buqbkafkd vlro `ero`e ql jlob qe^k lkb mi^`b

A Field Report on the Emerging Multi-Site Movement

by Warren Bird

Connecting Innovators to Multiply www.leadnet.org These leadership communities are sponsored by “THE MULTI-SSITE CHURCH IS Leadership Network, a Dallas-based foundation A PHENOMENON THAT YOU WILL NO whose mission is to accelerate the effectiveness of DOUBT BE HEARING ABOUT the Church by identifying, connecting, and resourcing strategic leaders. The member churches IN THE FUTURE.” are: – LEADERSHIP JOURNAL, SPRING 2003 Chartwell Baptist Church, suburb of jìäíáJëáíÉ îÉåíìêÉë Ü~îÉ ÅÜ~åÖÉÇ íÜÉ Toronto, ON, ÅçåíÉñí Ñçê ãáåáëíêóKKK A growing number of www.chartwellchurch.org churches today … continue as one congregation Christ the King Community Church, with one staff, one treasury, one membership north of Seattle, WA, roster, one governing board and one name (it may www.ctkonline.com be Bethany East and Bethany West, or Trinity Community Christian Church, suburb North and Trinity South), but with three or four or of Chicago, IL, five or six or seven or eight worship services every weekend. www.communitychristian.org Fellowship Bible Church, Little Rock, “Several … multi-site congregations have AR, www.fbclr.org discovered that their off-campus ministries are Grace Community Church, Tyler, TX, the most effective channels for www.gcc.org reaching skeptics, agnostics, Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, non-believers and inquirers at the very earliest stage of their just outside Pensacola, FL, faith journey. … And … from a www.gbumc.org financial perspective, this may Life Church, suburb of Oklahoma City, be the most cost-effective OK, www.LifeChurch.tv LYLE SCHALLER approach to evangelism”2 – New Life Community Church, Chicago, Lyle E. Schaller IL, www.newlifechicago.com jÉÉí pçãÉ çÑ íÜÉ máçåÉÉêëK The following North Coast Church, suburb of San insights are designed to help church leaders who Diego, CA, are looking for fresh ways to reach more people www.northcoastchurch.com and different people for Christ. If your church is North Point Community Church, suburb exploring or experimenting with alternative of Atlanta, GA, www.northpoint.org venues such as digital church, extension sites, Seacoast Church, suburb of Charleston, video-café congregations, multiple campuses, satellite ministries, or SC, www.seacoast.org IF YOUR CHURCH IS other variations that Willow Creek Community Church, go beyond your main suburb of Chicago, IL, EXPLORING … VIDEO worship area or main www.willowcreek.org campus, then keep CAFÉ CONGREGATIONS, reading. You will find MULTIPLE CAMPUSES … much help in this material. OR OTHER VARIATIONS … The research behind KEEP READING! this report draws on the experience of twelve pioneering churches selected to participate in a Multi-site Leadership Community.

2 All sizes. Multi-site take church across town, but across state as well. congregations occur in all Today, the church that started in 1996 draws sizes, with many off-site 7,500 people weekly across 10 services on 4 campuses averaging under campuses–with a long-range goal of 100 weekly 100 in weekly worship. The worship experiences 12 churches in the Multi-Site worldwide. MOST CHURCHES THAT Leadership Community average from 1,000 to Most churches that use USE A MULTI-SITE almost 20,000 in their a multi-site approach current weekend worship evolve into it, rather APPROACH EVOLVE INTO attendances. than starting with it. That’s the consensus of IT, RATHER THAN However, multi-site isn’t solely a megachurch 12 churches who are STARTING WITH IT. phenomenon. Multi-site churches can be found pacesetters in doing across the size spectrum, with churches in the church in multiple 250 to 500 attendance range are a frequent multi- locations–whether video cafés, multiple site sponsor. campuses, or other variations. Together they represent a weekend worship attendance of 67,600 on 46 campuses

kÉï jìäíáJëáíÉ jçîÉãÉåí fë ~ “dçÇ with 109 services—an Comparison of the 12 surveyed churches: What if they only had one campus each (left)? Intead they qÜáåÖK” After preaching the two Saturday- average for each of 9 average four campuses each (right). evening services, Craig Groeschel and weekly services spread 100,000 his wife Amy went home, and in the among 4 campuses!

middle of the night they went to the 50,000 hospital for Amy to give birth. Craig One of many approaches was not going to make it for next to doing multi-site 0 morning’s services in their fast-growing church is represented by Single Campus Multi-Campus Model Model

congregation, Life Church, Edmond, 25-year-old Chartwell Total number of attendees Oklahoma.3 Now what? Baptist Church, in a CRAIG GROESCHEL suburb of Toronto, Someone from the church had a crazy Ontario, where Peter Roebbelen is idea: “Hey, let’s roll the video from Saturday pastor. (See the beginning of this night.” That decision proved to be divinely document for websites of all churches inspired. mentioned.)

“One of the awesome things about God is how “We backed into multi-site,” says He often turns obstacles into opportunities,” Roebbelen. “It’s not something we says Groeschel, looking intentionally tried to do. It was more PETER ROEBBELEN back on that pivotal like a disruptive moment where we weekend in January, faced a problem and saw an opportunity.” In 2001. “Little did we essence, their problem became an opportunity. know that one press of a button would open up For Chartwell, the initial motivation was to a realm of understanding–the video teaching accommodate growth. experience–that we never thought possible.” “We needed to go to a third service, but we THEIR PROBLEM BECAME The video “accident” enabled Life Church to gain wanted to do it during AN OPPORTUNITY. a bigger dream of how to keep pace with the the optimal Sunday- rapid growth that, at that time, had already led morning time.” So them to multiple services on two different Chartwell began experimenting with the use of campuses. Not only could they now more readily additional campuses. That was 1993. Ten years

3 later Chartwell offers 6 Saturday-night or Sunday- Today’s Most Innovative morning services on 4 campuses. By early 2003, Churches by Elmer Towns, 3 more than 1,000 regularly attended one of the of the 10 featured churches Chartwell congregations, and yet the main have modeled, for some part church’s seating capacity was 260–and still of their recent history, the is–consistent with their particular strategy of practice Towns calls “one creating a sense of relational intimacy within church meeting in many each local worship setting. locations. . . a multi-staffed ELMER TOWNS church, meeting in multi- Near Charleston, S.C., Seacoast Church is locations, offering multi-ministries, with a single currently worshipping 5,500 total in 10 services identity, single organization, single purpose, on 5 campuses. Their [and] single force of leadership.”4 primary trigger for going multi-site was Emerging movement. Roebbelen has the added lack of space; but context of being one of the few people who have they faced other researched the development in recent years. motivators too. “Our Using a study grant from the Lilly Endowment- problem was that funded Louisville Institute5, he visited a number people were showing of different locations. His analysis? “I think this is up, and the town a true movement, a true new work because it’s shut down any popping up in isolated situations all over the expansion hopes. place at about the same time.” Seacoast’s imaginative use of rented We aren’t content facilities includes this building at the whenever people are The people he interviewed don’t seem to be fad entrance of a shipping center going to hell if driven. “It’s a God thing,” Roebbelen says. “Most we can make a didn’t sit down to strategize and plan, and then difference,” says Seacoast’s Byron Davis, a lay conclude, ‘We’re going leader. As a result, they became really to try multi-site,’ because imaginative about how to use existing spaces: none of us had heard of THEY … DON’T SEEM college campuses, theaters, closed churches, and multi-site. We simply TO BE FAD DRIVEN. warehouses. “At first we thought the resistance began doing it. The was the devil, but actually stories have been “IT’S A GOD THING,” AT LEAST 1,000 expanding to multiple remarkably similar from campuses was the best thing coast to coast and from ROEBBELEN SAYS. CHURCHES ACROSS we could do–God had a north to south.” hand in it,” he says. NORTH AMERICA Most multi-site churches can identify with the COULD CURRENTLY The scope. Leadership television commercial for Electronic Data Network’s study and Systems (www.eds.com), in which a work BE DESCRIBED AS connection with churches team constructs a commercial airplane while it is like Chartwell and Seacoast being flown. The ad concludes, “In a sense, this is MULTI-SITE. leads to the belief that at what we do–we build your digital business, even least 1,000 churches across while you’re up and running.” Likewise, many North America could currently be described as multi-site leaders are figuring it out while multi-site. They become multi-site by extending doing it, and feel themselves to more than one location: some the responsibility of across town, some across the state, and some having passengers literally around the world. already aboard.

Church analysts have been observing this trend “We started in 1998 for a number of years. In the 1990 book, Ten of because we were

4 out of space, out of good time slots, out has seen enough to offer a bold prediction: of energy, and out of options,” says “We’re to the point that we can’t imagine doing Larry Osborne, pastor of North Coast church any other way.” Church in Vista, CA. “After we launched our video venues, it was like holding a Ferguson wrote an article entitled “The Multi-Site tiger by the tail. It’s gone from Church” for Leadership Journal.6 The editors’ temporary fix to long-term strategy for opening statement predicted: “The multi-site LARRY OSBORNE us, both on-site and off-site.” The church is a phenomenon church’s growth underscores the “tiger’s” power, that you will no doubt be “WE CAN’T IMAGINE as attendance has zoomed from 3,000 in 1998 to hearing about in the more than 5,700 today, with 13 weekend services future.” Ferguson then DOING CHURCH ANY on 2 campuses. One of Larry’s staff, developed the article to Dennis Choy, adds, “Along the way, show how a multi-site OTHER WAY.” we’ve helped at least 200 other church capitalizes on what churches interested in doing church in Jim Collins, author of Built more than one place at a time.” to Last7, calls “the genius of the AND” – the paradoxical view that allows you to pursue both According to Leadership Network’s A and B simultaneously. Ferguson listed eight surveys, the most-cited trigger reason such advantages, each of which solves a problem DENNIS CHOY for launching multiple campuses or in its own way: multiple venues is lack-of-space issues. These ranged from a lack of seats or parking spots at •Grow larger AND grow smaller optimal service times to zoning/building •Brand new AND trusted brand restrictions on future growth. The second most- •Staff with generalists AND specialists often cited trigger reason is a vision to impact •Less cost AND greater impact through “more” instead of “bigger”–i.e.a desire to •New church vibe AND big church avoid certain downsides of megachurches. punch •Move there AND stay here Solving problems. A remarkable consensus •More need AND more support surfaced between the twelve Multi-site •More outreach AND more maturity Leadership Community participants. All agree that they see multi-site churches emerging in a Not a growth strategy. Bill wide variety of places and that a multi-site Easum and Dave Travis have approach seems to help solve many problems. observed that the genius of multi-site is not that it grows For Dave Ferguson, pastor of Community your church, but it keeps it Christian Church, Naperville, IL, each growing. In their book, new campus represents an answer to a Beyond the Box: Innovative different problem. Their first site was Churches that Work, they BILL EASUM DAVE TRAVIS triggered by a new Christian in the comment, “The key to congregation who asked, “How can we understanding the multi-site movement is to get this kind of community into the real remember that fulfilling the Great Commission estate developments I’m building?” The drives these congreg- answer was to take the church to them. ations, not a growth DAVE FERGUSON The church’s next site began when a strategy.”8 Dave Ferguson “MULTI-SITE IS A 163-year-old severely declining church gave their underscores the outreach land and facility to Community Christian. value: “Multi-site is a MEANS TOWARD AN proactive strategy for END, NOT AN END Today, Community Christian Church has 4 reaching more people, not campuses used to produce 11 weekly services just a reactive response GOAL IN ITSELF.” totaling more than 3,000 in worship. Ferguson to over-crowding.” Larry

5 Osborne emphasizes that multiple services fuel North Point’s approach represented 10% of the growth, but rarely create it: “Video venues are a attendance at the main campus. With about 1,200 great ministry tool but a pathetic engine.” in Buckhead and 12,000 on the main campus, the scale of the “mother church” creates a sizable In short, multi-site is a means toward an end, not “child” at birth. Likewise Willow Creek, the an end goal in itself. Most churches do generate second-largest attendance church in North growth through multi-site, but just as importantly, America, wants to make each of its campuses a multi-site keeps them from capping the growth hub in and of itself. Other churches are following they’re experiencing. the same pattern: they approach multi-site not just as a worship service, but a full-functioning bîÉêóçåÉ fë q~áäçêáåÖ fí íç qÜÉáê lïå campus, even if some of the activities are done in jáëëáçåK The core idea for the multi-site conjunction with other campuses. movement is rather simple–one church in multiple locations. Yet the outward Eight yes-no defining issues. In what ways are expression is more like a approaches to multi-campus ministry being smorgasbord than a single-niche tailored? The following list illustrates some of the restaurant chain. This is not a variations: McDonald’s franchise movement where all menus look alike.9 While 1. Are all worship services at the same each church shows an intentional campus? Of the 12 representative churches sense of brand identity, and in the Multi-Site Leadership Community, half resembles the mother ship in some did an on-campus multiple-venue approach profound ways, few multi-site churches come before doing an off-campus satellite or venue. across like an exact clone of the parent church. Typical of that group is Fellowship Bible According to consultant Carl George, “Though Church, Little Rock, AR, with weekend variations will arise spontaneously to adapt to worship attendance of 5,500. Their first step local conditions, the influence of strong toward an off-site location took place in visionary leaders is what will make the March 2003 just a few hundred feet from their units viable. A can-do spirit that places main sanctuary in a large special-events obedience to the great commission above room. The venue is known as New the petty complaints characterizing Community, and all aspects of the worship leadership in non-growing churches will experience are live except the preaching, be found in all of the successful ventures which is done by video (time-delayed DVD). of this kind.” A second on-campus venue called The Edge CARL GEORGE began in June 2003 in another large Not just worship. These churches aren’t fellowship area, bringing their total Sunday just offering a worship service on their off-site services to 5, all on one campus at present. location. North Point, in suburban Atlanta, for Both of these approaches are viewed as a test example, formally launched its second campus environment before a possible move off-site. on Easter, 2003, some 20 miles away from the main campus (bringing North Point’s total number 2. Are all worship services in the same of weekend services to 5). The Buckhead Campus language? In a homogeneous community was as full-service as people would find on the where everyone shares the same mother main Alpharetta campus. Buckhead Church on tongue, the language issue rarely even comes launch day included children’s ministry, student up for discussion. In urban, immigrant, and ministry, singles ministry, college ministry, and other multi-lingual communities, it is a small groups, each with a team responsible to significant issue–and usually an advantage of oversee and build them. All of the Buckhead staff the multi-site approach. Mark Jobe, for had been trained at the main campus, and most example, pastors what started in the 1940s as had been on staff there in largely the same roles a storefront church in a Hispanic section of as they took on at the Buckhead campus. downtown Chicago. New Life is one church

6 in multiple locations (9 services on 8 different city, totaling 1,400 weekly campuses with total weekly worship worshipers. Three different languages are attendance of 2,000), but some of its used, and the ones in English are not locations are in Spanish-language only. identical. “By decentralizing the church and “Because we represent various different using smaller venues, we are able to have cultures and ethnic groups, we do not have a different services at different times with unified approach to worship,” comments different teachers in different locations,” Jobe. “We do come together a couple of times summarizes Browning. a year for a combined bi-lingual worship experience.” He likens the idea to the offerings at a movie theater. “Decades ago, movies were shown New Life also preaches the same only once a week. Then theaters offered message by different people in multiple multiple showings. The multiplex theater locations. One of the teaching pastors roughly corresponds to a church having prepares an outline of a passage and e- multiple services. People like to have mails it to the preaching team. Each options,” Browning says. pastor studies the passage and then they get together as a team to work on 3. Are all locations designed to have similar MARK JOBE their sermons. The result is the same feel? Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, message taught at eight different based three miles east locations on Sunday by eight different of Pensacola, FL, went individuals who preach it in the language of multi-site in order to that setting and apply it in that local context. overcome geographic “The whole church remains on the same barriers and to learning page and the pastors have the capitalize on diverse advantage of a team working on a passage demographics for its together,” says Jobe. area. Its 3 campuses so far (and 7 total Sometimes the language is all English, services) have en- Geographic challenges faced by but the nuances are distinct. Christ the abled it to grow to Gulf Breeze King Community Church is based nearly 2,000 weekly in the Skagit Valley 60 miles north worshippers, despite the fact that the of Seattle, Washington. “The geography city of Gulf Breeze has a population in our valley led us to decentral- of less than 6,000 and is restricted ize since there is not one large by water on three sides and a DAVE BROWNING population center, but several medium- national park on the fourth side! The size population centers,” widely diverse demographics of its 3 explains Dave Browning, locations have resulted in 3 different “THE MULTIPLEX who started the church in feels for how to shape the worship MACK STRANGE THEATER ROUGHLY 1999. “In the Skagit Valley liturgy and weekly programming, the population is distributed each designed to reach people for Christ in a CORRESPONDS TO among several towns, so we way they can best relate to. “One of our determined that if our goal campuses excels in innovation, and another A CHURCH HAVING was to effectively reach out in excellence,” says Mack Strange, pastor of MULTIPLE SERVICES. to thousands of unchurched Gulf Breeze. “Different values like these people in this valley, we reach different people.” PEOPLE LIKE TO would have to do that in more than one place.” One of Chartwell Baptist Church’s HAVE OPTIONS,” By 2003, Christ the King congregations operates in the heart of the BROWNING SAYS. sponsored 13 services on poorest area of Oakville, ON, meeting on the 7 campuses, each in a ground floor of a four-story, 52-unit,

7 subsidized apartment building that Chartwell two perspectives,” explains Greg Surratt, owns and operates. “It has the feel of a senior pastor. “First, we have not been able to ‘mission church’ and is beginning to develop build fast enough to keep up with our growth. quite differently than our other Then our local town council vetoed plans to congregations,” says Roebbelen. expand our facilities in 2002, which exacerbated the problem and sped up our 4. Do all worship services that week have plans to expand through multi-campuses. We the same teacher? For Willow Creek are also committed to providing a large Community Church, in a western suburb church experience in a small church of Chicago, one of the goals for their environment and the multi-campus model is regional campuses is to provide a Willow the next logical step in that journey.” Creek experience within a 30-minute drive of anyone in Chicagoland. Their 6. Does the church use during-the-week approach uses a videocast format to small groups as an integral part of its provide the same teaching at each approach? The answer is yes in almost every JIM TOMBERLIN location. Willow Creek case–and with good results. Of the 12 Multi- was founded in 1975, and site Leadership Community churches “THE MORE LIVE their regional campus surveyed, half indicate that more than 50% of approach was launched in adults attending all campuses are involved in ON-SITE, THE MORE 2001. Currently they draw small groups. 18,500 total weekend LOCAL OWNERSHIP attenders in 8 adult and 6 Some churches even link their pulpit teaching AND ENERGY IN THE children services on 3 to their small-group content. North Coast’s campuses. Three adult mission statement is “Making disciples in a SERVICE,” SAYS JIM services are videocast healthy church environment,” and for them from the main campus sermon-based small groups form an essential TOMBERLIN, WILLOW to the regional sites. link–one of four measurements as the vital CREEK REGIONAL The goal is to make signs of church health (the four measurements each campus a fully- involve Word, Worship, Warmth, and PASTOR. functioning congregation. Witness). “We want to make church a place After experimenting with of significant relationships, so we consistently multiple video elements shoot for 80% of our people –such as worship teams and drama–the in small groups,” says senior regional campuses are moving toward the use pastor Larry Osborne. North “MOST LEADERS of a videocast sermon with as many live Coast’s Growth Group elements as possible. “The more live on-site, ministry is a small-group LIKE IT BIG, BUT the more local ownership and energy in the structure that takes a MOST PEOPLE service,” says Jim Tomberlin, Willow Creek lecture/lab approach to the regional pastor. sermons. North Coast has LIKE IT SMALL.” reached that 80% bench- 5. Are all worship services in the same mark each year since 1985, geographic area? Worship attendance at and maintained the same ratio since Seacoast Church, based in Charleston, S.C., launching their video venue strategy in 1998. currently represents a total of 5,500 That small-group feeling of intimacy then people in 10 services on 5 campuses, carries into North Coast’s video venues, with dreams of expanding to numerous which have the atmosphere of a fellowship- cities across South Carolina and in size church more than a megachurch neighboring states. Like many other auditorium. As Osborne often reminds congregations, Seacoast found the multi- pastors, “Most leaders like it big, but most site idea to be a helpful means to an end. people like it small.” “We came to the multi-site model from GREG SURRATT

8 7. Are all campuses intended to stay videocast preaching. A few churches, such as connected to the main campus? Grace Gulf Breeze, offer no preaching via video screen Community Church in Tyler, TX, is on any of their campuses. one church in three locations. Currently they have one unified Times. When is the optimal time slot for offering budget and one administrative the additional church services? Noon on Sunday center. Each site has its own is one of the largest-attended services for Life teaching pastor, and Gary Church in Oklahoma. More often, it is the 10:30 Brandenburg is senior pastor over or 11:00 slot. Sometimes the most-attended the entire church, which currently service is at the same time for all campuses, but GARY BRANDENBURG worships 2,300 total in 6 services sometimes it is not. on 3 campuses. The long-range vision is for something like Grace Associates–a network of On the horizon. Some churches are using the extension campuses that eventually become multi-site concept to explore digital niche distinct local churches. “Our extension ministries, from fire-houses to campuses may eventually become nursing homes. “Big churches IN DIGITAL NICHE autonomous as we continue to bring more often don’t think of the small campuses online,” says Brandenburg. venues, but we can easily do MINISTRIES, “IF them,” says Chartwell Baptist’s YOU MULTIPLY 20 8. Do your off-site facilities receive the same Peter Roebbelen. “Multi-site caliber of funding as your main location? through video venue provides PEOPLE ENOUGH Some multi-site churches build off-site an opportunity to specifically facilities that will last, that perhaps one day target different subgroups,” TIMES, YOU CAN will even spin off into separate congregations. adds North Coast’s Larry Others have no plan for their off-sites to be Osborne. ”If you multiply 20 IMPACT A LOT OF around by the time their grandchildren grow people enough times, you can PEOPLE.” up. Thus some rent theaters and schools while impact a lot of people.” others do capital campaigns or creative real- estate partnerships that are designed to meet Summary of Multi-Site Approaches the needs of the next stage of ministry. A. Multi-Venue: One church, with many on-site venues Video variables. One additional major point of (all on same campus) demarcation involves the use of video. Some Example: Fellowship Bible (Little Rock) churches do all their extension-site sermons via B. Regional Multi-Site: One church, with many video. That includes Willow Creek, North Point, campuses (all in the same region) and North Coast, where the preaching is Example: Chartwell (Toronto), Gulf Breeze (Pensacola), delivered by video screen, and is supported by New Life (Chicago), North Point (Atlanta), Willow Creek (Chicago) the presence of local campus teams for worship music, drama, and “face with the place” pastoral C. Extended Multi-Site: One church, with branches all presence. Sometimes the video is live, but most is over (unlimited geographic reach) prerecorded, such as a Saturday-evening or Example: Christ the King (Seattle), Community Christian (Chicago), Grace Community (Tyler), Life Church Wednesday-evening message being taped and (Edmond), Seacoast (Charleston) played the next day. D. Church Planting Multi-Site: One church, composed Some churches tailor the use of video to each site. of multiple congregations (purposeful church planting) Example: None from the 12 examples studied for this For Christ the King, for example, only 2 of the 7 report. campuses use video substantially. Life Church in Oklahoma uses a combination–at the local sites, E. Variations on the Above Themes: One church senior pastor Craig Groeschel drives back and embodying a combination of all the approaches. Example: North Coast is doing video venue on both the forth across town for live preaching, while at sites main site (A) and a second campus (B), while outside Edmond the satellite congregations use considering extended multi-site (C)

9 jÉ~ëìêáåÖ íÜÉ oáëâëK All churches doing expect to see to determine if a new site multi-site seem to have a comfort zone that is viable? surrounds the basic conviction, “There are lots of •How soon do we expect the extension ways to do it.” The bigger divergence is in the campuses to move from being a level of risk that people are willing to take. Some resource drain to being a fully are saying, in concert with the above-mentioned contributing resource? EDS ad, “We’ve got to get this airplane fixed •How many people (leaders and artists) before we land.” Others didn’t want to launch need to be in place before we launch a without a well-mapped plan, from finances to new site? staffing. This latter group does affirm, however, •How will we prevent a loss of quality in that multi-site is an ever-moving target: “It’s a the new site, and what is the defining process thing–we’re moving toward it, and we point for deciding the quality level is need to keep at it.” not acceptable? •How much money does it take to birth Becoming multi-site changes–and presumably the new site, both for the launch stage, enhances–who you are as a church (“We have a and then until it reaches a point of self- commitment to X; how does multi-site enhance support? X?”). It adds value to you and to the people you’re reaching. Sometimes it helps free up certain iççâ çÑ iÉ~ÇÉêëÜáéK Although risk manage- resources and recovers certain values lost along ment is a major concern, by far the biggest need the way, such as a corporate sense of intimate voiced by multi-site churches is for leadership community. But it also increases certain risk development. Everyone’s levels. biggest concern has the word leadership in it. This “THE BIGGEST NEED Evaluating opportunities. In assessing how much topic seems to be in the top VOICED BY MULTI- risk to take when spinning off multiple campuses, five for churches of every the kinds of self-diagnostic questions that size, style, and stripe, but it SITE CHURCHES IS churches tend to ask themselves include: is especially crucial for churches doing multi-site. FOR LEADERSHIP •How far are we willing to extend Bobby Gruenewald, pastor DEVELOPMENT.” ourselves–to other rooms on our of systems development at campus? across town? across our state Life Church, is fairly typical or province? around the world? in this observation: “The •How different will the satellites be from leadership aspect has been by far the most the main campus? challenging for us, and we initially thought that •How much unity of vision is required – other dimensions would be more difficult.” is this a branch? a franchise? or a licensee? As Bill Easum and Dave Travis explain in their book, •How will the satellite sites connect “In every case we’ve seen, back to the main campus? staffing the multi-site church •How centralized do we stay? is a significant challenge…. “MULTI-SITES … •How much permission will we grant for Multi-sites also require a REQUIRE A HIGHER an off-site to fail? higher competency level •How much control will the main among all staff than is COMPETENCY LEVEL campus maintain (will we be more like found in most single-site multi-campuses or will we become a congregations…. The core AMONG ALL STAFF mini-denomination)? staff must be more like THAN IS FOUND IN •How much change will we allow from ‘athletic directors.’ They aren’t how things are done at the main just coaches or great athletes. MOST SINGLE-SITE campus? They know how to oversee •How much momentum should we coaches who run teams.”10 CONGREGATIONS.”

10 Leadership development is an area where multi- campus pastor. Other parallel titles include site churches in Leadership Network’s Multi-site campus director, teaching pastor and venue Leadership Community are purposing to be very pastor. As the number of off-sites increases, intentional for the future. When asked about the another new role often emerges–the person quality of leadership track offered developing whose responsibility it is to wake up each day potential and existing staff thinking about all of the church’s off-site and ministry leaders, the ministries. That individual is sometimes called the “DONATING ONE typical self-rating is mediocre multi-site director. KIDNEY IS FINE, at best. From Willow Creek, as the largest- BUT IT GETS TRICKY In larger churches, most of attendance participant in this Multi-Site the staff tends to be home Leadership Community, to the youngest AFTER YOU’VE grown, and Leadership and smallest-attendance multi-site church, GIVEN UP YOUR Network’s multi-site partici- the discovery path has been similar in pants are no exception. Thus, defining the campus pastor role. Kevin SECOND KIDNEY!” it comes as no surprise that Penry of Life Church voices what was KEVIN PENRY the staff for the satellite typical for many: “Fourteen months ago campuses usually comes from our vision was to find an emcee. Now we realize the main church. To a degree, that’s we need a leader; the campus pastor must bring healthy, because it opens slots for leadership to the table.” emerging talent to fill. However, as the number of sites expands, the challenge Likewise the partnership is important between grows greater. As David McDaniel, senior pastor (or multi-site director) and the “face campus director for North Point’s with the place” at each local site. “We work hard DAVID MCDANIEL Buckhead extension site says, to develop synergy between the video screen and “Donating one kidney is fine, but it gets local hosts,” says Penry. “The campus pastor can tricky after you’ve given up your second kidney!” add equity to the video pastor. Works the other way too.” Relational leadership. The exact staffing structure varies from church to church in terms of what is Financial leadership. For all 12 churches, going centralized and what is decentralized. A common multi-site required up-front moneys, usually a denominator tends to be a relational factor rather sizable chunk of change, but most also expected than control issues. As Chartwell’s Peter their off-site locations to become self-supporting. Roebbelen says, “I’m convinced that the stuff that New Life in Chicago, which has been doing really holds us together is relationship. It’s not multi-site since 1998, is typical. It owns three policy or control or even the senior pastor.” The church buildings, is purchasing two others, and same is true for the identifying and raising up of rents its other meeting sites. Each location is future leaders, who continually make time to be a responsible for its own operating expenses. Each catalyst and talent scout. “I spend a lot of time location contributes 5% towards administration looking for new people with leadership and 5% towards missions projects and 2% potential,” says Troy McMahon, business pastor at towards starting other locations. Community Christian. Seacoast’s financial approach is only slightly New roles. One aspect of the leadership more complicated. Each site is started with challenge is the new roles created by a multi- upfront moneys that are considered a loan from campus approach. Almost all multi-site the Seacoast Network. The campus pastor builds, congregations designate someone with the with network approval, and operates an weekly role of being the “face with the individual budget with 10% of income going place”–someone more than an emcee, someone toward paying back the startup loan and 10% with leadership gifts and little desire for a going toward network expenses. All accounting is teaching platform. Most call that person the done at the main campus. “We expect campuses

11 to be self-sustaining within one year,” says Greg 1. Ask around locally. Many churches in the Surratt. “Benchmarks are 250 attenders giving prayer and investigation stage of becoming a $800 per year for a budget of $200,000.” multi-site congregation do on-site visits with local multi-site churches. The idea is to Likewise, Willow Creek wants each regional experience it firsthand and to observe what center to become a self-supporting extension as pieces seem to work best – an experiential soon as possible. For them, “soon” came very “best practices” approach. quickly: The first regional site, Willow Wheaton, met budget in its first year. “We expected it would 2. Travel to a model. Many leadership take two years to be self-sufficient,” Jim Tomberlin teams get on an airplane to attend a says, “but it happened in six months.” The second conference hosted by a multi-site church, or regional campus in Chicago’s North Shore simply to visit a high-visibility church doing community launched in 2003 should be self- multi-site. supporting by year’s end. For Willow, the money stays at the site in this way: The initial set-up cost 3. Visit vicariously online. Many church for launching a site comes from “Chapter 2” leadership teams also do “virtual” visits to funds. They are given as a gift to the site with no multi-campus churches by browsing their expectation to “pay back” Willow Creek. All web sites. Internet sites for the 12 giving to the general budget of a regional center congregations selected to participate in a directly supports the ministry of that center. Any Multi-Site Leadership Community with income that exceeds the break-even costs will Leadership Network appear at the beginning reside with the regional site for local needs and of this document. Of those, the ones with the expansion. Willow Creek is willing to assist from most extensive FAQ section with their spin on “Chapter 2” funds if there is a shortfall. multi-site are:

Christ the King even builds in a way of funding • North Coast; the FAQ section can be future sites. “We try to spend our dollars in the reached directly at www.videocafes.org. following ratios,” explains Dave Browning. “For personnel, 50%; for the physical plant, 20%; for • Community Christian’s “New Thing programming, 20%; and for new sites, 10%.” They call that last category, PIF, for “pay it forward.” Network” can be reached directly at www.newthing.org or phoning In short, multi-site has the potential of expanding 630-388-5205. ministry in economical ways–doing more with less overall staff, and renting some facilities rather • Willow Creek has FAQ sections on than buying or building everything. each of its regional campuses. Go to tÜ~í oÉëçìêÅÉë ^êÉ ^ÅÅÉäÉê~íáåÖ íÜÉ www.WillowCreek.org and click the tçêâ\ The world of multi-site ministry requires sections (currently at lower left) for the wrestling with several tough questions, most various regional campuses. fundamentally: “Is this who God has called us to be?” Spin-off questions range from “What is the Other churches also have extensive websites opportunity represented here?” to “Is this a fix to explaining their multi-site journey–often an immediate problem or a long-term strategy?” modeling how they presented it to the to “Is multi-site something we can do best?” congregation. One great example is Suppose you’ve caught the vision for multi-site Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, ministry–now what? What follows are the initial MN, www.bbcmpls.org/goingwogoing.htm. steps people took as they explored the idea of whether God was calling them to extend their 4. Track earlier and ongoing developments. ministry through additional campuses. Go to the “Resource” section of Leadership

12 Network’s website, www.leadnet.org for kÉï pÉí çÑ mÜóëáÅ~ä _çìåÇ~êáÉë Ñçê vçìê additional information, such as an earlier `ÜìêÅÜ. In short, the multi-site movement is commentary, “Multi-Site Special Report” about a new way of re-assigning the physical (September 2001). boundaries of a church. Asked how their journey has changed them, participants in the April 2003 5. Go to www.leadnet.org and subscribe to Multi-Site Leadership Community showed new Explorer and Into Action (free e-publications) confidence in the unconventional directions forperiodic updates on multi-site and other they’ve already taken. “I’m leaving behind the innovative approaches to doing church in the thought that what we’re twenty-first century. doing is crazy,” said one. “Confusion over whether THE MULTI-SITE this is going to work,” said MOVEMENT IS Advantages of Multi-Site, Multi-Venue Ministry another. “Small dreams,” said another. “The feeling ABOUT A NEW WAY 1. Brings together the best aspects of larger church and smaller church. of being alone on this new frontier,” voiced yet OF RE-ASSIGNING 2. Increases the total number of seats available during another. THE PHYSICAL optimal seeker times. What did they gain from BOUNDARIES OF A 3. Overcomes geographic barriers when a church two days of networking facility is landlocked or tightly zoned. and planning? “Encourage- CHURCH. 4. Enables untapped talent to emerge each time a new ment for the future, venue is opened. perspective, and the power therein,” said one participant. “Excitement and 5. Mobilizes volunteers through an added variety of anticipation,” said another. “A renewed vision of ministry opportunities. what God is doing throughout our church in our 6. Increases options of location and sometimes of city and beyond,” said someone else. “An worship style too. openness to ride the wave as God moves—and to enjoy the ride!” said another. 7. Assists in reaching friends and family who wouldn’t travel a great distance to church. Always outreach. For everyone, the multi-site ride has been about opportunities: reaching more 8. Accelerates the climate for diversity, creativity, and innovation in ministry. people, developing more leaders, and influencing other churches. “It’s about Jesus’ Great 9. Improves a church’s stewardship of funds and Commission,” said one leader. “It’s not about us, resources. it’s about God.” Another’s summary put everything in context, reminding us who has the 10. Enables a church to extend itself into niches like a biggest vision of all–“I’m taking with me the cancer ward or office complex. reinforced idea that God is big.” 11. Helps a congregation see evidences of how it’s part of a larger Kingdom mission.

12. Models and trains people for church planting elsewhere.

13. Provides a “pipeline” for the development of emerging leaders and future staff.

13 Leadership Network welcomes your response. The primary writer is Warren Bird. Editorial advisors were Greg Ligon, Director of the Multi-site Churches WARREN BIRD GREG LIGON Leadership Community for Leadership Network; and Dave Travis, Senior Vice President for Leadership Network. Contact them via [email protected].

© 2003 Leadership Network (www.leadnet.org).

Want to find more resources like this one? For the most current listing of free and purchasable resources, some of which are distributed solely through Leadership Network, go to: www.leadnet.org/multisitechurchesResources.asp. (alternate: www.leadnet.org, then select "Learning Resources" then “Special Reports”) or call toll-free 800-765-5323 or 214-969-5950 outside the U.S. and Canada.

Leadership Network’s mission is to identify, connect and help high-capacity Christian leaders multiply their impact.

14 bkaklqbp

1 Ferguson, Dave. “The Multi-Site Church: Some of the Strengths of This New Life Form,” Leadership Journal, Spring 2003, 81. See www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/

2 Schaller, Lyle E. Discontinuity and Hope: Radical Change and the Path to the Future. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999, 174-179, emphasis added. See also Schaller, Lyle E. The Very Large Church: New Rules for Leaders. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000, 110-112, 135-136, 192-194; Schaller, Lyle E. Innovations in Ministry, chapter 6 “Off-Campus Ministries” and chapter 8 “The Multi-Site Option, Nashville: Abingdon, 1994, 86-97, 112-133; Schaller, Lyle E. Forty-Four Questions for Church Planters, chapter 4 “The Multi-Site Option”, Nashville: Abingdon, 1991, 56-58.

3 See beginning of this document for web sites of all churches mentioned.

4 Towns, Elmer. Ten of Today’s Most Innovative Churches, Regal, 1990, 239. Although the book is out of print, it is available at www.elmertowns.com, currently at no charge.

5 www.louisville-institute.org

6 Ferguson, Dave. “The Multi-Site Church: Some of the Strengths of This New Life Form,” Leadership Journal, Spring 2003, 81-84, www.christianitytoday.com/le/2003/002/21.81.html. See also Eric Reed “Let’s Go to the Tape,” Leadership Journal, Spring 2003, 76-80, www.christianitytoday.com/le/2003/002/20.76.html

7 Collins, Jim. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. HarperBusiness, 2002.

8 Easum, Bill, and Travis, Dave, Beyond the Box: Innovative Churches that Work. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2003, 85.

9 The McChurch graphic is courtesy of the graphic collection available from Ginghamsburg Church, www.ginghamsburg.org

10 Easum, Bill, and Travis, Dave, Beyond the Box: Innovative Churches that Work. Loveland, CO: Group Publishing, 2003, 100-101.

15