Multi-Site Churches: Part 1
The following post is James’ contribution to Scott McConnell’s Multi-Site Churches: Guidance for the Movement’s Next Generation (B&H Publishing, 2008) 19-23.
It may come as some surprise, but Harvest Bible Chapel didn’t have any big plans or strategy or even desire to go multi-site. God was blessing our church with growth, and we were completely overloaded. We were meeting in a big old warehouse and were running six shuttle buses for four services.
Our response to our growth problem was to start planting churches. We had a vision to plant ten churches in ten years starting in 2000.
And so we started sending people out to plant churches. The first year we sent out two groups of three hundred people, and then we continued to send people out for each new church plant. The Lord has really exceeded all of our expectations, and here in 2008 we hope to have launched our thirtieth church.
We would send three hundred of our best leaders out. These wonderful people would go, and then new people would come in kind of on the first floor. Then we helped these new people grow as leaders, and we would send them out. Then even more would come in. Church planting is a wonderful, biblical thing to do that Harvest Bible Chapel is very committed to do. Yet as wonderful and as fruitful as it was to these people going out and establishing new churches, we found out that church planting did not solve our growth problems.
So, we sought to relocate our church to a larger location. Here in the northwest suburbs of Chicago the population is very dense. As we looked, we found that there were really no properties or locations available to us. Ultimately we ended our search. This was a dark time for our church as we honestly did not know what we were going to do.
Then out of nowhere the Lord provided for us a campus that was outside of our search area. Through the generosity of the Green family that owns the Hobby Lobby stores, we were given an eighty-acre campus with a 280,000 square foot building and a nine hundred-car parking garage. It was built in the mid 1990s for about $53 million, and they gave it to us for a dollar.
At first, we thought, “Wow! We’ll just move our whole church out there.” But the problem was it was too far away. We couldn’t move our whole church a half an hour away. As the reality of this development sunk in, we realized we were forced to become a two-campus church.
Similar to our church plants, more than seven hundred people left the original campus in Rolling Meadows and went to launch the new campus in Elgin. Since then, their spaces have been filled at the original campus while the new campus has grown to more than thirty-five hundred people in attendance.
This all seems overwhelming looking back, but in the midst of all this a little church down in Niles, about a half an hour in the other direction, came to us. They only had about thirty-five people attending in a three hundred fifty-seat worship center. They hadn’t had water in the baptistery in three years, nobody was getting saved, and really nothing was happening. And they said, “Can you help us?”
They agreed to disband their former church government. They voted to never vote again, and they accepted our elder form of government. We set them up as a video site, and we called it Harvest Bible Chapel Niles. Within about three years, this campus became packed out in four services with about eleven hundred people attending there every week.
Since that time one of the churches we planted ran into financial difficulty, and their elders agreed to come back into partnership with us. The church had dropped from eight hundred to five hundred in attendance and was facing bankruptcy. By providing leadership and Harvest’s video teaching, they have rebounded to more than one thousand in attendance and have gotten into a new facility.
In addition, we had a number of people who had moved to Phoenix for retirement or semi-retirement who couldn’t find a similar church. This base of leadership was ready to plant a church and Harvest was willing to help. Initially the right pastor could not be found, so they utilized video teaching just like the other video services Harvest has. Now that the church has grown to more than two hundred fifty and has a pastor in place, it has become an autonomous church.
When we stared to go into multi-site, our attendance was between five thousand and six thousand. And while we have continued to plant churches we have almost eleven thousand in weekly attendance.
With such a tremendous story of God’s provision, you may expect us to be outspoken proponents of multi-site. The truth is that we are reluctant participants in multi-site.
(part two coming soon…)
Categorized as: From James, Harvest Bible Chapel, Ministry
October 1st, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Well said, very enjoyable to read and very “God gets all the glory” centered. Can’t wait for part two!
October 1st, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I am not sure where you are going with this so I may be going out on a limb here, but I’ve been on limbs before. I live in Minnesota and there is a “famous” pastor/writer/theologian in Minneapolis that has done the multi-site video thing for some time now. This has always bothered me because the Word is clear. We are to train up people for the work of the ministry. The model set forth in the New Testament involves training up young Timothy’s as pastors of church plants. I am glad that you are at least “reluctant participants” in this movement. One cannot help but wonder if people are following a man rather than the Man Christ Jesus when out of hundreds of thousands of Christian men in any given state not one can be found who is biblically qualified to pastor a church plant. Mind you, this is coming from a man who is fond of telling others, “James MacDonald is my favorite preacher.” I still would have trouble going to a video church, even with James on the screen.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I can’t even begin to tell you how BLESSED our family is to have been here for this whole thing and to watch God bless and grow this church!! This fall marks 14 yrs for us at Harvest!!! Our boys, 11 and 13, have been at Harvest their WHOLE LIVES!!! They have no idea how blessed they are!!! They LOVE the Jr. High ministry and are always eager to be there – that’s a rare thing!!! Thanks for following God’s leading even into uncharted and uncomfortable waters…… Our prayers are with you and your family!!! BTW – Happy Birthday to you, Pastor James!!!
The Newmans
October 2nd, 2009 at 8:56 am
God’s sovereign will is all that matters. How nice to see you just follow Him instead of other men. Glad for all the numerical and spiritual growth. Keep spreading till you get to Rockford, IL (my home town).
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:01 am
James,
I celebrate God’s blessing and favor on your multi-site strategy.
Your experience is a powerful testimony of the exponential impact of leveraging your gifts for greater Kingdom impact.
Chicagoland is a better place because of Harvest Bible Chapel.
Go forth and multiply!
Jim Tomberlin
Founder/Chief Strategist
Third Quarter Consulting
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:39 am
Pastor MacDonald, I apologize for getting off topic, but as I read your blog you said that you asked the church in Niles to change to the elder form of government. I’m assuming they did have a congregational form. I was wondering if at some point you would mind writing about the Biblical basis of a certain form of government, if there is one, and the benefits and drawbacks of those forms of church government. I come from a mainly Baptist background with mainly congregational rule, but have noticed as I look at various churches that those with elder rule seem to be more efficient or effective in their ministries. They seem to move a little faster in getting things accomplished and making a difference for the kingdom. I haven’t done much research into this so some guidance there would be helpful as well. Thank-you for your ministry overall and specifically for your blog. It has encouraged me and helped me think through things I may not have considered otherwise.
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Very exciting! Yes, it’s great to hear about your growth, but if I’m hearing correctly, your goal seems to be to actually develop leaders. Am I correct? Sounds like you are saying multi-site can be a helpful tool, but it is not the end goal.Helping churches become healthy autonomous local bodies is the direction we need to head in. If you are saying that, then I wholeheartedly agree. Sounds a little like having kids. If they’re not independent at some point, then we haven’t done our job.I think moving toward having churches with accessible, present leaders is very important to the health of the body. And, it says a lot about our actual practice of discipleship.
In Christ,
David
October 2nd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Love to have a video site in Ventura county, CA
October 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
This is awesome. Coming to Knoxville, TN soon? God bless your ministry.
October 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Thank you for sharing. Our church is a young Harvest. We’re 1,800 each Sunday and using the downtown trolley to shuttle folks from the campus to the rented elementary school next door for LifeGroups. We are out of space. We’ve planted a number of churches in the same city. Yet, you’re right…it has not solved our space issues. Looking forward to part two…
Susan
Jacksonville, FL
October 4th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
I think RJ above has some thoughts worthy of consideration. I have been a member of Harvest for many years and my children have grown up there. I am so grateful for the resources and the exceptional teaching. James, you are such a gifted preacher! But I always feel a little wistful when I hear my friends who attend other (smaller) churches talk about their relationships with their pastors. I feel like I have the absolute best preacher but no pastor to really shepherd me. But we do love Harvest and have no plans to leave. I guess I just accept things the way they are. Still, I wish that when we passed you in the halls that you would know who we are…
October 5th, 2009 at 8:12 am
James,
Having been at HBC during the whole thing form the 2nd year or HBC it is difficult to convince people that HBC did not set out to be a multi-campus megachurch. But I remember when we were 200 people with 1 church and no church plants. Miss that in a lot of ways. Hoping to finally have found a like-minded pastor down here in East TN (on my 19th church). It is a 4 month old church plant and I have given the pastor HBC’s website, this blog and other materials. Maybe this could be a HBC church plant in the Smokies! We will see what God does. Pray that this is the church.
In Christ,
Lorri Wenderski
October 5th, 2009 at 8:31 am
[...] Following up from Part 1… [...]
October 5th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Cindy, I would encourage you to build connections through the small group ministry (which you’re probably plugged into since you’ve been at Harvest for a long time) with the other pastors at Harvest, and I think you will probably experience some of that personal pastoral relationship you’re seeking. I came from a small church before moving to Chicago, and I missed that aspect as well.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Our family is currently looking for a church like Harvest Bible Chapel and I was wondering if there are any satellite churches in our area? It’s so hard to find a church thats on fire for the Lord! Please help me in our search for a great church!
Love in Christ,
shelby
October 14th, 2009 at 9:11 am
we just left a very liberal church and live on the southwest side of chicago-Oak Lawn. I heard there might be a satellite church opening in Palos Hills…??
Yes, Harvest Bible Chapel of Palos Heights is already going. look it up online and check it out.