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Thread: Multi-Site Church Campuses-Biblical ?

  1. #1

    Multi-Site Church Campuses-Biblical ?

    I attend one of those churches that has six locations and one large campus 15 miles away. I have my doubts about this system since going to this church about a year ago. The church was so great a help to me when my wife got sick that I feel guilty for questioning the system. But since then I have seen Romans 1:11 where Paul emphasizes that his physical presence was necessary for impartation of His spiritual gifts to the Romans . I know that some minister to third world countries via the internet and that works great. But to me a spiritual father/Pastor should be present physically at the birth and continuing life of his spiritual children. It seems like we are sending children to a boarding school to be raised by surrogate parents who may or may not have the same fatherly love that the parent does. Also, the campus Pastors may never really develop into the fullness of their own ministry because they only preach or teach once a month. Help !

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  3. #2
    That kind of church program never appealed to me. It does bother me a bit when churches grab the next new thing they see to make them feel trendy and cutting edge.

    I say this:
    -show me your disciples
    -show me your leaders
    -show me the fruit of the ministry

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    Senior Member Colonel's Avatar
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    I'm not sure how a multi-campus church where the senior pastor visits each campus occasionally is worse than a large church organization like Assemblies of God or Foursquare. Not that I have any objections to either system, in principle.

  6. #4
    Most of A/G and Foursquare churches have on site local Pastors who stay there full time. This is an A/G church I attend. I am watching the development of the "campus" Pastor and he is able to avoid the tougher parts of Pastoring and thus growing up spiritually is stunted because all major decisions are made by the mother church. My questions come from reading the book on Apostolic ministry by Gordon Lindsay. He says all churches planted by Paul were independent of his authority after he set up local leaders. He could not exercise authority over them but would correct them as a father. The A/G used this very format in their original doctrines. They planted all churches and gave them independence or autonomy as long as they stayed in doctrinal unity with the denomination. That should mean that each local church should have autonomy from any mother church in any form. They should be self governing and independent. Being a campus away from the mother church seems to me a way around the planting of local churches and steering them into self government which was the original design of the A/G.
    Last edited by LionHeart; 02-16-2020 at 05:15 PM.

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  8. #5
    I think God will bless any reasonable church strategy as long as it's Christ-centered and doctrinally sound. He can and does bless small churches, large churches, churches with pastors and churches with only elders (as ours is).

    We have some freedom in the Spirit on this matter, I believe. Certainly a large church and one with multiple campuses can make for more dynamic outreach. For instance, it's hard to have a drama team in a small church. Or a writer's group. Or a quilter's ministry...and so on.

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  10. #6
    Actually, the auditorium church that we all grew up with isn't exactly biblical. The first century churches met in houses. So the megachurch multi-campus concept isn't really any less biblical than the country church with 200 people.

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    Administrator fuego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jew and Greek View Post
    Actually, the auditorium church that we all grew up with isn't exactly biblical. The first century churches met in houses. So the megachurch multi-campus concept isn't really any less biblical than the country church with 200 people.
    Not disagreeing with you if it sounds like it. Just using your post to comment further. House churches IMO are only 'biblical' in the sense that that's what they were doing when the Bible was written. There certainly was no mandate for churches to just be in houses. It would be logical IMO as Christianity grew to build buildings to congregate just like they had synagogues after centuries of Judaism and they were settled in one place. God can bless any model if as Bookie said if Christ-centered, etc.

    I know some people like John Fenn said Jesus told them to go to the house church model for certain reasons, but again, that was a specific instruction for him, not the whole church. And might the 'church' be better off as a whole with the house church model due to relationships, size, etc? Could be. But again, there is no mandate for house churches only from the Word.

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    My friend goes to a multi site church and he turned up to a different service than the one he normally goes to and it was the same video message from the pastor.
    There are some strengths but the weaknesses are the regular video messages with no fresh manna as well as one guy at the top calling the shots

    You also have the other pastors doing the offering, welcoming people etc. and then they introduce the video message - the secondary pastors sometimes preach but I wouldn't be a pastor at a church like that or attend. Obviously many still go and and enjoy it but not for me

    IMO too much power concentrated at the top

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    Senior Member Cardinal TT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fuego View Post
    Not disagreeing with you if it sounds like it. Just using your post to comment further. House churches IMO are only 'biblical' in the sense that that's what they were doing when the Bible was written. There certainly was no mandate for churches to just be in houses. It would be logical IMO as Christianity grew to build buildings to congregate just like they had synagogues after centuries of Judaism and they were settled in one place. God can bless any model if as Bookie said if Christ-centered, etc.

    I know some people like John Fenn said Jesus told them to go to the house church model for certain reasons, but again, that was a specific instruction for him, not the whole church. And might the 'church' be better off as a whole with the house church model due to relationships, size, etc? Could be. But again, there is no mandate for house churches only from the Word.

    Good comment

    Unless there is a dramatic shift in the western church like persecution or buildings taxed etc. then 'building churches' will still dominate
    Another scenario if revival breaks at in House Churches then that will cause a shift

    My wife and I currently run a HC and it suits us atm but the vast majority of believers think 'church in a building' is the norm and they mentally struggle with HC concept.

    Previous to starting HC 2 years ago we were offered 4 different churches in buildings but I couldn't get God's peace

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cardinal TT View Post
    Good comment

    Unless there is a dramatic shift in the western church like persecution or buildings taxed etc. then 'building churches' will still dominate
    Another scenario if revival breaks at in House Churches then that will cause a shift

    My wife and I currently run a HC and it suits us atm but the vast majority of believers think 'church in a building' is the norm and they mentally struggle with HC concept.

    Previous to starting HC 2 years ago we were offered 4 different churches in buildings but I couldn't get God's peace
    There's things I like about both models. And don't like about both models.

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