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same: to remind them they’ re not alone.
• Let go of guilt between the waves. Surfer friends don’ t live at the beach; they ride the rhythms of the water. Don’ t be overly apologetic for not being in constant contact. When the right wave comes, you’ ll know it. Great friendships build security not on frequency but on faithfulness. Surfer friendships mirror the movement of the Spirit— dynamic and unpredictable yet timely and full of grace. My hope is that you’ ll appreciate the surfers in your life and be one when you can.
Adapted from Make Friends with Anyone: Practicing God’ s Design for Real Friendship in a Lonely World by Wayne Francis, releasing in September 2026 from NavPress.
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Wayne Francis is the lead pastor of The Life Church: New York( located in Westchester County, a suburb of New York City) and is part of both The Life Church and the Association of Related Churches network. Francis is a prolific speaker at churches, conferences, and events and is also a chaplain for the Brooklyn Nets.
Francis is a dynamic teacher and communicator who is passionate about building the local church and seeing people find real life in Jesus. He is also the coauthor of the critically acclaimed book God and Race: A Guide for Moving Beyond Black Fists and White Knuckles with pastor John Siebeling. Prior to leading The Life Church: New York, Francis served as the founder and lead pastor of Authentic Church, which merged with The Life Church in 2020. Francis and his wife, Claudene— whom he calls Classy— have been married for twenty-seven years and have two beautiful daughters, Haleigh and Ryleigh. Francis loves to cycle and takes great pleasure in turning any floor into a dance floor.