The number one reason for pursuing the increasingly popular multi-site strategy is evangelism, not bigger attendance numbers, say church pastors who are at the forefront of the multi-site movement.
"Really for us, it's absolutely just about lost people. It's not like 'let's all be seeker sensitive.' This generation, they want to hear the truth," said John Bishop, pastor of Living Hope Church in Vancouver, Wash.
A multi-site church can be described as one church that meets in multiple locations – also called campuses. Most engage in live, on-site preaching and many engage in video satellite preaching – where a pastor's sermons are broadcasted from one church location to the other campuses. Each multi-site location typically has their own live worship music and most meet in a school, restaurant or mall.
Living Hope Church currently draws thousands of attendants to campuses in three states – Washington, Oregon and Hawaii – plus an online campus, according to its campus directory. The Vancouver church is also expanding internationally to the Philippines, Cabo San Lucas and New Zealand.
"We're not doing it for numbers," Bishop said Tuesday during a teleconference. Just as Bishop was "revolutionized" by Christ and became an "accidental pastor," he wants ministry to be about reaching that one person.
"If you're pursuing multi-site just to grow, that's a real bad way to do it," he said, encouraging pastors who want to pursue multi-site to first determine why they want to take that road.
Bishop will be speaking at one of three “Multi-Site Exposed” conferences, which are being sponsored by Leadership Network, this year. The event will feature pastors who will uncover successful strategies to building multi-site churches. The first "Exposed" conference is scheduled for Apr. 14-15 at Mars Hill Church in Seattle.
Mars Hill Church founder Mark Driscoll hopes to answer "the why" of multi-site churches – including why it's biblical and historical – in a theological and apologetic discussion at the April event. Driscoll, who opened a sixth campus this past Sunday, said he fears if that question isn't answered soon, many will perceive the multiple campuses strategy as being all about numbers.
He says the multi-site strategy is a "biblically acceptable and culturally adaptable way" of accomplishing the mission of reaching as many people as they can.
Dave Browning, pastor of Christ the King Community Church in Burlington, Wash., hopes to see a major movement with multi-site churches.
The Burlington pastor is slated to speak in Seattle about the multi-site church as an "organic relational movement" instead of an "institutional attractional ministry."
"What I'm praying for is more of a movement," Browning commented. "We need to insatiate this culture with Christ." And an institutional approach isn't going to accomplish that, he added.
Dispelling commonly held perceptions about multi-site churches, the three pastors scheduled to speak in Seattle said the strategy is not just about breaking out of the box, is not just another model to replicate, is not another ministry, and does not serve as an overflow.
Going multi-site also isn't a mere extension of ministry but rather an overhaul of ministry, Driscoll said.
Comments
I don't understand why people have to jump straight to talking the mega church and/or the multi-site can become all about the pastor's ego??? The there is the question of are people coming to hear about Jesus or are they just drawn by the "facy audio"! Come on, are you kidding me...is that really the question to be asking here. We will never know what motives ANY pastor has and that is not something we have been charged to worry about. Lets praise God for the pastors who are leading churches that are making an impact on their community and lets dig in and learn all that we can from them. The two edged sword is pastors who sit back and evaluate and judge those who are making an impact, but sit back and make none in their own community. When will people get it that the church is not the building where people meet on Sunday morning? God's word is God's word whether it is coming from a man on a video screen or standing behind a pulpit. GO, GO, GO and make disciples!
I am not sure why it should matter how the word of Jesus gets out to those in need. In a time where the majority of Americans have access to the internet I think it's a great way to reach out. As far as the multi site churches are concerned, I am a member of one and each one does have a pastor that is fully trained and filled with the holy spirit. Pastor Bishop just happens to be my pastor and he is able to put his sermons into a way that makes sense for the here and now. Maybe that's why we are unable to fit 5000 people in our building and we need our campuses =)
pastorpablito:
AMEN!!
I would NEVER attend a church that doesn't have a live, flesh-and-blood ordained minister being used as an instrument of the Lord to preach His Word.
These mega-churches usually have MANY male and female ordained ministers on staff....let one of THEM go and preach the word AND pastor those satellite churches.
This is a two edged sword.
Are souls being drawn because of Christ or because of the fancy audio visual?
Maybe both?
If these guys are not training up leaders that can take the pulpit in these other places then either they are failing or it's become all about them. They start to think that people come to hear them preach instead of coming to hear the word of God. "It's all about me!" "I'm the only one that draw a crowd!" If not careful, mega churches become monuments to men. And so do multi-sites. You preachers TRAIN SOMEBODY!!!