Brad House - MultiChurch: Exploring the Future of Multisite

If you're doing multisite or plan to in the futurestop now and read MultiChurch! Allison and House will save you thousands of dollars, and hours in multisite pain and dumb tax. In the process, they give a remedy to the multisite movement's greatest needa theologically grounded and implication-rich response to multisite's most challenging questions. If you want to move past adding sites and venues to multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches, read MultiChurch and apply.

BRIAN FRYE, national collegiate strategist,

North American Mission Board

Gregg Allison and Brad House add valuable data and insight to the nascent research and critique of item multisite movement. It's an increasingly significant part of the local church landscape, and it's not going away anytime soon. Whether you are currently leading a multisite church, considering launching one, or attending one, this book will help you better understand the opportunities and challenges that come with a multisite ministry.

LARRY OSBORNE, pastor and author, North Coast Church, Vista, CA

Now in its third decade, the multisite movement began as a radical idea to solve church facility restrictions and has now become a mainstream strategy for all kinds of churches. The authors of MultiChurch: Exploring the Future of Multisite have served this movement well by describing its evolution, naming its distinct expressions, addressing its criticisms, and charting a course forward for a movement that is not slowing down and is continually morphing. Written by a seasoned multisite practitioner and a hands-on theologian, House and Allison address the multiple challenges of a multisite church and provide an invaluable roadmap for church leaders wherever they are on their multisite journey. This is a must-read book for multisite church leaders!

JIM TOMBERLIN, pastor, author, multisite pioneer, and consultant; founder, MultiSite Solutions

Dr. Gregg Allison and Brad House have both helped shape my approach to ministry in unique ways. As the supervisor for my doctoral degree, Gregg pressed my theology of the church into consistent practice, and Brad taught me how to lead smaller communities in the context of a large, rapidly growing church. In MultiChurch, you will see the authors' respective complementary perspectives, as well as their distinctive theological and pastoral gifts on display. MultiChurch provides an excellent framework for continued discussion around the multisite church model, while maintaining a consistent doctrinal grounding in the discipline of ecclesiology. Finally, the book strikes a sound balance between helpful encouragement and honest critique of the ever-growing and changing landscape of church practice. I am convinced any leader in a multisite church will benefit from this book!

DR. TODD ENGSTROM, executive pastor of ministry strategies,

The Austin Stone Community Church

Frankly, Ive been chilling on multi-site models. But Allison and House have reignited the topic in ways that are prescient and defrosting to ones iced-over imagination. MultiChurch bears weight too, knowing that the audience must find simplicity in the theological and ecclesiological complexities. Yet, Allison and House are at their best navigating between ambiguity and clarity, polity and missiology; and then gently escorting us to a perch from which we can glimpse multichurch. If you are struggling with multisite models, polity perplexities, or how to take practical steps forward, get this book!

DAVE HARVEY, executive director of Sojourn Network, teaching pastor at Summit Church in Naples, founder AmICalled.com, and author of When Sinners Say I Do; & Letting Go: Rugged Love for Wayward Souls(@RevDaveHarvey)

Gregg Allison and Brad House have written a thoughtful and helpful book for those who are seriously considering the future of multisite, which they call MultiChurch. As a pastor of a multisite church that has transitioned into a family of churches, I can say that what they have written here will be extremely helpful for those interested in wrestling with the theological and practical considerations involved in leading multiple congregations toward church health.

HARVEY TURNER, founding pastor of Living Stones Churches, lead pastor of Living Stones Reno, Acts 29 US West Leadership Team

This is the book every pastor and elder team should readwhether they are currently leading or thinking about starting a multisite church. Its grounded in Scripture and highly practical. I am thrilled Brad and Gregg wrote this book. Its a gift to Jesuss Church.

ELLIOT GRUDEM, founder and president, Leaders Collective

ZONDERVAN

MultiChurch

Copyright 2017 by Gregg Allison and Brad House

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ePub Edition July 2017: ISBN 978-0-310-53054-1

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover Design: Studio Gearbox

Cover image: Shutterstock

Interior design: Kait Lamphere

Interior imagery: Teamarwen/Shutterstock

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This book is dedicated to Sojourn Community Church. We are grateful for all the leaders who desire to cultivate a healthy, thriving church. And we are indebted to the members of Sojourn, who inspire us to find better ways to empower the church for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

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We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknown river to explore. What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls ride over the river, we know not. Ah, well! we may conjecture many things.

JOHN WESLEY POWELL

John Wesley Powell was a pioneer. Today Powell is hailed as the first pioneer (of European decent) to explore the Grand Canyon, but in the latter half of the 1800s, Powell wasnt just leading a day trip to the canyon to admire its grandeur. He was leading an expedition into the unknown. At that time little was known about the land west of the Mississippi River. The uncharted land was filled with potential risks and rewards. Powell led with conviction and purpose, knowing he had to move forward by faith in order to confirm his hopes and dispel his fears.