Here are our reasons for believing that multiple site ministries will be one of the driving forces of the 21st century.

1. Many established churches are starting to grow when they get a young pastor with fire and they don’t have enough land to grow. Moving is too costly emotionally for the older crowd, so a satellite site is the least stressful way to grow for the old timers, not for the staff).  And if it doesn’t work, there is a fall back.

2. Satellites allow the old timers to remain put while allowing new and fresh sites to attract a younger crowd.

3. One that no one wants to talk about in public is a handful of denominational types who want to plant churches but don’t want their judicatories appointing or selecting the pastor. One way to avoid this is to plant a satellite site rather than a new church.  The mother church supplies the leadership, not the denomination.

4. One can argue today that there is a return to the neighborhood concept of living.  People are actually shopping and recreating more in their own neighborhood. If this proves to be true, then the old neighborhood concept of church will be more popular.

5. Studies have shown that multi-sites have more conversions than church plants or established churches.

6. Multi-sites are more flexible and less expensive than planting a new church.

7. Multi-sites grow faster than church plants because they can draw on the  expertize of a seasoned and effective church.

8. Finally, but most importantly, I think satellites are not only more biblical, but also more tactically strategic than any other form of ministry I’ve ever seen when it comes to institutional forms of Christianity.  It is closer to the Celtic way of evangelism in that it allows multiple locations or outposts to attract a geographical area. The more locations, the more people are converted and the more people who attend church.  That can’t be anything but good.

We know there are many more reasons to go multi-site but these are the most important reasons.

For help establishing a multi-site ministry contact me at easum@aol.com

Resources that might help:  http://churchgrowtharticles.com/category/church-plantingmultisite/