TRICKY: Climbing is one of the sports on offer at Surfside Adventure College.

If you are wondering what God has planned for you to do, if you are thinking about being more involved in ministry, and if you want to go deeper in your relationship with God, then Surfside Adventure College (SAC) is an opportunity unlike most.

Based in the beautiful backdrop of Raglan, and run in conjunction with Surfside Church, SAC is a chance to broaden horizons in an internship setting.

Led by Pastors Roger Peart and Marion Wright, SAC, which will have a stand at Parachute Festival for the first time, is designed to help equip men and women to pursue God’s plan for their lives.

Interns have come from around the world to study and serve at the College, and they have arrived to a year-long experience that challenge, inspire and launch them into their futures.

Interns who study at SAC will complete the NZQA Certificate in Christian Ministry. This consists of 80 per cent practical work and 20 per cent academic study. It is a great opportunity to learn more about what it means to serve in the local church and in the local community.

Ms Wright says the practical work is designed to work in with the various ministries that are run by Surfside Church. “So if you have a passion for reaching young people, being creative or musical, teaching kids or serving those in the community, these are all areas that will make up the practical element of your internship,” says Ms Wright.

Surfside Church ministry areas include youth, kidzone, creative media and worship, crèche, mainly music, Bible in Schools and Community Services.

Ms Wright says, however that even if you don’t have much or any experience with these areas but would like to experience more, then there will be opportunities throughout the year to get involved with them.

“The academic side of the course is designed to help you develop a greater knowledge of the Bible, Church and Spiritual Formation,” she adds. “There are four course papers to be completed over the year that shed light on things such as the major events and people in the Old and New Testaments, the history of the early church and how it grew, and your own devotional time with God.”

To top it all off there is the adventure side of the internship. Once every month interns will be taken out for a different adventure sport of some kind.

This will vary from hiking to kayaking, biking to caving, climbing to horse riding. These adventure-lifestyle sports are designed for fun and enjoyment, but also to develop character, encourage teamwork and build relationships. If you are interested in finding out more then visit the College stand at Parachute this year and log onto the Surfside Church website at www.surfside.co.nz or phone 07 825 5199 for more details.