story

Britt

merrick

“At this point in my life, having reached the age of 50, I’ve encountered both tremendous success and heart-wrenching pain. What I’ve found is that Jesus has been present through it all, and He surpasses all of it. Life can throw crazy challenges at us, but what remains constant is Jesus’ presence and his ability to carry us through. He’s greater and better than any circumstance we face.”

Britt, what was your personal journey in coming to faith?

I grew up in a Christian home, so I had good exposure to the gospel and Christianity. I grew up attending church and such, however, during junior high, my parents stopped going to church due to some drama that occurred there. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but as a result, I quickly drifted away from the Lord. In high school, I got involved in typical high school activities such as partying and experimenting with drugs. I even started selling drugs and ended up getting arrested for doing so on my high school campus. It was a rough period in my life, and I was far from living a godly life.

During that time, I didn’t think much about the Lord and just continued living that kind of lifestyle. It had a negative impact on every aspect of my life, and my parents were understandably concerned. However, they made me a deal: if I managed to pull myself together and graduate from high school with a certain GPA, they would reward me with a surf trip after graduation.

So, I made an effort to get my act together just enough to graduate. My parents then generously gifted me a trip around the world. My first stop was in Australia, and it was truly amazing. I was 18 years old at the time, and I stayed right behind Snapper Rock at Greenmount, in these small flats. It was an epic experience.

I had never really been away from home before, and during my time in Australia, which lasted a couple of months, I found myself feeling quite homesick. One day while I was out surfing, I met an American guy who seemed to remind me of home, and I kind of latched onto him. I started following him around to different surf spots as he showed me the ropes, considering he had been in Australia for a while.

After spending about a week with him, he extended an invitation for me to attend a Wednesday night church service. It had been around six years since I had been to church, and I hadn’t really given it much thought during that time. Nevertheless, I accepted his invitation and went to the church service on the Gold Coast. The experience was one of those moments where it felt like the pastor was speaking directly to me, as if he knew my entire life story.

It almost felt as though the entire situation had been arranged just for me. The pastor delivered a message that resonated deeply with me, especially the part where he called out to those who had gone astray, like the prodigals, to return home. At first, I resisted the idea of responding to the altar call, thinking there was no way I was going up there. But as the pastor continued to speak and extend the invitation for prodigals to reconcile with the Father, something changed within me.

Before I knew it, I found myself standing up from my seat and walking to the front of the platform. That night, I recommitted my life to the Lord. It was a truly transformative experience, and things started to change dramatically from that point onward. My affections, desires, and even my entire worldview underwent a significant shift. The change was profound and affected all aspects of my life.

It was an exciting time for me because over the next three or four months, I had the opportunity to travel around the world while nurturing my new relationship with Jesus. This period marked the beginning of a blossoming relationship.

Upon returning home, various challenges emerged. Adjusting to life in town presented some struggles. While I occasionally attended church, my participation was hindered by contests, making it hard to maintain consistent attendance during that phase.

Was there a significant moment or event that propelled you further into seeking Christ?

One significant turn of events occurred when I met a cute girl who eventually became my wife. During one conversation, I casually mentioned that I was a Christian. To my surprise, she revealed that she also considered herself “kind of a Christian.” Our shared inclination towards faith led us to decide to attend church together regularly. This shared commitment helped us both dive wholeheartedly into our faith journey and grow in our relationship with the Lord.

We soon engaged in a Bible study in our hometown, guided by a couple who graciously guided us through numerous passages of Scripture. Their mentorship enabled us to delve deeper into our faith and mature spiritually. As we progressed, we developed a heartfelt concern for the local kids we interacted with at the nearby beaches, many of whom were unfamiliar with Jesus.

During one of our Bible study sessions, my wife and I shared our enthusiasm for bringing the message of Christ to these beach kids. We suggested to our Bible study leader that he should join us in reaching out to them. Surprisingly, he suggested that we should be the ones to do it. Encouraged by his response, we returned to our local beach and invited the kids to our house. We played it off casually, proposing an evening of surf movies, cake, and a subtle Bible study interwoven into the plan.

Much to our surprise, the kids agreed to come over. In a somewhat stumbling and uncertain manner, I conducted a Bible study session. To my amazement, all the kids responded positively and committed their lives to Christ. This outcome left a profound impact on me. The news spread, and more kids joined in, bringing their friends along, and a ripple effect of faith began to unfold. Our house became a regular gathering spot, fostering a growing community of young believers.

Then, a turning point arrived when I shared this inspiring story with an older gentleman from our church. He promptly pointed out that since these kids were accepting Christ, baptism was a natural step. Surprisingly, I had little knowledge about baptism at that point. Thankfully, he enlightened us about the significance of baptism and offered to assist us. He guided us back to that same local beach where Kate and Naomi, with his guidance, baptized all these young individuals right where we shared our passion for surfing.

You felt you were being called to spread the message of Jesus to surfers…?

This experience marked a pivotal moment in our lives. It was then that we realized we were being called to spread the message of Jesus, particularly among surfers but also young people in general. This desire led us to establish a Friday night Bible study in Santa Barbara, initially for college students. Remarkably, this study grew rapidly, eventually gathering around 800 enthusiastic college students each Friday.

From this foundation, we went on to establish our own church and then planted nine additional churches. It’s incredible to think that it all originated from that small surfer Bible study. To provide a concise timeline, we were 24 years old when we began the Bible study for kids and parents. From there, it took around six to seven years until we successfully established the church.

During this transformative period, something amazing happened: my perspective on teaching the Bible drastically shifted. Initially, I had never even considered myself capable of teaching scripture. However, as we engaged with these kids and felt compelled to explain the gospel and scriptural concepts, an insatiable hunger for studying the Bible was ignited within me. For the next six to seven years, I dedicated the majority of my energy to delving into scripture in order to effectively convey its teachings to others. My passion for conveying the message of Jesus and the gospel was my driving force.

The transformation and growth I experienced during this time were truly extraordinary. I evolved from someone who had little understanding of how to interpret or communicate the Bible to someone who would eventually address audiences numbering in the thousands.

What did you experience during this time of diving deep into God’s word?

During that period, I witnessed a profound anointing in my life, guiding me to not only mend my ways but also to share my transformation with many others. Back when I was in high school, before returning to my faith, I lacked a sense of these crucial concepts. I was simply drifting, swayed by the opinions of my friends and whatever seemed like the most enjoyable option in the moment.

However, that night in Australia during the church service, everything started to click. I realized that none of my previous choices had given me purpose, joy, peace, or contentment. It was during that moment, listening to the pastor’s words, that I felt an overwhelming desire for something more, something I found in Jesus. It’s somewhat of a circuitous way to express it, but it’s true—those fleeting moments of seeking meaning and purpose in substances and the party scene proved to be empty and unsatisfying.

At that time, I was juggling two main aspects of my life: shaping surfboards and engaging in ministry, which included both studying and teaching the Bible. This unique combination spurred remarkable growth. I became an avid student of the Bible, voraciously reading and studying its contents whenever I could. This constant engagement with scripture brought about a consistent state of transformation and change in my perception of the world. The key was my unwavering commitment to immersing myself in the Word.

As I dove into the scriptures, devouring their wisdom, everything shifted. It was through this profound engagement with the Bible that my life took a new direction. My worldview, my understanding, and my priorities underwent a radical transformation. The impact of the Word on my life was undeniable.

It’s truly astonishing. When you surrender your life to the Lord, the incredible things He orchestrates are beyond imagination. It’s impossible to script a story as remarkable as the one He weaves. None of it could have been planned or written better by us; it’s just one of those incredible aspects of following Jesus. His plans are so much grander than anything we could envision.

You authored a few books…

I authored “Big God” and “Godspeed” back in the early 2000s. The inspiration for “Big God” came from my study of Hebrews Chapter 11, often referred to as the Hall of Faith. This chapter highlights individuals who placed their trust in the Lord and witnessed Him do extraordinary things. This theme resonated with my own life experience of trusting God and witnessing His remarkable works. The book aimed to help people grasp the concept of perceiving God as a mighty force capable of incredible deeds and to encourage them to place their trust in Him for such things.

As for the second book, “Godspeed,” it was born from a desire to see our Christian community truly embrace a life of purpose and mission. Often, many Christians go through the motions and might simply attend church or engage in Christian activities. However, I wanted to delve deeper into what it means to join Jesus in His mission for the world. I wanted to inspire Christians to live life with a sense of adventure and purpose aligned with His mission. That’s the essence of “Godspeed”—encouraging our Christian community to live life fully engaged in His mission for the world.

As head shaper & CEO of Channel Island Surfboards, you’re constantly being a witness to people within the surfing culture & industry…

What’s particularly gratifying about my current position, as opposed to my pastoring role, is that I’m now in a position where non-Christians feel at ease approaching me to discuss matters of spirituality and their life experiences. They’re open to exploring these topics with me.

In fact, even today, I received a text from a colleague I’ve worked with for many years at Channel Islands. He’s never been a Christian, and we’ve never really delved into discussions about faith before. But today, he sent me a text from the other room at work, asking me to pray for him. His dad is ill, and he felt the need for prayer and to seek God’s help to navigate through this tough time. It’s truly heartwarming.

Being in my current role at Channel Islands provides me with daily interactions with people who might never set foot in a church or seek spiritual help there. Instead, they approach me in the context of surfing, in my shaping room, or at the surfboard factory by the beach. This dynamic enables me to share the message of Jesus with an entirely different group of individuals, people I may never have been able to reach when I was solely focused on church ministry. It’s a unique opportunity to touch lives in unexpected and meaningful ways.

In my interactions within these circles, my focus is on building relationships and being a presence in their lives. I want to offer a safe space for them to discuss matters of faith and spirituality. It’s surprising to see how many of them have had some sort of experience with the Lord or hold certain beliefs about God or even Christianity.

This allows me to engage with them on a meaningful level and provide a voice of guidance and understanding, given my additional years of life experience and my walk with the Lord.

At this point in my life, having reached the age of 50, I’ve encountered both tremendous success and heart-wrenching pain. What I’ve found is that Jesus has been present through it all, and He surpasses all of it. Life can throw crazy challenges at us, but what remains constant is Jesus’ presence and His ability to carry us through. He’s greater and better than any circumstance we face.