3 Mistakes Churches Should Avoid when Launching a Second Campus

Is it just me or does it seem like every other church is launching a new campus?

Sometimes it even seems like churches decide on a multi-site strategy because everyone else is doing it. I find it so interesting that the multi-site model of church has become a prominent strategy. On paper, it just doesn’t seem like it would work. Meanwhile, many leaders in multi-site churches find the model challenging or even frustrating.

Now, before you start thinking that I hate the multi-site model you should probably know that my church is a multi-site church. We just recently launched our fourth location.

And I actually love the model... now. There was a time that I didn’t. Let’s just say we’ve learned some tough lessons along the way. If you’re considering launching a campus, I have a few suggestions for you.

1. Don't Reinvent the Wheel

One of the greatest benefits of the multi-site model is the resources of the sending campus. What I mean is that if you are considering launching a new site then your church is growing. People are coming to your church and they are growing in their faith. You have good things going on!

There is a huge opportunity to duplicate what you do at a new campus. There are so many reasons to duplicate what you are already doing.

• It’s proven. You already know that it works.
• It’s cheaper. One curriculum vs. multiple curriculums.
• It’s known. You already know what problems you’ll run into.
• It’s simpler. One plan vs. multiple plans.

If you are planning to launch a new campus in the future, I would recommend doing what you already do at your new campus. It works. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

2. Establish Clear Lines of Authority

The #1 complaint I hear from people who work in multi-site churches has to do with the chain of command.

For example, does the Children’s Coordinator at the campus report to the Campus Pastor or the Children’s Ministry Director? Does the campus Youth Pastor report to the Campus Pastor or to the Youth Ministries Director? In other words, is it a centralized reporting structure or a decentralized reporting structure?

This question is one of the greatest challenges of the multi-site model. In my experience, they both work but only if there is clarity. When things go off the rails is when leadership takes an, "It will work out" approach.

It won’t.

Even mature Christian leaders are capable of turf wars when ambiguity reigns.

The leaders I talk to who are the most frustrated describe a situation in which they report to multiple people. “Well for this type of issue I report to the Campus Pastor but for this type of issue I report to the Youth Ministries Director.” In my experience, this approach leads to confusing and conflict all over the place.

If you are planning to launch a new campus it is better to clearly articulate the reporting structure even if that means changing the plan down the road.

Change is easier to navigate than ambiguity.

[tweetthis]Change is easier to navigate than ambiguity.[/tweetthis]

3. Migrate Staff Instead of Hiring

Typically, a new campus requires new staff to lead. You probably don’t have three or four extra staff members hanging out waiting for something to do. And so, you open up a job search and hire the best people you can find to lead your new campus.

In my experience, this can be a dangerous thing to do. Why? Because these new staff members don’t possess your church’s DNA. When I say DNA, I mean your churches values, culture and established practices.

In our church, we have found great success in moving staff members from current campuses to roles at new campuses. Then we backfill the vacant roles with new people. We have found that it is much easier for a new staff member to pick up our DNA when they are surrounded by other staff members who already possess it.

Conversely, it is much more difficult for a new staff member to pick up the DNA when they are at a new campus. They are much more likely to live out their already established leadership patterns. Overtime, this will lead to campuses that do not reflect the DNA of the overall church which leads to complexity and confusion.

An alternative strategy which we have also employed is to hire a current high quality volunteer. A great volunteer already loves your church and appreciates why you do things the way that you do. Sometimes a great volunteer is absolutely the right choice for a new hire.

When starting a new campus, I would highly suggest migrating staff who already possess your DNA rather than hiring someone from the outside to lead a new ministry.

Wrap Up

Well there you have it. Multi-site is all the rage and in many cases, for good reason.

My hope is that if you plan to launch a new campus that you would avoid the mistakes we made. For those of you who are part of a multi-site church, we’d love to hear some of what you’ve learned. Also, if you’re considering a new campus, fire away with any questions you have. Please leave your ideas and questions in the comments below.