The Porpoise-Driven Church

When I began my ministry in Halifax more than 15 years ago, I asked, “How can we reach into the community and encourage good relationships with our neighbors?” Well, like most cutting-edge pastors, I quickly concluded, “By becoming the porpoise-driven church.” Now for some who may need another cup of java to draw the same conclusion, let me explain.

Growing up along the Atlantic Ocean, I spent many hours fishing with my father, observing the porpoise that swim the waters by our seaside town. From them I have learned many lessons for the church on nurturing favor in the community.

The particular porpoise we are talking about here is the harbor porpoise or the common porpoise (necessary in establishing the church’s corporate vision). One description of the Harbor porpoise is a “short, stocky animal with a blunt head and no visible neck,” which means it’s very similar to some of the men in my congregation.

With apologies to Rick Warren, let me explain how our church has learned its “porpoise” in our community.

1. The porpoise-driven church is warm blooded.

Like terrestrial mammals, porpoises are warm blooded. The church needs to be a warm, inviting place. When people describe our congregation, they talk mostly about this. It has happened by our being deliberate about it. From the way we answer our phones, to the way we serve Communion (or ice cream!), to the way we listen to people’s problems, we try to show the reality of God’s love and patience. We have the police, firefighters, school teachers, business leaders, and politicians regularly on our property and in our cafe. A warm smile is not often what they expect from church people, but they receive smiles from us.

2. The porpoise-driven church has a healthy sense of fun.

Porpoises have a lot of fun. I remember hauling fishing nets on crazy windy days and watching porpoises circle under the boat endlessly and jump through the wild frothing waves. Catching fish seemed like fun to them.

Several weeks ago we hosted in our building 250 Cub Scouts, leaders, and their families on a Saturday for their annual Race Day. The boys raced small model cars they built. They set up the track in our sanctuary. We had a team working for the day to make sure it was lots of fun for them. We also had lots of conversation with people about God and what this fun church was about.

We want people from stress-filled lives to learn to value fun. We not only want them to find the Gospel of John, but also to find the humor in life.

3. The porpoise-driven church must surface often for air.

The porpoise has lungs and must breathe air, unlike fish, which take in oxygen across the gills. Usually, the porpoise will surface eight times in a row in one-minute intervals.

The church is like this, too. We are designed spiritually to pray often. We don’t do well when we hold our breath spiritually.

We want to see prayer multiplied in the church in many different forms. In fact, one prayer we have prayed continually as a church is Psalm 90:17: “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.”

We feel that because we have such an outward focus we need to increase our “spiritual breathing,” our prayer, so we can be like Jesus—growing in favor with God and man.

4. The porpoise-driven church has a strong sense of loyalty and devotion to one another.

One early morning while navigating our boat the 15 kilometers to the fishing grounds, I noticed a harbor porpoise traveling beside us the entire trip. While hauling mackerel nets, we came upon another porpoise that had become entangled in the net and had drowned. Sadly, being accidentally caught in a gill net is one way that many porpoises die prematurely. The first porpoise had been tracking with us to see if we could help out its partner that was in danger.

This same sense of loyalty and devotion to one another, which believers in a local church often exhibit, makes a huge impact on the community, for outside the church people often feel helplessly alone. Favor grows as we consistently love and are genuinely concerned.

5. The porpoise-driven church is non-aggressive in its dealing with people.

You’ll be pleased to know that the harbor porpoise is a little dumber, slower, shyer, and less aggressive than the bottlenecked dolphin (like that showy Flipper). What a wonderful posture for the more than slightly paranoid culture of our times!

I am aggressive and passionate in worship and prayer, in getting on with God and our mission, but people often need their space. In my community, people are turned off by anything too direct and aggressive. They smell manipulation a mile away. We do need to, however, consistently love, forgive, show the reality of Jesus in our lives, care for the poor, heal the sick and not be afraid to say “I don’t know” or “I haven’t figured that out yet.”

Favor will grow as we move from establishing a “target group” to a “friend group.”

Alas, there is probably much more to learn from our herring-munching friends, but that will have to wait for the hardcover book and live video telecast.

Larry Levy pastors Metro Halifax Vineyard Church in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

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