This is the question many churches today are asking for expanding their footprint. Building bigger buildings has been replaced with multisite. Multisite is simply adding another location which doesn't require a wholesale relocation of the base church. This additional site is sized and strategically located based upon your current base attendance. Rarely does another site exceed 500 seats. Adding another site will offer challenges, but exciting new opportunities to expand your reach. You may with to read this Vanderbloemen Search Group article about the pros and cons of multi-site ministry.
As a general rule of thumb, your church should only start considering another site when attendance reaches around 1,500 regular weekend service attenders. You will want to launch your new multisite with a minimum of 100 regular attenders from your sending church.
When it comes to identifying potential multi-site options, research where your current attenders live that is a substantial distance away (15+ minutes driving) from the current church facility. Thom Rainer has an excellent podcast on why more churches should consider multi-site facility expansion.
Staffing a multi-site location can be tricky. With the weekend message either tape-delayed or live-streamed from another location, the need for weekend message prep is replaced with local pastoral and ministerial service needs with the new campus. A recent Leadership Network survey of multi-site churches reveals that a campus pastor is the most important multi-site position. This gives your facility a face to go with your new place and helps keep the vision of the overall church intact.
CFS works with local churches to create strategic facility expansion plans, including multisite facility expansion. We are a full-service commercial real estate development organization committed to serving churches. This vision aligns with our principals’ personal values as followers of Jesus Christ. CFS provides a variety of services, including strategic planning, financial feasibility, site or building selection, capital campaign direction, financing (as owner’s representative), project team selection, project and construction management (also as owner’s representative), FF&E and AVL procurement, and relocation coordination, as needed.