Most church leaders are all too glad to be bringing 2009 to a close. The economic situation that began in the fall of 2008 is still impacting ministries across the country. While there is no denying the impact of that event, I prefer to take a “glass half full” approach and look at some positive movements in the Body of Christ.
Multi-Site – Multi-site churches are becoming the “new normal”: In an effort to adapt to the changing reality of economics, space, and atmosphere, multi-site ministry is becoming more and more prevalent. Consider these quick facts from “The Multi-Site Church Road Trip”, a new book published by the Leadership Network:
- On a typical Sunday in 2009, some 5 million people attend a multi-site church in the US and Canada.
- Leaders at some 45,000 churches are “seriously considering adding a worship service at one or more new locations or campuses in the next 2 years.”
- 37% of megachurches reported being multi-site in 2008, up dramatically from 27% in 2005
Authors Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird toured the country to talk with dozens of churches that are practicing the multi-site model of ministry. Not just limited to large suburban churches, multi-site churches are also found in rural areas and urban centers. They range in size from a few dozen participants to tens of thousands. They also span the globe: it is not unusual for churches in the U.S. to have a campus or two in other countries. While there are many types of multi-sites churches, a basic definition usually includes one church in multiple locations. That being said, there are churches that do not consider themselves “one church” but have multiple sites.
Because the multi-site church is a trend that is changing rapidly, the best source of information is on the Internet: check out http://www.multisitechurchrevolution.com/ for a great start and lots of links to follow.
Tomorrow's look back: servant evangelism.
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