Multi-site Church development continues to be a great tool for multiplying & revitalize churches. A few observations about current multi-site churches among Louisiana Baptists,

• those churches have experienced a combined 30% growth in attendance since becoming multi-site.
• 80% have experienced growth in worship & small groups.
• Half have included a church merger or gifting of a building from a declining church as part of the multisite development.
• Half have requested & received cooperative funding from the Missions & Ministries Team of our state convention for the new sites.
• ALL of them were growing churches BEFORE multisite development, not BECAUSE of multi-site development.

One of the big takeaways: Multisite is NOT a tool for getting your church to grow, but to multiply your growing DNA to a new community.

Dennis Watson, Pastor of Celebration Church in New Orleans, which has 6 campuses & planning more gives six benefits of a Multisite Campus Strategy, Multi-site enables your church to:

• Grow larger and smaller at the same time.
• Overcome geographic and cultural barriers to reach new people.
• Address more community needs and provide more community support.
• Involve more people in growth and outreach opportunities.
• Staff with generalists and specialists, so that both groups can be utilized.
• Provide a new church vibe with a big church punch.

How can our church know if multisite is in our future:

• Do you have a vision for church revitalization that may include merging with a declining congregation?
• Are you running out of space, but do not feel led to build bigger?
• Has your church been in decline and could possibly be a candidate for merging with a sister congregation?
• Take this MultiSiteDiagnosis Self Assessment.

Doing some Multi-Site readiness roundtables this week in southeast Louisiana. Let me know if you’d like more info.