I have been convinced for a long time that the multi-site church model was going to revitalize rural church America. At the beginning of 2010 I wrote in Outreach Magazine:

Shannon O’dell’s book, “Transforming Church in Rural America,” tells his story and shows the way to do it! In seven years Brand New Church has grown from 31 to 2000 members with 5 campuses, 3 satellite house churches, and an online campus under Shannon’s leadership. The Southern Baptist affiliated church has reported the second most baptisms in the Arkansas convention for the last four years.

The rural back roads of America are the new frontier for church expansion and Shannon O’dell is one of the trailblazers leading the way. His story and book debunks the misconceptions of rural ministry “the rurals” and proves that:

1. Churches can be vibrant and flourish “in the sticks.”
2. Rural churches can grow their own staff and team “from the pews.”
3. Rural communities are technically savvy and know their way around the “super information highway.”
4. Rural church ministry is not for the faint-hearted or timid, but for God-called missionaries who give their lives to people “in the country.”

Of course I loved the chapter “Multi-Sites and Satellites: Rural Goes Virtual.” Shannon proves that video campuses do work and are affordable in rural communities. He even asserts they are more successful in rural communities because there are so few churches in the back roads of America with relevant teaching. He asserts that the plan was never to go multi-site, but his vision to reach rural America forced the issue rapidly. He gives sound advice about how to go multi-site in rural communities:

1. Know you are called to multi-site.
2. Know you are called to the area.
3. Have the RIGHT campus pastor in place.
4. Know what ministries to launch strong with and what areas must evolve.
5. Know who is the target audience.

If you are a pastor serving in small town America or sensing God’s call to go the boonies—ORDER Transforming Church in Rural America now!

If you need some encouragement, resources, and a network to help you serve in small towns and hard-to-reach places SIGN UP for the next Church in the Sticks Conference.

If you need some individual coaching and how to go multi-site in the sticks, CONTACT Charles Hill at Multi-Site Solutions. Charles is a seasoned rural multi-siting church planter. He specializes in working with churches in small to medium-size towns that are under-resourced, under-staffed and under 2,000 in attendance.

Jesus said, “Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that My house will be full.” – Luke 14:21

Lets get’r done!