Gospel DNA Replicating Effective Ministry

Workshop 1 - Multisite churches Scott Sanders

MULTISITE WHAT IS A MULTISITE CHURCH? One church that has two or more locations with a shared leadership, budget, vision, and board.

MULTISITE Multisite Model Definition WHAT IS A MULTISITE CHURCH? Multisite Model Definition Video-Venue Model Creating one or more on-campus environments that use video-cast sermons (live or recorded), often varying the worship style. Regional- Campus Model Replicating the experience of the original campus at additional campuses in order to make church more accessible to other geographic communities. Teaching-Team Model Leveraging a strong teaching team across multiple locations at the original campus or an off-site campus. Source: Scott McConnell, Multi-site Churches

MULTISITE Focus on the Great Commission WHEN DOES MULTI-SITE MAKE SENSE? Focus on the Great Commission Have a culture of multiplication Are willing to remove barriers to reach more people Are willing to seize the opportunity

MULTISITE NOTE: In US very few churches have over 3 sites WHEN DOES MULTI-SITE NOT MAKE SENSE? Are trying to create growth Are not healthy Have wrong motives NOTE: In US very few churches have over 3 sites

MULTISITE HOW DO CHURCH PLANTS DIFFER FROM MULTISITE CHURCH? Geography: The idea is to relocate members to a new campus to create space in the mother church and provide a more local gospel presence. Gifting: a person better suited to a campus pastor role into a leadership role in a church plant can be stressful and unproductive. Governance: Need a high level of agreed central control that is clearly laid out from the outset. Multi-site churches tend to reproduce exact replicas of the mother church whereas church plants tend to be more adaptive. Multi-site churches have a common teaching program, similar if not same service styles, provision of the same support ministries (e.g. small groups, youth ministry etc.) and common administrative support structures. Jim Tomberlin of Multi-site Solutions identifies 3 areas where church plants differ from multisites. a. Geography Multi-sites tend to set up campuses in a limited geographical area. Most churches that establish multi-site locations have a membership where 55-75% of their people travel for less than 20 mins to get to church. This means that when additional campuses are established they will be located somewhere within that radius. The idea is to relocate members to a new campus to create space in the mother church and provide a more local gospel presence. Beyond 30 mins from the mother church and the ability to establish a significant core group is reduced and therefore a church plant tends to be the model used. b. Gifting Tomberlin argues research shows that the most significant factor that determines the ‘success’ of a church plant or multi-site is the leader. However, the sort of leader needed for a church plant is different to a multi-site campus. Church planters tend to be high capacity leaders who like to be ‘team owners’ rather than team players. They are keen to do church their own way rather than line up with a church paradigm established by a mother church. Multi-site campus pastors like belonging to a team rather than necessarily leading it. Campus pastors are often (in the States) internally hired and have a good grasp of the mother church DNA (or if hired from outside spend at least a year in the mother church imbibing the culture). Placing a church planter in a campus pastor role can be very frustrating for everyone. Putting a person better suited to a campus pastor role into a leadership role in a church plant can be stressful and unproductive. c. Governance This is the biggest factor that distinguishes church plants from multi-sites. Multi-sites are governed from the outside and church plants are self-governing. Multi-sites have a common budget even if each campus needs to be self-supporting, while church plants are self-funding (apart from start- up funding). To be successful multi-sites have a high level of agreed central control that is clearly laid out from the outset. Otherwise significant tension around governance can arise.

MULTISITE MULTISITE CHURCH PLANT MULTI-SITE vs CHURCH PLANT MULTISITE CHURCH PLANT Control Consistency Attractional Standardized Retain (resources, volunteers) Addition Centralised Personality driven Autonomy Contextualization Missional Organic Release (members, resources) Multiplication Decentralised Mission driven

MULTISITE An understanding of who your church is and what matters. WHAT IS THE KEY ELEMENT FOR MULTISITE? An understanding of who your church is and what matters. Leaders must be honest about who their church is, so they know what to replicate Leaders must get beyond analogies (e.g., DNA) New sites must prioritize and invest in the programs/activities that matter most and not try to offer everything Multi-site churches tend to reproduce exact replicas of the mother church whereas church plants tend to be more adaptive. Multi-site churches have a common teaching program, similar if not same service styles, provision of the same support ministries (e.g. small groups, youth ministry etc.) and common administrative support structures. Jim Tomberlin of Multi-site Solutions identifies 3 areas where church plants differ from multisites. a. Geography Multi-sites tend to set up campuses in a limited geographical area. Most churches that establish multi-site locations have a membership where 55-75% of their people travel for less than 20 mins to get to church. This means that when additional campuses are established they will be located somewhere within that radius. The idea is to relocate members to a new campus to create space in the mother church and provide a more local gospel presence. Beyond 30 mins from the mother church and the ability to establish a significant core group is reduced and therefore a church plant tends to be the model used. b. Gifting Tomberlin argues research shows that the most significant factor that determines the ‘success’ of a church plant or multi-site is the leader. However, the sort of leader needed for a church plant is different to a multi-site campus. Church planters tend to be high capacity leaders who like to be ‘team owners’ rather than team players. They are keen to do church their own way rather than line up with a church paradigm established by a mother church. Multi-site campus pastors like belonging to a team rather than necessarily leading it. Campus pastors are often (in the States) internally hired and have a good grasp of the mother church DNA (or if hired from outside spend at least a year in the mother church imbibing the culture). Placing a church planter in a campus pastor role can be very frustrating for everyone. Putting a person better suited to a campus pastor role into a leadership role in a church plant can be stressful and unproductive. c. Governance This is the biggest factor that distinguishes church plants from multi-sites. Multi-sites are governed from the outside and church plants are self-governing. Multi-sites have a common budget even if each campus needs to be self-supporting, while church plants are self-funding (apart from start- up funding). To be successful multi-sites have a high level of agreed central control that is clearly laid out from the outset. Otherwise significant tension around governance can arise.

MULTISITE Unanimity among leaders A leader for the new site What pieces need to come together to launch a site? Unanimity among leaders A leader for the new site A core group of leaders to lead the core ministries at the new site A group of people that your church to reach Systems and structures in place Sufficient finances

MULTISITE What level of autonomy at sites? Who oversees multi-site? Apply this understanding to key decisions What level of autonomy at sites? Who oversees multi-site? How will you deliver the message? What core ministries will you offer?

MULTISITE Any pastor has three primary roles: teacher, shepherd and What does leadership look like in a multisite church? Any pastor has three primary roles: teacher, shepherd and leader The campus pastor’s roles are shepherd and leader Shepherding – drawing people in with care Leadership – sending people out as an extension of the church’s senior leadership

Ministers over specific ministries MULTISITE God  Pastor/ Pastoral Team/ Pastor with Elders Church Direction   Campus Pastor Church and Site Direction Ministers over specific ministries Core Leaders Church, Site, and Ministry Direction Ministry Team The leadership flow Source: Scott McConnell, Multi-site Churches, 92

MULTISITE CASE STUDY: Vision100 network (KINGSTON, TAS)

MULTISITE CASE STUDY: HOLY TRINITY NETWORK (ADELAIDE, SA)

MULTISITE Multisite Churches Scott McConnell KEY RESOURCES Multisite Churches Scott McConnell LifeWay Research conducted in-depth interviews with lead pastors, campus pastors and ministers responsible for multi-site ministry at their church These included over 40 multi-site churches that represented a variety of sizes, denominations and locations across the country

MULTISITE KEY RESOURCES Geneva Push www.genevapush.com/resources scotts@genevapush.com Leadnet http://leadnet.org/category/multi-site_churches/

Workshop 1 - “Witness”: the benefits of the purpose driven model Richard Coekin

Gospel DNA Replicating Effective Ministry Afternoon Tea – 3:00pm Back at 3:15pm