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A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip: Exploring the New Normal
Hop On for a Guided Tour of the Multi-Site Church MovementFrom multiple locations to internet campuses, the multi-site church movement is changing the shape of the church. What is this rapidly expanding phenomenon all about? Experience the revolution for yourself and see why it has become the “new normal” for growing churches. A Multi-Site Church Roadtrip takes you on a tour of multi-site churches across America to see how they’re handling the opportunities and challenges raised by this dynamic organizational model.Travel with tour guides Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird, authors of The Multi-Site Church Revolution, on their engaging and humorous journey that shows creative ways churches of all kinds are expanding their impact through multiple locations. Hear the inside stories and learn about the latest developments. Find out firsthand how the churches in this book are broadening their options for evangelism, service, and outreach―while making better use of their ministry funds.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2006
19 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Surratt
12 booksGeoff Surratt helps churches across the country in strategic planning, teaching and staff development. Geoff previously led the church planting and multisite ministry of Saddleback Church and served Seacoast Church overseeing their 13 campuses. He has almost 30 years of ministry experience in a variety of roles in local churches, and is the author of several books including The Multisite Church Revolution, The Multisite Church Roadtrip and 10 Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing. Geoff lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Sherry. They have two children and one granddaughter.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 16, 2015
I had found it useful and rich in content and experiences. I do highly recommended for planters or churches with a heart for evangelism. The best way to reach the world is planting new and healthy churches. As I moved into the first spanish translation under license with Harper Collins publisghing, I´d found it as practical and sound as when it was published for the first time 10 years ago. Excellent tool to understand the change in contemporary churches.
February 18, 2016
The book has four parts in total. Part three is worth the price of the book for church practitioners looking to explore and experiment the multi-site model for planting.
December 7, 2020
This team of authors do a great job of introducing the reader to the ever-expanding options of multisite church. While some of the methods are obtainable by a few megachurches, many of the principles can be used by churches of different sizes.
May 20, 2022
Recommended by a friend as part of a separate conversation about post-pandemic responses to church. Given that this was written in 2006, I’d be interested in how it has aged. Still, this is a compendium of resources, helpful questions and experiences.
April 29, 2019
Exciting read. Being a part of a multi-site church made the “must-do’s” of this book interesting. Some we have done, some we have not.
August 11, 2021
This book is a good resource for churches wanting to move into the multi-site model, but I think the authors of this book miss the point while giving their instruction on multi-site churches.
One of the biggest concerns about this book is the authors appear to be much more concerned with instructing people how to share their church “culture” than with sharing the Gospel. One of the authors says to look at multi-site as “who we are, not what we do.” One of the chapters in this book even discusses churches leaving a multi-site congregation and launching on its own as a bad thing.
Another main topic that is brought up frequently in the book is creating leadership positions for people, but then explains leadership positions as positions that don’t lead, but just distribute the goals and missions of another individual. Church members and leaders should feel as though they can start ministries and projects they feel Good leading them to with the support of their church. Multi-site churches typically discourage this, and the authors of this book even use an example of someone doing this as a good reason to fire someone.
The authors also describe an us vs them type culture between church staff and church members. The authors claim the goal of the church is to move people from volunteer to full time vocational ministry. They act as though ministry in the lay persons day to day life isn’t a possibility. Church members should be empowered to share Christ on their own in their day to day lives without feeling like they must bring someone to church before then can accept Christ.
One of the points the authors make that I think is a good one, is when looking at incorporating new ideas into the church, one can ask if they believe Paul would do this. There are definitely parts of a multi-site church that I think are Gospel forwarding. Things like using video screens and recording sermons to post online can be very helpful to reaching people. On the other hand, I don’t believe Paul would not have concerned himself with increasing his culture and his “brand” as much as he would be concerned with advancing the Gospel.
One of the biggest concerns about this book is the authors appear to be much more concerned with instructing people how to share their church “culture” than with sharing the Gospel. One of the authors says to look at multi-site as “who we are, not what we do.” One of the chapters in this book even discusses churches leaving a multi-site congregation and launching on its own as a bad thing.
Another main topic that is brought up frequently in the book is creating leadership positions for people, but then explains leadership positions as positions that don’t lead, but just distribute the goals and missions of another individual. Church members and leaders should feel as though they can start ministries and projects they feel Good leading them to with the support of their church. Multi-site churches typically discourage this, and the authors of this book even use an example of someone doing this as a good reason to fire someone.
The authors also describe an us vs them type culture between church staff and church members. The authors claim the goal of the church is to move people from volunteer to full time vocational ministry. They act as though ministry in the lay persons day to day life isn’t a possibility. Church members should be empowered to share Christ on their own in their day to day lives without feeling like they must bring someone to church before then can accept Christ.
One of the points the authors make that I think is a good one, is when looking at incorporating new ideas into the church, one can ask if they believe Paul would do this. There are definitely parts of a multi-site church that I think are Gospel forwarding. Things like using video screens and recording sermons to post online can be very helpful to reaching people. On the other hand, I don’t believe Paul would not have concerned himself with increasing his culture and his “brand” as much as he would be concerned with advancing the Gospel.
May 19, 2011
Wanna read a book that gives an overview of what happens when churches begin operating by a man-made business model rather than an inspired Word of God? If you answered yes, then read Zondervan’s A Multi-Site Road Trip by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, & Warren Bird. This recollection of a cross-country trip to fifteen different multi-site churches across America, including Hawaii, is so full of the folly of man’s knowledge that there is, as expected, little room for Godly knowledge. Sure, there are Biblical passages planted throughout the book supporting ideas but not their Biblical meaning, but the most discussion of “is this right in the eyes of God?” is within the chapter discussing John Piper’s Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota. Sadly though, Piper and his elder’s insistence that nothing be done outside of the scripture’s authority is almost discussed laughingly by the authors.
While this book is full of business models and discussion of technology, this book would serve no purpose to the Christian leader looking to raise and groom a flock in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. As I read the book all I could think was, “this is nothing more than denominationalism via webcast.” Then at the end of the book the author(s) do decide to admit this fact. As a majority of the congregation discussed in the book are “non-denominational,” this book would have been more properly entitled How to Make Your Own Denomination in the 21st Century For Dummies. If anything, the members of these congregations are allowed to look behind the screen just as Dorthy was in the Wizard of Oz and see how their wizard does what he does.
I would recommend this book to no one.
While this book is full of business models and discussion of technology, this book would serve no purpose to the Christian leader looking to raise and groom a flock in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. As I read the book all I could think was, “this is nothing more than denominationalism via webcast.” Then at the end of the book the author(s) do decide to admit this fact. As a majority of the congregation discussed in the book are “non-denominational,” this book would have been more properly entitled How to Make Your Own Denomination in the 21st Century For Dummies. If anything, the members of these congregations are allowed to look behind the screen just as Dorthy was in the Wizard of Oz and see how their wizard does what he does.
I would recommend this book to no one.
June 15, 2009
Straight forward. Well outlined. A solid rationale for franchising the local church. Surratt and his team did a fine job of covering the basic philosophy of multi-site, and then got down to the practical stuff that we were all wondering about.
Lessons:
Take time to identify the nonnegotiable DNA
Take time to list best practices
Take time to find the best campus pastor
Launch with sufficient energy/money/people to raise the likelihood of success
Lessons:
Take time to identify the nonnegotiable DNA
Take time to list best practices
Take time to find the best campus pastor
Launch with sufficient energy/money/people to raise the likelihood of success
July 27, 2019
I used this book a lot and a few of its contemporary books from the same publisher and authors for an Ecclesiology paper I was writing. It was very helpful, and I learned so much. From this leadership organization, I have never heard of before who consistently conducts research for churches. It's been amazing reading these data, and I truly believe they will be helpful for the future of the Church.
July 8, 2012
A good and basic book on multi-site ministry looking at many different situations and possibilities. A good starter book in helping you address the different questions and situations in this unique ministry.
August 20, 2013
I read this book because of our present situation. The book deals mostly with mega-style churches. For an average church I didn't find it that helpful. A more helpful book for me was Becoming One, Merging Churches Together
August 26, 2014
This book is an excellent start for anyone considering developing a site church model. I like that it provides practical elements as well as theory. It does not cover methodologies of contextualization, though it does present multiple models.
June 29, 2009
This is a great primer if your church is headed towards, or just starting, a multi-site ministry. Lots of good ideas in here.
March 13, 2014
This is a fine starter book on taking your church multi-site. The Surratt's offer some good insight, but use very poor churches as their primary examples of why multi-site is a viable option.
May 27, 2015
Pragmatic, nuts and bolts book about the strategic planning necessary to use the the multi-site approach effectively.
January 25, 2024
Some good nuggest here and there to think through, but very dated.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews