TRAILBLAZER SPOTLIGHTS


Know the Love, Show the Love Marburger Brings Life to the Skating Community


“God has so much in store whenever we say ‘yes’ to him.”


That advice comes from Joshua Marburger, a 2007 Christian Studies graduate who is now the executive director of ‘One Love Skate,’ a skateboarding ministry based in Hawaii.


“We exist to bring the one love of Jesus to every skate spot in the world,” he said.


When Marburger said ‘yes’ to God years ago, he never imagined a dream that started during his time at NGU would one day turn into a global ministry.


“It was a calling to spend time and do relational ministry and build relationships to share the one love of Jesus,” he said.


Through One Love Skate, Marburger said he has seen God work in amazing ways. The ministry began in 2006, as a local church helped the organization build a physical foundation to skateboard.


“They actually put an article in the newspaper at the Shelby Star about how students were coming and skateboarding and connecting. We weren’t always feeding them at the time with physical food, but they were hungry for those relationships,” he said.


Marburger moved to Maui in 2008 after marrying Nicole Haunani, who is a native of Hawaii. The organization officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization 10 years ago, holding its first board meeting on November 24, 2015.


The motto for One Love Skate is “Know the Love, Show the Love,” which comes from 1 John 4:9 and their goal is to provide youth with a safe space where they can make genuine connections and be spiritually fed. While the skateboarding community values connections and relationships, drugs and alcohol also play a role in the lives of many skaters.


Marburger experienced the implications drug usage has on young skaters when one of his ‘regulars’ passed away in 2015 from a drug-related drowning at a beach and Marburger had to grapple with the realities of it. “I just couldn’t understand the death part there. We’re trying to bring life and joy in Jesus,” he said. Shortly after the incident, one of Marburger’s friends, who was also a board member, remarked how the skating culture is a culture of death.


“[My friend] went to buy some skateboards and wheels


at a skate shop in the Philippines. We gave him about $300 and he came back and said, ‘Josh, it’s such a culture of death, I’m glad you’re bringing life to a culture of death.’”


Years after the passing of the skater, One Love Skate held a county event where nearly 90 people were in attendance in remembrance of him. Josh said the event included Christian music and life-giving relationships, which was a full circle moment where God brought life to a culture of death.


“Our prayer is to bring the one love of Jesus to every skate park in the world – every skate spot – and work with people, churches, and organizations to have reps and coaches,” he said.


One of the transforming works of One Love Skate is bringing relational connections to the skating community through Bible studies and devotions, called Acts 4:20 Life Groups. These groups began in 2013, where skaters would come together, read Francis Chan’s book Multiply, and pray together under one of the big skateboard ramps in Maui. Today, there are many Acts 4:20 Life Groups that meet each week across the United States and study Scripture through the guidance of faith reps and skate coaches.


“The prayer is that the weekly groups would be something people would be inspired to do. You can be a One Love rep without having to skateboard; you just have to have a love for skateboarders and you can help provide practice, prayer, and pizza at skate spots,” he said.


Through the weekly groups, reps and coaches partner together to teach students four core skateboarding skills that tie in with spiritual values, backed by scripture. The skateboard skills include drop-ins, manuals, ollies and airs, and powerslides and grinds. The spiritual values they are designed to instill are faith, humility, community, and gratitude.


After students complete the lesson, they receive a sticker to place on their skateboard to remember what they learned and encourage them to apply it to their lives. Over the last year, the county of Maui has asked the organization to do events at all six skate parks on the island. Josh said all have been successful, with the gospel at the center of each event.


“We’ve been working with the county of Maui for years,


and they actually just invited us to make their skate parks more fun and do these fun and safe events. We’ve had really amazing turnouts at all six parks,” he said. As Marburger continues in his mission to bring the gospel to skateboarders, he is excited to see the next generation step up in the faith and lead others. “It’s the next generation of students that there are reps and coaches here that could share that vision to see skaters as a people group and go and make disciples of all nations and of all skaters in skate spots,” he said. Through One Love Skate, he has seen how God has


used this platform to make disciples among skateboarders and the impact they are making around the globe. “Skateboarders have so much creativity, perseverance, and boldness and we’ve seen God redeem that in bringing skaters to know Jesus. We have friends who have gone to North Korea twice and go to places you wouldn’t normally go to share Jesus and skate.


“So that dream and vision really grew here as a skater and learning to live out my faith,” he said. During his time at NGU, not only did Marburger enjoy skateboarding around campus, but his passion for making disciples grew through the impact of his professors and


time spent in Joyful Sound, which has played a role in his life and ministry to this day.


“Just being pastored and shepherded by professors and teachers that loved Jesus and loved us, it helped us grow into a really important ministry where we work with a lot of churches, a lot of schools,” Marburger said. “I played drums with Joyful Sound and sometimes we would be at three churches in one weekend and just realized it’s a Team Jesus opportunity, not just any one local church, but it’s the ‘capital C’ Church, and then it’s great to be plugged into a local church as well.”


As Marburger dreams of what’s next for One Love Skate, he hopes someday to create a Bible and devotional made by skaters and for skaters for reps and coaches to use as they facilitate their Life Groups.


Marburger’s faithful service to the Lord is proof that God can and will do amazing things when believers follow Christ wholeheartedly and say ‘yes’ to his call on their lives.


“Following Jesus – those ‘yestimonies’ is what my wife calls them – when you just say ‘yes’ to God he has more in store than you could ever ask for or imagine,” said Marburger. ◆


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