July
2007 CSBA Newsletter
From
the Servant’s Desk:
Romans 14:5-13 NKJV
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike.
Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the
Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe
it. He, who eats, eats to the Lord, for
he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and
gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one
dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we
die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived
again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do
you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ. For it is written:
“ As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.” Isaiah 45:23
So then each of us shall give account of himself to
God. Therefore let us not judge one
another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a
cause to fall in our brother’s way.
If
the CSBA has a corner on anything, it’s diversity. We have many Christian denominations
represented, age groups, geographical locations and economic strata. Attend a CSBA function and you’ll meet people
that differ from you in some way.
We
all agree on the CSBA faith tenets and our mission to reach out to others. Where it gets a little dicey is when an
individual’s denominational tradition bumps into the reality of running a 1000+
member Christian fellowship. One
individual’s church traditions may not mesh with the CSBA’s mission 100% of the
time.
The
CSBA is a non-denominational, not-for-profit corporation with expressed
goals. God’s Word, and the association’s
faith tenets, guide us.
I
was spending time in Romans and read Chapter 14 a number of times. Once again, Paul’s writings screwed my head
back on to where it was supposed to be.
Let’s
try to be aware of the denominational differences of our brothers and
sisters. Let’s strive not to place
stumbling blocks in a brother’s way, and let’s leave the judging of others to
Jesus Christ.
God bless
Brian
Phillips
CSBA
Servant
From the
Chaplain
It is an honor and a blessing to fill the role of chaplain
for the CSBA. The adventure, courage and bond of family that I have shared with
many of you have meant the world to me. Though I have the title of National
chaplain, the reality is however, that each of you will be the ones to bear
witness of Christ’s love and hope to your families, friends, and the folks you
meet as you cruise the streets. Herein lies the strength of this group, we are
not afraid to grab some gear, saddle up and hit the streets with a genuine
desire in our hearts to bring the hope of Christ in a relevant way to a hurting
and selfish world. Rest assured, you are unique as sport bike riders that have
faith in Christ, and there are many souls who would never set foot through the
door of any church, that will have their worldview and lives turned upside
down, and find hope and purpose, because you rolled up to them.
We must also overcome obstacles in our own lives; doubts,
fears, struggles with addictions, lust, and greed, strained relationships,
financial challenges, illness, injury and tragedy, have touched all of our
lives. Make no mistake, as Christians we make no claim to be perfect; rather,
we aspire to follow the perfect example of God’s love for us in the person of
Christ our Savior. To this end, I will do my best to encourage, counsel, and
share your burdens of trying to walk as a faithful people, in a world and
culture that often insults, alienates, and attacks our values. Though I have
pushed 800 miles on the GSXR in two days, geography will limit my ability to
attend events out west, but my heart is with you and I will try to make as many
rallies as possible.
I would challenge each of you to support your chapter
events. Take some time each day to pray for the CSBA, and ask the Lord for
courage to step out in faith, to reach the lost and encourage each other. Know
that God does not call the equipped; He equips the called. As Christian sport
bike riders, we are riding a road that may seem awkward and lonely, yet we are
never alone through the One who is faithful and Who bids us enter the war for
the souls of mankind. Look in the mirror, and you will see the vessel God has
chosen to bear His hope and truth to men.
Riding in His service,
Art
Lohman
CSBA
Chaplain
CSBA NEWS
From Scott
Journigan
Christian Sport Bike Association
Run for the Word
Saturday & Sunday
August 11th and 12th
100 mile Charity Run to benefit the CSBA
Free Bible Fund
National Event to Benefit the CSBA Free Bible Fund
The Christian Sport Bike
Association will hold its annual fundraiser and National Ride Run
for the Word
This
is a 100 mile ride, held in chapters around the U.S. to raise money for our
Free Bible Fund.
Since its inception, our Free Bible Ministry has shipped free
N.I.V. bibles to people all around the world, from street ministries in NYC, to
missionaries in South Africa, colleges, groups, ministries and individuals
around the globe, even those seeking salvation from within prison.
The CSBA has shipped Free Bibles to the USA, Africa,
Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, Czech Republic, Ecuador,
England, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Liberia,
Lithuania, Malaysia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden,
Trinidad, Uganda, West Africa, West India, Zimbabwe and more!
We ask for your support to help this ministry to bring Free
Bibles to the many around the world who are seeking the Word of God and cannot
afford a Bible of their own.
Run for the
Word Purpose:
v
To personalize the Bibles
we ship.
v
To increase and expand our
distribution of free Bibles.
v
To carry on the work of our
association in spreading the Word of God to anyone that cannot afford a Bible
of their own.
2007
Run for the Word
Rider
Information
We are
asking each rider to ride 100 miles on the weekend of Aug. 11th
& 12th 2007 to help raise funds for our Free Bible Ministry. We
would like each rider, if possible, to begin at his or her home church with a
prayer meeting.
While your local Run for the Word can be held anytime
during the year, this weekend will be our National Ride.
Each rider who sends in
$35.00 (U.S.) or more in donations will receive a Free Event T-shirt. You do
not have to be a CSBA Member to participate.
All checks and money orders
should be made payable to:
“Christian Sport Bike
Association.”
Please include “RFTW”
in the memo portion of all checks.
Mail to CSBA Treasurer: Marvin Gurganus
P.O. Box 511
Jamesville, NC 27846
Name
_________________________________
CSBA
Member # ___________ T-shirt Size_____
Address ___________________________________
City_____________ State/Zip___________
Phone____________ Email______________
Send this completed form along
with all Donations to:
Marvin
Gurganus/CSBA Treasurer
P.O. Box 511
Jamesville,
NC 27846
Chapter leaders,
If possible, please try and
send all donations/forms from your chapter in one package/envelope.
T-shirts will be an all-new
design and will be sent after all participating chapter donations are received.
Thanks,
Scott Jounigan
PS If you need copies of
this flier in MS Word, email firedad415@hotmail.com
Run for the Word
Sponsor Sheet
All proceeds
from the ride go to benefit the Christian Sport Bike Association’s free Bible
fund.
Visit www.christiansportbike.com for
additional information on free bibles.
Name of Sponsor Address Amount
1._____________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________
3._____________________________________________________
4._____________________________________________________
5._____________________________________________________
6._____________________________________________________
7._____________________________________________________
8._____________________________________________________
9._____________________________________________________
10.____________________________________________________
All checks and
money orders should be made payable to:
The Christian Sport
Bike Association. Please
include “RFTW” on
the memo line!
Thank you for being
a sponsor of this event and for helping the Christian Sport Bike Association to
continue sending free Bibles to those seeking the word of Salvation around the
world.
CSBA Summer Rally Report
By
Brian Halpin
The rally this past weekend, was an incredible experience
for me on many levels, and at the prompting of another member, I have decided
to share the experience on the forum.
Firstly, I was able to get my brother, a non-believer, to
join us for the weekend. This is the second year he has attended this rally. He
is a difficult nut to crack, as he has a great deal of resentment against
organized religion. As with many, he equates religion with spirituality, so
this resentment manifests itself in an outright rejection of God. Having him
take part in these gatherings, and be around so many cool guys who are
Christians, is an eye opener for him. I am praying God will use us to soften
his heart, and that someone is able to make a connection with him and to
witness to him. I am comforted to know that you are all in it with me. At the
end of the rally, as we were taking different routes home, he did something
very unusual for him, which meant a lot to me; he gave me a hug. Please keep
him in your prayers.
Secondly, I received some awesome instruction and feedback
from Bob, Art, and Jon. I worked hard on Saturday to hit my index points and
get my butt off the seat. When I did everything right, it felt great. When a
corner didn't feel right, I spent time analyzing what I was doing wrong. Often
what would happen is that I would approach the corner, set my entrance speed,
start to lean in, and then a rush of panic would consume me, telling me that I
was going in too hot. I would straighten out, scrub off speed, and then start
over. I came to a realization that it all came down to one thing: breathing.
When the corners didn't feel right, it was because I was getting so worked up
analyzing my line and entry speed that I forgot to breathe. Once I came to this
realization, I started forcing myself, as I approached the entry, to exhale - a
really exaggerated, audible, exhale. This simple action calmed me down and
allowed me to fall into my lean. The result: for the first time I was able to
attack the corners and feel like I could put the bike exactly where I wanted
it, and I was comfortable that I could change my line if I had to.
Thirdly, and most importantly, I had a personal spiritual
epiphany. First, here’s a little background. When I first started riding, I
wanted to be a Harley guy. I bought an old UJM as a starter bike, did the MSP,
and started to ride with the CMA. About a year in, I came to a realization that
this just didn't fit. I wasn't enjoying puttering around with the guys on
cruisers, and I wasn't finding a brotherhood. I gradually shifted toward sport
touring and was trying to by a Sprint ST, but the transaction wasn't working
out. So I abruptly cancelled the transaction and bought the ZZR, and felt like
even more of an outcast at the CMA. Then, about two months later, Brian
Phillips walks into my local diner with a CSBA jacket on. I approached him and
asked about the group, and joined that week. I started riding with the guys,
gradually gaining more confidence and speed, but still not quite feeling
completely comfortable with sport riding, and I continued to question why God
put a sport bike in my garage and the CSBA in my life in the same summer. When
I was pushing myself through the twisties this weekend and learning to relax
and lean, it hit me like a sledgehammer. Bob Brown always says that, "God
hates a coward." Well, I think God was telling me to stop being a coward
and to entrust my life to Him. Not just in my riding, of course, but all aspects
of my life. I think He is telling me to stop standing in the shadows and to
step out, take some chances, and become a leader. In most of my actions and
relationships I tend to have good instincts, but I am sometimes timid in
sharing my feelings and opinions unless prompted, or at least until I have time
to analyze them from 6 directions. The same thing that holds me back from being
a bold leader at work is what holds me back from being a better rider, or a
better champion for Christ. I shared this discovery with Bob, and he responded,
simply and profoundly, by saying, "We as men seem to go out of our way to
make simple things complex, in an effort to convince both God and ourselves how
intelligent we are, when in reality it is as simple sometimes as just taking a
breath and letting go."
Again, thank you to all of those who attended. It was an
incredible experience and I look forward to our next get together.
Seneca Rocks Prayer Retreat Weekend"
Seneca Rocks, WV, Sept. 14-16 2007
Location:
Yokum's Vacationland in
Seneca Rocks, West Virginia
Contact Bill Allen (ba_rider2@hotmail.com)
PA FALL RALLY! (The Big Kahuna of PA Rallies)
* 9/20/2007 (Thurs) - 9/23/2007 (Sun)
* Meets in Montour Falls, NY (Bob's house) on 9/20
* Spends Friday-Sunday morning in Wellsboro, PA
* Coach Stop Inn (800-829-4130)
* "Fun weekend of riding with Christians"
Contact
Bob Brown (bob@EmpireGP.com)
And/or
Jon Treese (jtreese@shentel.net)
October 5th-7th, 2007 1st Annual CSBA Valley Rally
Ride Hwy 421 with 489
curves in 12 miles through some of the most beautiful roads in Tennessee.
Details
http://www.csbatriadnc.com/csbavalleyrally.html
LITTLE
WEB HELP NEEDED
If web
design is your cup of tea, we need your help.
The CSBA opening page needs a re-design.
Our webmaster will continue to manage the data entry and links; we’re
looking to change the graphics and such.
As our webmaster says, “We need some artistic talent.”
If
you’re interested, contact me at brianp@christiansportbike.com. Thanks
NEW
CSBA CHAPTER IN TEXAS
by Keith Sankar
The Texas Chapter of CSBA was created one week ago.
I am a leader of X.F.O.R.C.E (Xtreme. Fellowship. Of. Riders.
Called. & Equipped), which is a sport bike ministry at my church www.crosbychurch.com. It just seemed
logical to expand our efforts and partner with the CSBA. There are only three of us at the present
time, but I’m certain The Lord will put more people in front of us in His time.
Our meetings are on
the 1st (sport bikes) and 3rd (off-road) Tuesday of the
month in Baytown, Texas, which is 16 miles east of Houston.
Take Care and God Bless You
Keith Sankar
SO YOU THOUGHT YOUR TRIPS TO THE DENTIST WERE UNNERVING
by Brian Phillips
A year ago in
Africa, my friend Wim chipped a tooth.
Therein lies a story.
One day Wim and I were
riding around out on the veldt (the boonies) and he chipped a tooth eating a
fresh piece of bread. They don’t have
the same quality control out on the veldt as we do here.
Wim waited until
we arrived home and he filed off the jagged tooth area with his wife’s emery
board! From that afternoon on, I was
determined to get Wim into a proper dentist’s chair to have his teeth examined.
When the plans for
Wim to visit the US were shaping up, I talked to my dentist who agreed to have
a look. An appointment was made to
coincide with Wim’s time in Pennsylvania, but a TV appearance conflicted, and
the dentist appointment had to be dropped.
Wim wasn’t at all disappointed and was actually gleeful that he escaped
the dreaded chair.
Last week, wise
guy that he is, Wim emailed me this photo of a New Delhi street dentist working
on one of his patients. Very funny but I
haven’t given up.
Changing Tomorrow Children’s Foundation
PLEASE Keep Changing Tomorrow Children’s
Foundation in your daily prayers!
Visit the
CTCF website to learn more about Wim’s vision for the kids of QwaQwa at http://www.breakthrough-ministries.com/
and/or http://www.changingtomorrow.net
If you
can, talk to your pastor or the director of missions for your home church. Give them the CTCF web link. Ask them to consider helping or better yet,
plan a mission trip to South Africa. I’d
be more than happy to provide the details. Email me at brianp@christiansportbike.com
$25.00
a month would make
a huge difference in the lives of kids who pretty much have nothing.
If you feel led, you can make a donation at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr
Or,
send your check made out to: "Changing Tomorrow
Children’s Foundation" to:
Brian Phillips
1135 Washington Avenue
Allentown, PA 18103-7905
Every dollar received goes to Wim’s kids. There are no salaries or administrative
costs.
CSBA
Board Members
|
Brian Phillips Servant |
Scott Journigan Vice President |
Tim Moore |
Marvin Gurganus Treasurer |
|
Chad Stricker |
Art Graham |
Ron Anderson Web Master |
Art Lohman Chaplain |
|
Jon Treese |
|
|
|
Money
Here’s
what happens with your dues.
- $2.00
(10%) of every $20.00 member dues payment is sent to Changing Tomorrow
Children’s Foundation in Africa.
- CSBA
“gear”, i.e., T-Shirts, stickers, patches and banners - not much of an
annual expense as there’s a relatively small demand for T-Shirts and
stickers.
- Bibles
and the shipping costs - this expense is usually taken care of by the CSBA
annual Run For The Word.
- There
are miscellaneous expenses incurred, i.e., postage, and infrequent
expenses incurred to organize and run a rally.
- Annual
donation to CSB Racing - the board had approved of a donation in both 2005
and 2006 for water bottles to be distributed at race events. We also purchased a pop-up tent in 2006
for CSB Racing to be used at events (we own the tent).
Our
expenses as a large organization are low.
There are no salaries, rent, equipment or monthly bills of any kind,
except for the monthly bank fee of the CSBA checking account. No CSBA funds are used for board members to
attend events. Our website is managed by
an individual who donates his time and expertise.
The
bottom line: Your board of directors is
a tight fisted group. We do our best to
use your dues money to further the work of spreading The Good News of Jesus
Christ.
Need a
CSBA T-Shirt?
Newly
designed CSBA T-Shirts are now in stock!
Contact
Scott Journigan firedad415@hotmail.com
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.
Take
care & God bless,
Brian
Phillips brianp@christiansportbike.com
CSBA
Servant
Roberta
Peart
Editor