Most of us have seen a televised launch of a space shuttle rocket from Cape Canaveral. An incredible amount of fuel is burned in a matter of minutes in order to lift the rocket off the launching pad into the earth’s atmosphere and propel it into outer space. When launched well, the rocket picks up enough momentum and speed to overcome the gravitational pull of earth and arrive at its ultimate destination to achieve its mission.
We’ve also seen earlier rocket launches that imploded on the launch pad or fell in the ocean soon after liftoff. All the effort, energy and expense was wasted due to a failure to launch well.
About 10 years ago, I was serving as the Executive Pastor of a large church (2300+ avg. attendance in worship) in the western suburbs of Chicago. During my first 9 months in that role, and before I had replaced myself as the Adult Min. Pastor at the same church, I was helping lead the launch of two new campuses.
As a pastor I have been involved in church-planting initiatives, church revitalization, starting new worship services, and building new facilities and additions. But the unknowns around going multisite for the first time created anxiety.
It was new for me then and it may be new for many of you now, but the multisite movement is anything but new. While it may seem like a recent phenomenon—something fresh, unique, and unprecedented—it’s actually the latest variation on a very old way of doing church. The idea of one church meeting as multiple congregations in a city can be traced back to the first century, to the beginning of Christianity. It would be more accurate to say that contemporary models are more of a renewal of early church methodology than a truly new development.
The very first Christian church was a “multisite” church. They were meeting in the temple and from house to house. And what we find in Jerusalem was true in other cities as well, in Rome, Corinth, Philippi, Antioch and Galatia to name a few.
The one church-multiple locations concept has seen many expressions throughout church history as church leaders adapted to changing cultural realities and leveraged technological advances. Twenty-five years ago, there were only 200 multisite churches across our country. Now there are more than 8,000.
Two years ago, I presented to the staff and elders information on moving toward a model of one church in multiple locations. I was simply providing an overview of various models, key questions to help assess possible timing and direction, and a sort of cost-benefit analysis. It wasn’t a new conversation at Fellowship. In fact, the idea was built into the initial DNA of the church as seen in our full name: Fellowship Bible Church of Rutherford County. And in the last couple of years, elders and key leaders have taken a deep dive - reading, researching, and engaging in multiple conversations with seasoned leaders in our area and around the country - to understanding the various facets of this strategic approach.
In Luke 14, Jesus invites the crowd gathered around him to count the cost of being a disciple. He equates it to counting the cost of building a tower, noting that to do anything less would be foolishness. One of the things I learned the hard way ten years ago was the need to hold in tension the work of faithful planning, preparation, and execution with a humble dependence of trusting the Lord with the results.
The truth is that launching two new campuses in nine months was hard. In hindsight, there were things that could have made it easier. I won’t go into detail, but I do remember feeling like I was being asked to move too soon and too fast. I even questioned some of our motives, including my own. Of course, that’s always easier to see and say in hindsight.
You might ask, “In comparison, how do you feel now”? Thanks for asking! I’m excited and optimistic. In general, I have felt very encouraged by the process of the elders and staff have engaged in. Much prayer and many conversations have permeated the entire process before landing on decisions that we are currently implementing.
Still, I have some healthy fear, and I certainly anticipate challenges and changes. Plans will need to be adjusted. Flexibility will be required. And we will likely be surprised in the best of ways and perhaps in some of the worst.
Knowing what I know (and don’t know), why am I excited? Why am I all in? I can tell you that I feel confident that we have the resources needed to launch well, including the dollars, the staff and the people. We have systems and content, along with our core essentials, that are clear, effective and reproducible. But that’s not at the heart of my enthusiasm. It wasn’t 10 years ago. It’s not now. While there are many logical reasons to multisite, the primary reason is because I am convinced with our leadership that adding a campus in Rutherford County enables us to fulfill what God has called our church to be and then to do.
Reaching Rutherford is not about an extended overflow room or a vehicle to become a bigger church. It’s not about the size of the church—it’s about the size of the harvest. Reaching Rutherford done well is about reaching more people by obeying the Great Commission to make disciples who make disciples.
Pastor Tim Keller wrote, “The vigorous, continual ‘launching’ of new campuses and congregations is the single most crucial strategy for the numerical growth of the Body of Christ in any city, and the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city. Nothing else--not crusades, outreach programs, para-church ministries, growing mega-churches, congregational consulting, nor church renewal processes--will have the consistent impact of dynamic, extensive church planting.”
Having two missional “outposts”, one in Walter Hill and one in Blackman, is a strategic decision to advance the gospel. What God will do with that decision, only God knows. But I’m prayerfully hopeful and expectant! Because while this is not the only way we are seeking to expand the footprint of the gospel in middle-Tennessee, it is one of the most effective ways when coupled with prayer, a humble dependence on the Holy Spirit, and people who are willing to count the cost of following Jesus wherever He leads – even though they are feeling some understandable fears and undeniable uncertainty!
I’m counting down the days until we launch Fellowship Bible Church as one church in two locations!
*See Reaching Rutherford for more information and a list of FAQ.