+ Why It’s Critical to the Success of Your Multisite Church
The multisite movement isn’t going away anytime soon. An in-depth study conducted by Leadership Network in 2014 found that there were more than 8,000 multisite churches across America and that number has continued to grow year in, year out. In fact, of the 100 largest churches in America, only 12 are not multisite churches.
If your church is considering a multisite strategy here are a few things you should consider when selecting your next location.
1. Driving Distance
A drive time of 15-30 minutes is generally the sweet spot between campuses. Keep in mind the many mental or emotional barriers that may be in play, such as mountains, lakes, rivers, highways, railroad tracks, etc. All the like can all be mental barriers for people to attend a new location and may be a reason to put a new location on the other side of that barrier.
2. Go Where You Already Are
To launch strong you need to go where you already are. Understand where your people are coming from and go there. Map where your attendees live and identify pockets of greater density as potential areas to plant new campuses.
3. Design Standards
When choosing a facility you want to make sure it is similar to your original campus or can be renovated to have a similar feel. Physical space tells people how to feel and how to behave. You don’t want people to walk into your new location and it doesn’t feel like your original location. Strive for that home away from home feel.
4. Location, Location, Location
Location matters, just ask any realtor. Is the location you’re considering for your next campus a popular location? Is there a lot of drive-by-traffic? Is it easy to get to? Is the community growing?
5. Differentiation
This is your chance to find a niche and be able to supply. Is there a community nearby that needs a church like yours? Is what you do when it comes to your approach to ministry and style significantly different than what other churches in the area are doing?
6. Venue
Does the venue meet your basic needs and facility standards? Does it have the seating capacity you need to reach your definition of a successful impact in multiple services? Does it have enough children’s ministry space? Does it have enough parking? Does it have the necessary electrical and infrastructure capacities to support what you do?
These are just a few things to consider when selecting your next multisite location. What are some key tips you would add to this list?
If embracing the multisite church strategy is a consideration for your team, check out our Multisite Consulting Process.
The Multisite Unstuck Process
Start a conversation today to learn more about how we can help you continue to fulfill God’s calling on your church to reach more people in more places.