What classifies as a multi-site church?
A multi-site church conducts worship services in more than one location - locations separated by some geographic distance.
How many churches are considered multi-site? What percentage is this of total churches?
Relative to the total number of churches, it is still a small percentage. Small enough that it is within the margin of error on surveys we have done asking this question. Our friends at Leadership Network have estimated that more than 2,000 North American churches are multi-site.
LifeWay Research found in the Spring of 2007 that 16 percent of Protestant pastors indicate that their church is seriously considering adding a worship service at one or more new locations or campuses in the next two years. We asked this again just a couple months ago and found that the interest level is statistically unchanged at 15 percent of Protestant pastors.
This level of interest in multi-site and the questions that accompany this consideration encouraged us to pursue the research that resulted in Multi-Site Churches: Guidance for the Movement's Next Generation.
Is there one denomination that embraces multi-site? Is there one that is slower to adopt this structure?
We see multi-site churches in most denominations today. The most common indicators of finding multi-site used is among churches that are particularly active in evangelism and church planting and who are not afraid to try something new to reach more people with the gospel.
At what point should a church consider becoming multi-site?
As a church begins to explore multi-site, they need to be prepared to seize the opportunity if God presents it.
Yet, church leaders must first ensure that their motives are focused on God's agenda and the Great Commission. They also must already have a culture of multiplication: launching new leaders, adding new services, sharing in new places, and inviting new people.
Multi-site is also an answer for churches who are willing to remove logistical barriers to reach more people.
What are the reasons a church should not become multi-site?
Multi-site is not for churches that are not growing - it does not create growth; it is one way to leverage existing growth.
Multi-site is not for unhealthy churches - it only takes the current church (healthy or not) to a new location.
Multi-site should not be the default method to overcome space constraints. Planting churches, building larger buildings, adding services, adding venues at a current site and relocating a campus are also viable solutions. In fact, many of the multi-site churches we studied actually implemented several of these.
What factors should be explored before the decision is made?
A church considering multi-site needs to look for God's activity in six specific areas:
1. Unanimity among leaders that God is calling your church to add a site
2. A leader is ready to lead this new site
3. A core group of leaders are in place to lead the core ministries at the new site
4. A locale of people that God is calling your church to reach
5. The necessary systems and structures in place to service more than one location
6. Sufficient finances to launch the type of site that God has called you to establish
This may seem like a long list of prerequisites, but believe me, God can deliver them in a hurry. Just ask The Chapel. They went from one to five locations in one year!
What is the single determining factor that can make multi-site a success? (ie: leadership, staff, communication)
There are many important decisions along the multi-site journey. The factor that touches them all is knowing your own church. Disconnected sites, poor hiring and miscommunication can all find roots in the failure to recognize and apply key elements of the identity, values and expression of a church to the new sites
How has technology played a role in the growth of multi-site churches?
Technology opens many possibilities. Most visible are multi-site churches who use video teaching from one location in other locations. Whether this is a week delayed or synchronized to-the-second across sites, this provides many options for churches.
Less visible, but very important is the speed and mobility of communication that allows staff and volunteers at separate sites to remain in constant communication. Virtual staff meetings and electronically sharing plans for each week reduces the need to be in the same place to prepare for ministry.
How was the research for the book gathered?
LifeWay Research conducted in-depth interviews with leaders of over 40 first and second generation multi-site churches. These pioneers and early adopters learned as they faced these new challenges. Comparing these church experiences revealed common solutions to challenges and captured many decisions that churches must make as they become multi-site.
We also tapped 9 people who really are experts in multi-site to contribute more detail in specific areas where they have knowledge or expertise. These contributors provide an extra level of depth that is extremely helpful.
Where can pastors turn to explore this topic further?
Once a church understands the decisions they will need to make and has invested in understanding their own church, I would recommend a road trip. Visiting some multi-site churches (see back of the Multi-Site Churches book for a list of websites) will quickly reveal many options and implementation ideas to consider.
Scott,
Thanks for the information. If I may, the concern I have had about the multi-site approach is:
1. Why do not churches just empower the leaders on the ground to shepherd and serve, thereby planting an independent local body in that community?
2. In the prerequistes you stated, "A leader is ready to lead this new site." What does this actually mean?
3. Is a man truly shepherding, a multi site if he never sees the people and there only interaction with him is through technology? Have you found cases where the pastor is hitting each site on a consistent basis?
Thanks Phillip
Phillip,
Good questions.
1.A church using a multi-site strategy has a vision to join forces to reach people together. The sites invests together for the long haul in reaching people in multiple places. A church using a church planting strategy is making an investment for a period of time in a new church that will autonomously reach people. That relationship is not reciprocal nor is it for the long haul. Church planting and multi-site are simply two different approaches to reaching people. Many multi-site churches also plant churches, but the vision is clearly established at the beginning one way or the other.
2.A multi-site church must extend its current leadership to that new site. That occurs in the form of a campus pastor. In most cases the campus pastor is not the teacher, but is the shepherd for the site.
3.Realistically pastors at most large churches delegate a lot of the shepherding. Also, many multi-site churches do use technology, but there are also many who do not. The ones who use technology are usually seeing the teaching pastor larger than life on the screen. The only thing they miss is the handshake on the way out. Most teaching pastors look for opportunities to interact personally with people at each site over time. However, the larger the church the harder this is. James MacDonald mentions this struggle in the book. Of course, multi-site churches that rotate teachers or have a teaching pastor at each site minimize this interaction challenge.
We a new plant (9 months in) and have already been discussing options of planting a new site soon. I have a leader who is ready and will bring a team with him. I do not have the time or want to manage them and I am confident in this team's capabilities and calling. My question, therefore is: How much oversight should I have or should I simply allow them to "become" so to speak?
Scott,
In your research did you see a difference between "big" churches and "small" churches in regards to multi-site? Much of what I've read deals more with the mega-church multi-site. We're a church of just under 300 worshippers each week doing three services each Sunday. We are planting our first off-campus service in a coffee shop that one of our families owns in a neighboring community. He leads a karate school as well. Our first hoped-for inroad will be into the unchurched families that participate in his school. We are starting low-cost (nothing) with about 15 of our members having committed to participate. I'm defining success initially as reaching one unique family that does not already attend our church. Your thoughts?
Michael,
If your vision is to plant churches, then letting them become who they are fits. However, if your vision is to be multi-site, then they need to become who you are.
To foster the multi-stie vision, have this leadership team spend a few months with you at the original plant. They have to be bought in to your beliefs, vision, values and the expression of your church. Once they live and breath this for a few months, both of you will know if as leaders they are a good fit. Several multi-site churches gave examples of getting down the road with a good leader only to find they actually had different visions for the site.
In your research did you discern how often leaders meet to discuss ministry, services, outcomes, etc. and is there a correlation between the frequency of meeting and the success of a multisite ministry?
Dave,
It looks like you are siezing an opportunity but being prudent in the way you do it. That is exciting. While most of the churches we studied are large, this is not a requirement. The People's Church in Shelbyville, TN is an example of a church whose first site was about 225 in attendance.
A key regardless of size is leadership. Most likely your leadership will be lay leaders for most roles rather than staff, but many larger churches hire only one or two roles at a new site.
Glenn (and this is also relates to your question Michael),
The best practice among the multi-site churches we studied is definitely regularly scheduled meetings. This includes the campus pastor meeting one-on-one with the pastor each week and including the site leadership in staff meetings. The form of these meetings varied from conference calls to live meetings, and the participants depend on how a church is organized.
Multi-site is clearly more complex. So a wise church will put a premium on communication. This usually means formalizing more communication than you did as a single site church, because the informal communication can't happen from a distance or it can't keep up.
Scott,
Great work researching multi-site churches. Your interview, insights, and answers are congruent with my experience and observations in the multi-site movement. I look forward to reading and recommending your book to my current and prospective client churches.
Thanks for contributing to the multi-site revolution.
How can I serve you?
Jim Tomberlin
Senior Strategist,
ThirdQuarterConsulting
Jim,
Thank you for the kind words. You are working with some great churches!
This movement wouldn't be where it is without the rapid transfer of ideas that organizations like 3QC and Leadership Network have encouraged.
It is a great demonstration of a kingdom mindset.
Do you know of any churhes that are doing multi-siting to reach other ethnic groups of people. We are a primarily all white church and we would like to do a multi site in an area of the city that is made up of African Americans.
Scott,
We're a multi-site church with five campuses and launching a sixth. Could you direct me to some good training for new/prospective campus pastors? Thanks!
Carl
Yes, the last chapter of the Multi-Site Churches book provides some guidance on starting an ethnic or multi-cultural site.
A couple of those I included are Healing Place (reaching very different neighborhoods around Baton Rouge and beyond), and Church of the Highlands in Birmingham. Also, Warren Bird contributed some good advice that is included in this chapter as well.
Alan
I am not aware of a training event specifically for campus pastors. New Thing (newthing.org)does have training on multi-site each year that could be a start if they are new to multi-site.
As I share in the chapter Priority One: Finding the Leader there are key elements of the campus pastor role that are true across churches. However, how they carry those out should reflect your church not a generic formula. I think this is why it is not offered as a canned class.
Their training does need to include a clear understanding of the role of the campus pastor as spelled out in that chapter (with a great contribution from Geoff Surratt). However, they also need to be trained on who your church is. For example, knowing they need to be an extension of the church's leadership at the new site doesn't tell them where they are leading people. Your leadership must define where your church is going.
Some of the best training that other multi-site churches are doing with campus pastors is having them serve on staff for a few months before they go to the new site. This ensures that they are on the same page in terms of vision and has allowed them to understand your church's processes and programs.
If you have hired from within as many multi-sites do, you may already know if they are on the same page. However, you will still need to invest in having them spend time with each ministry and your central support staff to understand how they will interact with each and support each.
Along the way you may find that you don't have great methods to pass along in a particular area (e.g., identifying new leaders, care giving, etc.). If so, training or networking would on that topic would benefit your whole staff rather than just the new campus pastor.
Scott,
You said almost all denominations are doing multisites. I'm trying to find any Episcopal churches that might be doing it. Or at least liturgical churches. Can you give me two or three leads?