When does a church move from being a church with multiple campuses and truly become a church of multiple campuses? The change in the prepositions “with and of” is dramatic and very few multisite churches have made that change. The latest survey of multisite churches in 2010 by Leadership Network revealed that 85% of multisite churches have three or fewer geographic campuses. Ten years ago church consultant and guru Lyle Schaller told me that many churches will add a second campus and even a third campus, but very few will launch a fourth campus, but those who do will launch more than four campuses. A decade later his prediction has come true.
Why are so few unable to break through the three campus barrier? The simple answer is that they have not made the paradigm shift from a single-site to a multi-site mindset. They embrace the idea of multi-siting, but they are still functioning as a single-site church with multiple campuses instead of functioning as a truly multi-site church. They are holding onto the old single-site ways and not thoroughly leveraging and benefiting from the multisite model. They look like a multisite church, but they still think and act like a single-site church with multiple campuses. It’s like using a DOS operating system on a Mac computer. It can be done, but it is a lot harder (if you even know what a DOS operating system is you are really ancient). That’s why many churches will give up adding more than one or two campuses and not make the transition to become a truly multisite church.
So what are the characteristics of a church that is on its way to becoming a true multi-site church? Here are some of the traits that I have observed among churches that seem to have made the shift from single-site to a multi-site paradigm:
- Four or more geographical campuses.
- A dedicated multisite champion on the senior team.
- At least 50% of total church attendance beyond the original campus.
- A teaching team that fully or partially utilizes video delivery.
- Dedicated central staff that supports all the campuses.
- A dedicated campus pastor at the original campus who is not the senior pastor.
- Regional campus-focused decision making rather that central campus-focused decision making.
- Grandchildren campuses. Multi-site campuses launching campuses.
- Campuses beyond 30 minutes from the original campus. Most of these will come through church mergers.
- Empowered local campus pastors who are unquestionably committed to the mission, vision, values and strategy of the founding church.
Is your church truly multisite?
6 Comments
So as a church begins preparing to launch the third campus, what do they need to be thinking through, and how should they be preparing so that they can truly become of and not stick at with? The characteristics are a big help… but what are two or three strategies that the churches that have done this well have used?
Matt,
If you haven’t already, clarify the church’s mission & vision, focus on creating the non-negotiable campus “constants” that must be consistent at all locations and develop a clear matrix organizational chart.
Let’s talk,
Jim
Jim,
Another great list of Multi-Site wisdom. We’re thankful to have launched our fifth geographic location this past August. The insights and advice we received from you three years ago are still paying off. I think we probably hit 9 of the these 10 traits fully. We’ve experienced two church mergers in the last two years, but neither of them came with a physical location, so they were absorbed into our existing campuses.
I’m not sure what #7 would look like for us, so can’t say that we’ve made that transition yet.
Thanks again for your help. Keep up the good work.
Rick,
Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham region is one of the leading multisite churches in the nation. It was an honor to “throw a log on your fire.”
Keep blazing the trail!
Jim
I can see this playing out right where we are at with this process right now. We are 6 months in with our first satellite campus and being the campus pastor, I see your points making so much sense and needing attention as we move forward with our Multi-site strategy. It can be really frustrating at times when breaking new ground.
DJ,
Launching multisite campuses is the easier part. Managing the inter-campus relationships and staffing a growing multisite church is the more difficult part of multisiting.
Be fruitful and multiply!
Jim