Before Multi-Site was a movement - It was an idea

Now everyone that reads this blogs will be familiar with the multi-site church movement.

A little over 10 years ago, no one had. Sure, there were a few churches with 2 mega campus sites, but very few, and they tended to be more of the model of “move the preacher around” approach.

But a hair over 10 years ago, our former team member Warren Schuh, Linda Stanley, our current Life Stage Communities Director and I were in the Chicago area.

Warren was working to identify as many multi-site churches in the US as he could. He had run across the team of Community Christian Church of Napierville. It was much smaller than it is now (7000+) and unknown in the wider church world.

The team of us met with Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, Troy McMahon and a few others to hear their story.

At the end of the day – the three of our team looked at each other and said: “This could really be big.”

It was then and there that we began laying some to the ground work that led to Leadership Network’s initiatives in the area of Multi Site churches.

We held the first gathering of multi site churches in 2001, founded multiple Leadership Community groups in the area in 2003, published many concept tools, podcasts, a book, held and coordinated numerous conferences to teach and spread the idea.

Now we are approaching 3000 churches using the approach.

I use this story and example not to bring praise to our organization but rather to point out that sometimes you hear an idea and immediately know:

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

 

And I believe that the multi-site model has changed everything in the church/kingdom conversation in the past decade. Some may feel that is a negative development, but it has changed things.

Today our team spends time with lots of leaders scanning the world seeking other landscape changing ideas that will change the course of the kingdom future.

But we believe that there are even greater ideas we will find from some unlikely sources. That’s why we have launched The Leadership Network Ideation Experience.

The Leadership Network Ideation Experience on July 20-22 in Dallas, is a gathering of innovators, creative thinkers and idea junkies who work collaboratively in an interactive and iterative process of developing ideas that could not only change the Church but change the world.

We want to hear your ideas.

We believe that ideas can come from anywhere. From all corners, not just large churches or from pastors.

We think there are great ideas out there in the business world, not for profit world, academic world, agricultural world and other places that the kingdom leaders need to try.

But we need you. Has God birthed a kingdom changing idea in your heart? Are you willing to share it with others and let us join you in refining it?

Then we need you to join in our experience.

To read more and find the application process:

http://ideationexperience.leadnet.org