Multi-site has become a proven and effective strategy for launching new and vibrant congregations. Multi-site congregations have a high success rate because of the support and leverage of the sending church. So what does it take to launch a multi-site campus?

• Prayer to Precede


• Provision to Start


• A Pastor to Lead


• People to Follow


• A Place to Meet

Like a school of fish swimming as one toward an unknown destination, the morning traffic sped by on the busy thoroughfare. As Kyle sat, watching the scene through the Starbuck's window, the commuters were heavy on his heart. They were the people that God had clearly called him to impact with the gospel three years ago.

Observing the silent processional through the vapor of his grande cup of Pikes Place, he was struck by the all too familiar feeling of inadequacy about performing the very task that had caused Joan and him to uproot their family and relocate. That task, although exciting and challenging, involved leaving a vibrant team at a large church on the other side of the state. With much prayer, planning, and preparation, Community Fellowship had launched them to plant a new church in Smithville.

"Hey, you look like you're a million miles away this morning," a friendly voice broke in like an alarm clock waking a tired sleeper. The voice belonged to John Holmes, the pastor of a small non-denominational church just north of town. John had quickly grown from a casual coffee shop acquaintance to a trusted confidant as the two pastors had shared details of their respective journeys and current struggles. It didn't take Kyle long to admit the difficulty and loneliness he was experiencing and how he missed the collegiality of being part of a larger team working toward a common ministry goal. After listening to his friend, John admitted to some of the same feelings and issues.

As John and Kyle talked, the conversation turned in a direction neither had ever considered. What would it look like if the two churches merged into one larger work? The pastors could share duties while the churches shared resources and ministry focus. As this new thought was being discussed, both men gained energy and enthusiasm. Their minds raced as they considered opportunities and potential problems. Finally, Kyle asked something they had both been thinking, "What do we do with this idea?"

Kyle and John found themselves in a discussion that is happening with increased frequency these days, and the path forward is not as clear as it may seem. For them to really know how to process this idea and to potentially take action; there is much for them to consider and learn. Church mergers are on the rise, but many end badly. To know why many fail, it is important to learn all we can about how church mergers work.

What does a church do when they've invested significant capital resources into land and a building, and their growth still outpaces their physical capacity to effectively serve all the people who attend? More and more churches are finding their answer in the multi-site church model.

According to Jim Tomberlin, founder of Multi-Site Solutions, "What started as a megachurch phenomenon has become a healthy-church strategy."

Tomberlin was hired in 2000 by Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, to pioneer the multi-site model. During this time, he launched four campuses over the course of five years.

"Initially, going multi-site was a band-aid solution for churches like Willow that had plateaued or stymied because of space limitations," says Tomberlin. By creating satellite locations, Willow Creek could more effectively minister to the people who were driving long distances to attend church.

Today, Tomberlin says the thinking on multi-sites has evolved. "Churches now realize that going multi-site isn't just a band-aid for space limitations; it is a viable alternative for accommodating and accelerating church growth without investing in bigger buildings," says Tomberlin.

As Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, Illinois, began to max out its suburban Chicago facilities, leaders discussed construction of a larger worship center. But before fundraising began, a shift in the expectations of the congregation and early signs of a downturn in the economy caused the team to ask bigger—and deeper—questions.

Until recently, churches responded to growing attendance by building larger facilities. But the faltering economy makes raising large sums for building projects harder to accomplish. And combined with the aversion of younger churchgoers to the bigger-is-better ministry philosophy, these tight-money days are demanding imaginative alternatives. For some churches, the question has become, "Should we build at all?"

"We have told many clients in the last couple years, 'You're not ready to build, because you aren't sure what your ministry is,'" said Ed Bahler of the Aspen Group, a church design firm. "So what once took a few weeks has become a six- to twelve-month process: determining what their vision is and what they really need to do that ministry." The firm now focuses on guiding church leaders through the vision process.

Continue reading.

In early 2008, we made the decision at Fairhaven Church to move forward with an $8 million construction project, even as the signs of recession popped up everywhere. Reports of other churches delaying or canceling plans for expansion were easy to find. We concluded that we should move ahead carefully, yet confidently.

Why? What questions did we wrestle through that led us to conclude that moving forward was the right decision?

Below are 10 questions to help you galvanize the issues that are important in balancing the uncertainties of the economy with the need for building expansion:

Will Mancini moved from the trenches of church leadership and founded Auxano, a church consulting group that takes a unique approach of helping churches find their vision frame before proceeding with typical consulting services. To that end, Will calls himself a "clarity evangelist."

Will spoke about how a church can discern its unique calling at the 2009 Cornerstone Knowledge Network conference in Charlotte. Here's what he had to say:

According to architect Mel McGowan, the Samaritan woman at the well would never have made her way to the 'holiest of holies' with all the hoops she would have been forced to jump through. That's why Jesus came to her. In the same way, churches are looking at creative ways to bring Christ back into the city square rather than forcing seekers to overcome unnecessary obstacles to find faith. Watch Mel's video for a quick look at the revolution of sacred space that's occurring.

In the late 1990s, a property developer began designing Highpoint Community in Romeoville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His plans consisted of apartments and single-family housing oriented around a central village green featuring a community center. And in that community center he envisioned an anchoring presence that is seldom considered by commercial and residential real estate developers: a church.

At the Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville, the pastor is trying to sell the building from under his congregation.

"Our motive should not be to fill these seats, but to empty these seats," the Rev. Frank Mercer decided last year.

Amen, said the congregation, which is $150,000 away from paying off $1.4 million worth of land and buildings. Read more.

Challenge Question: If you become a church of bricks and mortar, will you cease to be a church of flesh and blood?

There are good reasons for building a new church. There are also not-so-good reasons. Sometimes, the differences between the two are subtle. It's important that you, as a leader in your church, learn to recognize when the situation is right for a building project, and when other actions are more appropriate.

More Space Without Building
Lack of space is probably the number one reason to consider building. But be careful that you aren't just suffering from an inefficient use of space, warns Bill Chegwidden, president of CDH Partners. "Look at everything that is used and how much it is used—this can get complicated." For example, many rooms are used only on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Are the uses set according to ministry priorities? Perhaps you are attracting new people but they aren't returning. It could be because you don't have an adequate nursery for their children. What space do you have now that could become a nursery? Could you combine some Sunday school classes, or move them to the fellowship hall to make room for a nursery?

Skye Jethani, managing editor of Leadership journal, and author of The Divine Commodity (Zondervan, 2009), discusses how churches can create sacred space within their ministry facilities. Watch the video.

Skye Jethani, managing editor of Leadership magazine, and author of the book, The Divine Commodity, discusses how consumerism affects church design. To what extent do you think churches feed into consumer expectations versus standing apart from the culture as sacred places? Post a comment below.

Getting to know the community that your congregation will focus on is a critical step in defining your mission. To start, work on getting answers to several key questions: What are the primary issues in your community? How do the people in the community want the church to respond to those issues? And probably most important: do the people in your community actually want the ministry you are proposing? Your congregation will be most successful if you can answer yes to this question.

Why do leaders miss the matchless thumb-print of their identity in the local expression of Christ's body?

I see six common hazards that stand out across the landscape of church life. Because all of them affect thinking, I call them "thinkholes." A thinkhole represents the quicksand-like dynamic where, at certain times and places, vibrant thinking gets sucked beneath the surface to suffocate and disappear from view. Along the great race of leadership, thinkholes are the obstacles, barriers, and danger zones that keep us from thoughtful self-knowledge.

I have consulted with hundreds of churches around the country regarding vision, teambuilding, and organizational development. I am typically called in when a church is about to embark on a building project, or to deal with the aftermath of a project gone awry. Over the years, I've observed aspects that distinguish successful projects from failures. Successful projects have two common threads: a shared vision for the future, and a strong team. Failed projects occur for exactly the opposite reasons: no shared vision, and an ineffective team.

Hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars, are at stake, as is the church's future vitality. In today's economy, your church cannot afford to make a mistake. A little extra investment on the front end produces huge returns on the back end.

Let's look at how to develop a shared vision for the future in your church.

The U. S. Census Bureau shows that the amount spent on religious related construction has grown over the past fifteen years from $3.5 billion to nearly $8 billion. Even when inflation is factored out, churches are still spending significantly more than just over a decade ago. Yet, according to Barna's statistical tracking, church attendance has actually declined over that same period of time.