Outreach Mag has released some facts and figures surrounding the Multi-Site movement of ministries and churches and of course I hunted for any technological implications. Here’s one they brought to the front:
The buzz word in church circles in the 1980′s was growth. In the 1990′s it was health. At the beginning of the 21st century the word is connected. Effective churches of the future will fully utilize all the social networking tools available to build community and foster relationships.
As well as this one:
Technology will continue to produce more and innovative tools for communicating the Gospel and biblical truth. Multisite churches will lead the way in utilizing these tools. Video-streaming over the Internet will be easier, cheaper and the primary way video sermons will be delivered to multisite churches.
I will admit that I believe that it’s possible that non multi-site churches will be able to innovate just as much, if not more, than multi-site as I’ve seen it before. That’s the great thing about technology – it’s available equally to the bigger and smaller ministries.
Here are some “fast facts”:
- Multisite churches outnumber megachurches.
- Two-thirds of multisite churches are denominational.
- Multisites reach more people and mobilize more volunteers.
- One in three multisites added a campus through a merger.
- One in four multisite have a campus in another language.
- One in five multisites birthed a “grandchild” campus.
- One in 10 have an Internet campus.
- In-person teaching is utilized more than video.
- Average size of a church going multisite: 850.
- Eighty-five percent of multisite churches have three or fewer geographic locations.
- Average attendance of a multisite church: 1,300.
- Multisite campuses have a 90 percent success rate.
Read more here.
