This week I’m going to offer a series of posts on multi-site strategy. I couldn’t think of a better place to begin than to interview Jim Tomberlin. Jim helps churches across the country define and implement their multi-site strategy. Because he’s worked with churches of all different shapes and sizes, he brings a unique perspective to this topic.
TONY: How did you become so smart about multi-site?
JIM: I paid a lot of “stupid tax” as an early pioneer practitioner. I began my multi-site church journey in the mid-1990’s when I was the senior pastor of Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs. In 2000 I went on to pioneer the multi-site model at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. Since 2005 I have been consulting and coaching churches in developing and implementing multi-campus strategies. Every multi-site church is unique and different. I eat, sleep, and drink multi-site church. I am still learning.
TONY: What are some current trends you’re seeing?
JIM: The rise of the importance and strategic value of the campus pastor, video-streaming sermon content over the internet, internet campuses, international campuses, multi-site campuses in theaters, multi-site “missional” church mergers, and rural multi-site churches “in the sticks.”
TONY: What’s the most common mistake you see churches making with multi-site?
JIM: Under-estimating how going multi-site will change how you think and do church. The paradigm shift from a “mono-site” to “multi-site” is profound. Continuing on as a church with multiple campuses rather than becoming a church of multiple campuses.
TONY: Do you ever counsel churches not to pursue launching a new campus?
JIM: Yes. Going multi-site is for churches that are growing, have a good reputation in the community, and are healthy. Most churches are not ready to go multi-site until they are maximizing their current location with multiple services, image-magnification (IMAG) side-screens, and a video venue.
TONY: What’s a new learning for you?
JIM: How any church that is healthy can go multi-site. What started as a mega-church band-aid for space or zoning issues has become a strategy for any healthy church regardless of size.
Though I’ve been studying and researching multi-site for several years, I’m certainly not the expert. I helped one church launch a few new locations, but Jim has helped dozens. Because of that, Jim is one of my new strategic partners. Let me know if I can help you make a connection with him as you consider your next steps in launching multi-site campuses.
This is great stuff, Tony. I once heard Craig Groeschel say that sometimes church-planting is the best option, and in other scenarios, going multi-site is clearly the better option; both are necessary. But he didn’t go into more detail about what kind of scenarios lend themselves to either.
Do you think you could address this question? I’ve never heard it talked about before and would love to hear your thoughts on when to plant and when to add a site. Thanks!
I work at North Point Ministries under David McDaniel. check out his blog posts on multi-site vs. plants. i think there could be some worthwhile information sharing.
http://dmcdaniel.wordpress.com/
I think Jim’s comment regarding;
“under-estimating how going multi-site will change how you think and do church.”
…is both compelling and unsatisfying. We recently launched our own video venue in anticipation of the multi-site strategy. While we know what he says is true, I would love to know what he means when he says this. What problems we can anticipate. Any chance of a follow up?
i love the rural churches in the sticks notion…i’m work with a ministry that has 2 sites…it’s crazy.
At what point does a multi site church become a mini denomination?
when it starts declining? :-)
does it matter as long as the church is helping more people take their next steps toward Christ?
tony
[...] week’s focus is on multi-site strategy. One of the trends that both Jim and Geoff mentioned was the rise of Internet campuses. With that, I thought I’d pursue an [...]
Yes, I think it is important to mention because I think its important to be truthful and consistent in life. One of the characteristics of the modern day American McChurch is their deep aversion to denominational ties, yet they seem so quick to embrace the multi-site approach. So what is the difference between a mini-denomination and a multi-site McChurch other than the fact that denominations can be much less personality driven compared to the multi site McChurch which is typically built around a rock star preacher ? Would it be more palatable if we called it franchising rather than mini-denominations?
randy, i think you missed my point. i don’t care what you want to call it. if you want to call multi-site “mini-denominations”, that’s fine. labels are unimportant as long as more people are entering into a relationship with Jesus, growing in their faith and impacting the people and the communities around them.
tony
[...] Morgan interviews Geoff Surratt and Jim Tomberlin regarding trends amongst multi-site [...]