Multi-Site Vision

Imagine if…

• Every person in Delaware (and the surrounding areas) personally experienced the love of Christ through our campuses.
• Each of your neighbors knew that God is sovereign and that they can trust him.
• The first campus in Bear was just one of eight campuses.
• The lines of cars waiting to get into our parking lots were backed up.
• Each person who experienced our church knew a little more about their divine design.
• The Reformed faith taught here penetrated even to the urban streets of Philly and beyond.
• People were becoming radical, risk-taking disciples.
• Authentic relationships really happened.
• Participants in Smyrna, Middletown, North East and Wilmington were hearing and participating in our wonderful worship services.
• Walking into our various campuses drew you into the presence of the Almighty.
• Your kids loved church so much that they couldn’t wait to invite their friends.
• Our grass fields were transformed into a sports complex to serve our community.
• Thousands of people came to faith in Jesus Christ.
• We had 4,000 people at the Glasgow Campus on a Sunday morning and thousands of others at each campus.
• We sent short-term mission teams to every continent in the world to share the love of Christ.
• Every year we sent a dozen people onto the mission field as career missionaries.
• Our internet and radio ministries touched homes in 100 different countries.
• 1% of Delaware attended one of our campuses.

If this is what God called us to do,   would you be ready?

These are big dreams.  Some would even call it crazy.  But we believe God has called us to dream big.  On the road to making these dreams a reality, we have adopted a multi-site model of ministry.  We are one church with several locations, each expressing their unique identity within their particular cultural context.

Specifics of our Multi-Site Strategy

With his commitment and fervor to spread the Gospel, we have considered how the Apostle Paul might have utilized modern technology.  How would he use radio, television and the internet to plant churches and reach the world for Christ?  We believe he would have maximized every resource at his disposal and so should we.  

One way we reach out is by church planting…establishing satellite churches…congregations that meet remotely but are part of one church. 

Q. What will our church planting model look like?

A. We will prayerfully employ a “multi-site model” of “One Church, Many Locations”.

 

“One Church, Many Locations”
C=Centralized Administration
C1, C2, etc=Congregations

Q. Why this model? 

A. There are several reasons:

1.  Recognizing the Importance of Mother-church: new churches are strategically important (above), but so are mother churches. Critical as a missional launch pad, they provide financial, personnel, and accountability resources not even presbyteries can offer.

2.  Despite Presbytery’s best efforts, church planting has historically been most effective when done by churches planting churches.  In fact, General Assembly and Presbytery both urge an “every church plant a church” model, with multi-site often recommended.  Further, this model allows Heritage’s Church Planting and Revitalization Committee to focus efforts where truly needed.

3.  “One Church, Many Locations” allows for unity of values and a wise use of resources, while allowing for local flexibility to reach our surrounding communities.

Q. What will be centralized (for all congregations of the one church)? What will be local to each?

Centralized (shared) ministries of Glasgow Church will include:

• Training in core values (unified view of the Gospel)
• Vision-casting (unified strategy)
• Governance (one Session/Diaconate to assure accountability)
• Training (Bible/theology/world view, leadership development)
• Resourcing ministries (youth, children, men/women, mercy, communication)
• All-church celebrations and worship

Decentralized - on the local level (unique to each location) will be:

• Sunday Worship and Preaching
• Shepherding by locally deployed elders
• Mercy by locally deployed deacons
• Relational fellowship (small groups)
• Some discipleship/mentoring (Sunday School or other)

 

 Q. How will Elders and Deacons be deployed?

A. Here’s a snapshot:

• Each Elder/Deacon will be assigned shepherding/mercy duties in one congregation
• Plenary Session/Deacons will meet quarterly for overall governance, training, prayer
• Local Session/Deacons will meet monthly for local shepherding and mercy issues

 

Q. How will Pastors be deployed?

A. There will be one staff including several pastors. The Senior Pastor will remain as principal preacher/teacher at the Glasgow congregation. Each church planter will provide primary preaching and leadership responsibilities at our various congregational locations.   Staff will work together, each serving locally and contributing to the health of the whole; periodically rotating pulpits. 

  

Q. Shouldn’t churches stand alone and be independent?

A.  No. There are several important reasons for a united church with diverse congregations.

Biblically: I Cor 1:2, 16:19, Acts 20:20 and many other places speak of “the” church of God that is in, for example, Corinth. The one church in these passages met in many locations.

Historically: Geneva, (Calvin and many other pastors sat on one “Session”) known as [the “company of pastors”] was a city in which there were multiple congregations but one church. Each preacher served a primary pulpit. This model flourished in Amsterdam and many other cities in Europe in the 18th and 19th Centuries; today, similar models drive some of the most dynamic church planting movements: Redeemer PCA NY, Perimeter PCA Atlanta, and Harbor PCA in San Diego.

As a Testimony: Paul calls church unity a “mysterious power” in Eph 3:6; it is a witness to a world that sees Christians fragmented over style, brands, and “market share”.

Practically:  A multi-site model allows for shared resources and is a win-win situation for both remote congregations and the mother-church.  Because resources like staff, funds, and equipment can be shared, each congregation is stronger.  The mother-church has a wider influence and can fulfill the Great Commission by planting “beach-heads” from which to reach local and regional communities.  Remote congregations don’t have the burden of struggling financially while they grow to a point where their support base is sufficient, and personnel can be shared to aid the remote congregation in discipleship and leadership.

Q. How can unity be preserved if the church meets in multiple places?

A. We will have to be intentional about it. We will share a common leadership, will pray for unity, and carefully nurture whole-church gatherings for fellowship, the sacraments, and times of special worship and celebration, prayer and praise.

 Q. Can we afford it?

A. We believe we can, but it will require our church to do more than give within our comfort zone. We will have to be prayerful, intentional, generous, and motivated by a deep commitment to Christ and our calling in this city.

Q. Will there be a fund drive?

A. Yes. This will be included in the “ChurchNExT” campaign.