An increasing number of churches are going the multisite way. In fact, the last 15 years have seen close to 8,000 multisite churches spring up across the United States. That’s not all, an impressive 85% of multisite churches continue to thrive even past their fifth year.
If you’re looking to launch multiple campuses or seeking inspiration for your current multisite church, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of five key things that successful multisite churches are doing exceptionally well. Let’s take a look:
1.Focusing more on outreach:
While a growing congregation can trigger the launch of a new campus, it is the desire to reach the unreached that drives successful multisites. In fact, as Jim Tomberlin says, “Church leaders are focusing less on church growth and more on serving their local communities through multiple campuses.”
That is why The Meeting House in Toronto has spread itself across 18 locations so that it can invite “people who aren’t into church.” What’s more, this church has gone a step further to welcome the unchurched by using unconventional spaces, including a movie theater and a school, as its houses of worship.
2. Making the most of technology:
Technology is a useful asset for any 21st-century church. Multisite churches, in particular, are increasingly leveraging technology to create an immersive experience for congregations across all campuses. One way in which leading multisite churches are doing this is by using the same technology and equipment models in all their sites. This makes troubleshooting and substituting for tech and production teams much easier.
That is why Portable Church Industries designed the control center for Faithbridge Church’s new site to mimic the equipment in their main facility. In fact, this approach enabled the church to seamlessly livestream the service from the main campus to the new site.
3. Using spaces creatively for ministries:
While a multisite campus shares the vision of the parent church, it also has its own unique footprint. In fact, a multisite model gives churches the freedom to experiment with a range of ideas to suit the needs of their different campuses.
The Red Rocks Church, for example, decided to revamp and use seven unusual venues, including a “creepy” theme park, a run-down theater, a prison and a high school. Each of these sites was designed to suit the different congregations as well as retain the vision of the parent church.
4. Empowering volunteers:
While effective leadership is key to the success of any church, good volunteers are essential for its smooth functioning. However, engaging volunteers effectively remains a challenge for many churches. Well, multisite campuses seem to have hit a home run in this regard, with 88% of multisites seeing an increase in lay participation.
Successful multisite churches take special care to empower their volunteers and go the extra mile to prevent volunteer burnout. Click To TweetFor example, Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL, chose to launch its campuses in portable venues in a bid to maximize care for its volunteers. By looking at portability as an opportunity, this church has mobilized a large team of volunteers who are excited about serving together and ministering to each other – as a community!
5. Going portable:
The landscape of churches is changing drastically! An increasing number of churches are abandoning the concept of a permanent church building and choosing portable venues as their homes. In fact, 52% of multisite campuses launch in rented spaces. After all, setting up in portable venues is not only easy on the wallet, but also a great way to open doors to the unchurched.
In the words of Carey Nieuwhof, going portable is the future of churches. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Carey’s church, Connexus Community Church, has continued with the portable model in different locations despite having a permanent building.
If you’re looking to plant a new campus, we can help you launch smoothly! Our experts at Portable Church have helped many multisite churches successfully launch in all kinds of portable locations.
Here’s the best part – we take the load off your shoulders and handle the entire transition process. So, right from the consultation and finding the right venue to providing equipment and training volunteers – we’ve got you covered!
So, give us a call today at 800.939.7722 and we’ll help you launch strong!
Wait, there’s more! We also have an amazing FREE resource that will surely help you in this journey. The 7 Lessons From Multisite Church Leaders Micro-Course features short video interviews with experienced multisite church leaders. Get this awesome FREE resource today!
