Some time ago, NOMB Changes received the request to accompany a surf event in a public outdoor pool with families and children, in cooperation with a Swiss church community. How could we say no to that?
Now the time has come, and on August 9th, NOMB Changes will visit people in their everyday life, at the outdoor pool in the Bern region, Switzerland. On this afternoon, the local children and young people will have the opportunity to get in touch with the sport of surfing in “landlocked Switzerland” and to get to know the surfboard and surfing in general.
Surf event outside the ocean
Children and young people have the opportunity to try out paddling on the surfboard, or to practice and perfect the pop-up on the surfboard. There is also a balance board area and information about the projects of NOMB Changes, as well as some cool goodies to take away!
Creating awareness
In order to draw attention to the problem of polluted beaches, we are also planning a Fötzeli campaign (garbage collection campaign) at the pool area. Not because the outdoor pool is dirty, but because it’s amazing how much rubbish can still be found in this place. Through to this surf event, NOMB Changes would like to sensitize families with children and young people to women’s empowerment, inclusion and environmental protection.
A surfing pastor with heart
NOMB Changes founding member Chicken was asked three questions by the Reformed Church in Switzerland:
Why are you involved with NOMB Changes?
As a Reformed pastor, the preservation of creation is close to my heart. Our habitat, the ocean, covers most of our planet and is unfortunately affected by immense pollution. With NOMB Changes and our educational standards, I can counteract the problem with small steps.
A second reason is the fact that the line up in the water is relatively male dominated. Unfortunately, equality is not an issue on many levels in the water. As a pastor, I would like to do this in the water as well.
What do expect from the surf event in the Badi Köniz?
First and foremost, I hope that thanks to our campaign, young girls will also be able to get excited about surfing and confidently find their place in the line ups of the oceans and the world and feel good about it.
May we call you surf pastor? Or to put it another way, what is the connection between surfing and working as a pastor for you?
Of course – such a designation honors me, although I’m not a surfing pro myself. 😉 As mentioned above, equality and the preservation of creation is my top priority as a pastor. I am committed to this in my church work, and this should also be reflected again and again in my personal life. Jesus walks on water and I stand with both feet on the waves of life.
Looking forward to a great surf day
We are really looking forward to this surf event in Bern. We will report about this unique experience on our social media channels. In another blog post after the event you can find out what happened and be inspired by a few photos.
If you would like to support us for more important events like this (and many more at the sea) in the future, we would be honored to welcome you to our tribe of NOMB Changers.
