Surf church making waves in Portugal

A growing church planting ministry run by Operation Mobilisation is having a significant impact on the surfing community in Northern Portugal.

Surf Church Porto began in the home of Troy and Michelle Pitney in 2015.

“Six or so of us met in our house in our living room. And we began worshipping the Lord and looking at scripture and starting to function as a church and praying that God might do something with it. And then little by little things grew. January 2017 we finally had to move out of our house. We had at times 60, 70, 80 people packed in our living room. So we found a location right on the beach right in front of the surf. It was really just a dream location to be.”

Michelle Pitney explains how moving to this location also enabled them to grow their children’s ministry.

“Moving into our new church building opened such a huge opportunity for the children’s ministry. I think our church really found a heartbeat for kids and creating a safe place where kids can come from anywhere, any season of life and feel loved and learn about the love of God.

Church member Katherine Grabher says they are also impacting many lives through their dance outreach. “One of my students brought one of her friends and this friend just loved dance and she came her just for that purpose. She didn’t know this was a church or anything to do with the church and when she found out that was amazed that a church includes dance or surf or other activities.”

In 2018 Surf Church Porto planted another church in Viana. Troy Pitney concluded by sharing his vision to see many more new fellowships like this planted across Portugal. “I would hope that church in Viana become a church that plants churches, that creates disciples, that make disciples, that make disciples. Therefore new churches and new opportunities for new church plants would come out of it. Of course I’d love to see the church grow. I’d love to see it reach the city, but I’d love to see that church reproducing into more and more communities of Jesus followers.”