The Porpoise-Driven Church
What on earth (or sea) is your church here for?
Larry Levy
January 1, 2004
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 a porpoise-driven church."
Now for those who need another cup of java to figure that out, let me explain.
Growing up along the Atlantic Ocean, I spent many hours fishing with my father, observing the porpoises that swim the waters by our fair province. From them I have learned many lessons for the church.
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 a lot of men.
With apologies to Rick Warren, let me explain how our church 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. 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 ...
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