Be wary of tall, third year
seminary students masquerading as road racers!
I invited Art to share some of his thoughts for this month’s newsletter…in
English.
July marks our annual RUN FOR THE WORD event to raise
awareness and funds to continue sending free Bibles to anyone, anywhere in the
world. Bill Allen (ba_rider2@hotmail.com), our national
coordinator, has set the weekend of July
15-16, 2006 for CSBA members around the country to meet and
ride. All contributions of $25.00 or
more will garner a 2006 Run For The Word event
T-shirt.
You still have time to put together a ride in your area. Make a few calls. Designate a location to meet and go for a
run. Don’t have a Run For
The Word information packet?
Email Bill Allen and he’ll get one in the mail to you. Can’t ride the weekend of 7/15-16/2006? No problem.
Have your run the weekend after or in August…or September. The RUN FOR THE WORD is our only fund
raising event each year. As a Christian
association, we feel the spreading of God’s Word is a Biblical directive worthy
of our efforts.
What do you do with all that money you’ve raised? Send your proceeds to:
Marvin Gurganus
PO Box 511
Jamesville, NC 27846
Make sure you keep track of your donors who have contributed
$25.00 or more. We’ll need their names,
addresses and T-shirt size emailed to brianp@christiansportbike.com
Finally, for those of you who don’t
receive Pastor Dave Brown’s weekly teachings on CD, consider sending for the
message given on 6/18/06, titled: Luke 11-B. It is one powerful CD!
I’ve been listening to Dave’s weekly messages for years now
but the message from 6/18/06 has to be ranked in the Top Ten of
Dave Brown sermons.
If you’d like to get a copy, drop a line to Calvary Chapel Columbus, 6075 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus, OH 43232.
(http://www.calvarychapelcolumbus.com/index.htm)
Dave never asks for a dime to produce and send out his weekly
teaching to hundreds of people. I’m
asking (not Dave) if you could include a check for $5.00 to cover the cost of
handling and postage. Make the check out
to “Calvary Chapel Columbus”. Thanks
God bless.
Brian Phillips
CSBA Servant
brianp@christiansportbike.com
Riding the
Perfect Line
By Art Lohman
The road-racing world is a most interesting place to say the
least. Traveling at over 150mph down a
long straight, engine screaming at 14,000rpm, as you begin to hang off the
saddle of a two-wheeled stallion, the bike leaned so far over that your knee is
scraping the ground at 120mph in turn one with another bike 18 inches from your
head. Modern day gladiators wage this adrenalin
filled battle for speed armed only with nerve enough to push the limits of
safety to the very edge while carrying just enough wisdom to know when that 1
inch wide patch of rubber that keeps a bike on the track is getting ready to
break loose. It is a world of risk and
adventure, marked with dramatic displays of damage and pain as riders and bikes
exceed the boundaries of physics, and raw speed propels both into the
unyielding punishment from stone and earth.
Surviving in this competitive and dangerous environment demands that each rider
know how to follow the line. The line is
the narrow strip within each racetrack that represents the fastest way through
the course. Personal success and victory
hang in the balance between the rider’s skill and mastery of his machine to
ride the perfect line.
A strong analogy can be made about our individual lives as we take this glimpse
behind the checkered flag. Because just
like the racetrack has many lines that can be followed by racers, with only one
line leading to victory, so to, can we begin to follow a line in our lives that
seems to be very well traveled, but falls short of a podium finish.
We pursue homes and possessions, diligently working, getting
the kids to their sports and activities on time, paying the bills, keeping the
lawn straight and somewhere after a rushed dinner and internet time, we grab a
few hours of welcomed sleep. Sounds
pretty familiar doesn’t it? All of us screaming down this line jammed with thousands of riders,
dragging our knees and pushing harder and faster, passing others, yet never
getting ahead. But this line
looks good, and indeed we must be diligent with our work and family
responsibilities, yet God tells us to: …be not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind that you might prove what is that good
and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)
There is another line, less traveled, not because of its complexity or demands
of perfection from imperfect humanity, but because we have not prioritized our
lives to walk as faithful men, setting aside the time to talk with God in
prayer, seeking Him through reading His Word and getting together with other
brothers in Christ to encourage each other.
Every line we chose can allow us to travel at breakneck speeds on this
track of life, but when our minds are renewed, through the power of the Holy
Spirit as we recognize the gift and hope of Jesus Christ, we won’t just exist
in life, we start to live. Our
lives become beacons of hope for others, a strong arm to embrace the shoulder
of a struggling brother, and your day to day struggles become balanced with
sufficient time for the work, as well as love and laughter.
I was following the line on turn 5 at Summit Pt Raceway in West Virginia,
leaned over as far as I could get, when out of the corner of my eye, another
bike appeared just inches away alongside of me.
The rider was off the line, going for a pass that required extra effort
to throttle up and lean his bike. When
we hit the apex of the turn, his rear wheel slipped out from under him, and I
glanced in time to watch him wad-up hard in the gravel. I thought of this message at that exact
moment, and praised God all the way to pit in.
Blessings to my brothers and sisters as we
bear the standard of the Risen Christ to a selfish and hurting world.
2006 CSBA Rallies
- CSBA Run for The Word – July 15-16, 2006.
- CSBA “Day at the Races” – 8/19/06 Virginia
International Raceway.
- Southern Virginia Rally – Sept. 15-17, 2006.
- CSBA Fall Rally – September 22 to 24,
2006,
headquartered in Wellsboro, PA. Ride some
of best, yet least known, country roads, in the northeast. This rally just keeps getting better.
Be sure to check the CSBA
“Events” page regularly for information updates http://www.christiansportbike.com/events.cgi
*** NEWSFLASH ***
Romans 8:28
- And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose.
Well
the good news is that the roof on the hall is finally on and we started using
the building. Bernard Claasen is
busy 
preparing
a curriculum that will keep the pre-school kids busy for the whole year while I
am looking into different ideas to start job creation programs for the woman of
the village. I decided to not rush ahead and do just anything, but to make sure
that what we start will have good potential. If you have any ideas or contacts
that could be of help please let me know
We
also started with the second house and are really pushing hard and putting a
lot of effort into getting it finished before July. The weather is not always
playing along and we were even surprised with a bit of snow last week.
Nicole Schenk from Canada
visited us for 2 months. It is always awesome to see how much the kids enjoy
having someone new with us and they were spoilt with all the attention she gave
them. With more visitors coming through
one can see the changes in the kids, and that is only through the love and
attention they get when someone visits.
Together
with one of the local guys, Isaac, we started 2 soccer teams for the kids of
the village. One team for the older guys and one for the
primary school kids. They are really putting their hearts into it and
most afternoons you find them at what they call their soccer field. This can
best be described as a dirt field and not flat in the least. Nonetheless, they
are doing real well and we just came from a game they played this afternoon
where they trounced the opposition 5-0!!
Editor’s Note: Additional
BreakThrough News Received Just Prior To Posting July 1, 2006
The
Care Center: This week the rafters and roof sheeting were
delivered, but unfortunately due to some cold days the house will not be
finished by this weekend as we anticipated. The builder promises though that
the roof will be on by next week. So God willing, by the next time you receive
our newsletter the second house will be finished!!
Taryn Quimby visited us this month and these are her thoughts:
As I sat on the plane heading
towards Johannesburg, with plans to work with the Breakthrough
Ministries team in Harrismith, I found myself wondering what on earth I was
doing. You’re going to a country you’ve never been to, meeting with
people who are complete strangers, working in a place that is culturally on a
different planet, and yet there I sat, on the red-eye from Madrid to Jo-burg. I trusted in God
to take care of me, but all of a sudden found myself in a panic. My first
breath of fresh air came when I walked out of baggage claim, and there were two
smiling faces waiting for me with a sign that had my name on it. Since
then, the entire trip was that same wonderful breath of fresh air. The
children that live up in Qwaqwa have stolen my heart, and their bright and
sunny faces are still with me today. Out of everything, I am able to say
that travelling to Harrismith and working with Breakthrough Ministries was one
of the best experiences of my life, and I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to
wish that same experience on others.
From tomorrow we have a team visiting from Australia.
They will be with us until the middle of July. When they go back home we have a
family visiting from the US
for the rest of the month. Bernard who is taking over most of the running of
the teams is going to have one busy month!!
The Day Care Center: During her visit Taryn did a great job getting the
daycare running again. Anna who was helping with cleaning around the house
stepped up to take care of the kids in the daycare and really impressed me with
the way she picked up what Taryn was doing, and from now will be more involved
in helping with teaching the kids. Awesome how God places
people in the ministry and then just blesses them with skills.
This
month the children learned about colors, did a bit of counting, played with
shapes and worked on their coloring skills, and believe me they had a ball!!
I
have started putting all the news and writings of visitors on a blog (still
working on the looks though), so if you have an Myspace account please visit
us: www.myspace.com/breakthrough_ministries
God Bless
Wim & Hylien
If you feel moved to
help the kids in QwaQwa, South
Africa:
- Keep
BreakThrough Ministry and Changing Tomorrow Children’s Foundation in your
daily prayers
- Visit
the BreakThrough Ministry website to learn more about Wim’s vision for the
kids of QwaQwa at http://www.breakthrough-ministries.com/
and/or http://www.changingtomorrow.org
- Talk
to your pastor or the director of missions for your home church. Give them the BreakThrough web link, ask
them to consider helping or better yet, plan a mission trip to South
Africa.
- Or…put
your pastor/missions director in touch with me (Brian Phillips,
610-432-2733). I would be glad to
explain BreakThrough Ministry. I’ll
even come to your church and give a presentation if it’s within a
reasonable traveling distance.
- If you feel led, you can
make a donation at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr
Or, you can
send a donation via personal check to our treasurer. Send your check made out to: "Christian Sport Bike Assoc." including a short note
indicating the money is for BreakThrough Ministries to:
Marvin Gurganus
PO Box 511
Jamesville, NC 27846
THE NEW CSBA T-SHIRTS ARE NOW IN STOCK
We now have the new one color / one style CSBA T-Shirts in
stock. Sizes range from Medium to
XXLarge and remain at a cost of $18.00 including shipping. Check out the new style at: http://www.christiansportbike.com/former/t-shirts.htm
You can order your shirt by emailing brianp@christiansportbike.com with
your name, complete shipping address and size desired.
Currently we don’t have PayPal enabled for the new style
shirts. Please send your check for
$18.00/shirt made out to
THE CHRISTIAN SPORT BIKE ASSOC.
And mail to:
Marvin Gurganus
PO Box 511
Jamesville, NC
27846
Be
sure to indicate that your payment is for a CSBA T-shirt. Thanks
NEED A CSBA STICKER?
We have new stickers in
stock! Current color choices are white,
blue, red, and black (transparent background).
And the cost?
If you feel moved, you can make a donation to the Bible Fund, or Wim’s
kids, at BreakThrough Ministry (http://www.christiansportbike.com/donate.cgi). The stickers are a gesture of thanks to the
membership for helping the CSBA to be a Christian association that makes a difference
for Jesus Christ, both here, and around the
world.
Email your name, address, member number, and sticker color (white – blue – black – red) to brianp@christiansportbike.com.
OLD STYLE T-SHIRT
BLOWOUT CONTINUES!
The older style CSBA shirts are now “BUY 1 and GET 1 FREE”
There will be no re-orders on the older style shirts. When they’re gone, that’s it.
Go to: http://www.christiansportbike.com/former/t-shirts.htm
The best way to make a purchase:
- Make
sure that the shirts you want are in stock (jcmathis@insight.rr.com)
- Email
me with name, address and shirt information (brianp@christiansportbike.com)
- Mail
a check made out to: “The Christian Sport Bike Assoc”
- To:
Marvin Gurganus, PO Box 511, Jamesville,
NC 27846
Disclaimers:
- Multiple
shirt orders must go to the same mailing address.
- When
the current stock is gone, that’s it.
There’ll be no more. No back
orders.
All profits from the proceeds will go to the CSBA Free Bible Fund, to
continue our efforts to put Bibles into the hands of believers around the
world.
FROM THE CSBA EMAIL BAG
From a small congregation in Ghana:
Dear Brother in Christ,
How are you and your Church members? I hope by God grace everything is going on
smoothly as I am here with my church members and Families. Well, as you see at
down there are pictures and also member’s pictures too. I'm very happy to hear
from you soon that you are requesting for more photos.
We are in need of Bibles for worship and also read daily so
that the church members will understand the word of God. So now when will you send the Bibles
and how many Bibles can u send? Thank you very much and may our Almighty
God bless you, your church and family too. My Church Members and I are praying
for the materials you are coming to send us.
Please I want to end here with many greetings to your
Church Members.
Yours Sincerely
Pastor Gabriel.
From Mike Pruitt and the CSBRacing
Crew:
Hello Everyone,
We've just come off a
whirlwind of a weekend. And as much as I'd like to be taken up in the
clouds as Elijah was, we're still here! he,he.
But it was really a fantastic weekend. We were at Heartland Park in Topeka, KS
this weekend... http://hpt.com//store/catalog/road.php?osCsid=3db03c3b66c554c3b63f09b983c38c48
It's really been on my
heart to publicly pray for the guys/gals at the riders meeting in the mornings
at the track. For those of you that haven't been to a race weekend, the
days events start with a riders meeting where the track officials/promoters
talk about safety, logistics, the days events, etc. I've really been
inspired by some of our other team members that have had success with praying
at the riders meetings. I was praying this week prior and asked a
bunch of others to pray with me that the promoters would grant permission when
I asked them. WOW! God is awesome. The doors swung wide
open. They we're totally open to me praying and we're actually
happy I asked! Go figure??? They made an
introduction for me and off I went. It was just awesome to be able
to give God glory and see all the heads bowed for our
Lord.
As per our norm we
made a loop through the paddock with our cooler in tow, handing out John 3:16 cold bottled water to hot people and inviting them to
chapel. It's always a great chance to break the ice and warm up to
people. We had one of our best chapels yet with a good
turnout of over a dozen people in attendance. We gave
a solid gospel message that covers all the bases of Gods grace,
love and justice, mans sin, God come in
the flesh to reconcile man, and faith and surrender needed to receive
the gift of eternal life. We gave away quite a few Motor Racing
Outreach bibles, tracts and Fundamental Elements DVD's at chapel as
well. It's great to have good material to leave with
people.
We had many people
approach us throughout the weekend and thank us for the Morning Prayer and
chapel and I can't believe how blessed I was to bless the others. It
truly is a 2-way street. The more I reach out to others, the more I'm
blessed. God DOES answer prayer...thank you all for praying for us that
we would be able to pray for the group. God answered...Loudly!
We'll be at Putnam
Park Raceway in Indiana this weekend and we'd love to have your prayers for safety
and hearts ready for God.
Thank you for all the
prayers and support!
God Bless,
Mike and Leah Pruitt
www.csbracing.com
OTHER STUFF
**Don’t forget your CSBA July 2006
Calendar Download Courtesy of Bill Allen and the Central VA
Chapter
You
can download your free calendar here: http://cenvachristiansportbike.homestead.com/BA_rider.html
If you have a picture from a past CSBA Ride or Rally
you'd like featured on our calendar...send it to BA_rider2@hotmail.com
Take care & God
bless,
Brian Phillips brianp@christiansportbike.com
CSBA Servant
Roberta
Peart RAPfencing@netzero.net
Editor