What Matt Chandler and Tim Keller’s Churches’ Transitions Mean for the Multisite Movement

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Christianity Today

Religion, Christianity, Religion & Spirituality

4.3 • 622 Ratings

🗓️ 28 September 2017

⏱️ 45 minutes

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Summary

Has one of the biggest trends in evangelical churches been eclipsed by a new one? Multisite congregations number more than 5,000 and researchers say this trend is as ubiquitous as the megachurch movement was 20 years ago. The Village Church, one of Texas’ largest multisite congregations, announced this week that it would be transitioning into five distinct congregations over the next five years. This news comes several years after its Denton location became an independent congregation “In part, Denton leaders and members didn’t want to build their strategy on the Matt Chandler brand,” CT reported in 2015. What’s been the key to this inaugural site’s success? “It’s because the people in that congregation have said that although this campus pastor hasn’t been preaching every week, this campus pastor has done our weddings, funerals ... is doing our shepherding, leading our staff, and in our neighborhood,” said Daniel Im, the author of Planting Missional Churches. “Yes we hear this really fantastic preacher Matt Chandler very often but what actually ties the church together?” Im joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss the genesis of the multisite movement, what can make this model challenging to sustain, and the latest trend in churches that may not be on most Christians’ radar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is brought to you in part by The Apologetics Guy Show, the podcast that helps you find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity.
0:11.0	Learn to explain your faith with courage and compassion.
0:14.5	Join Moody Bible Institute professor Dr. Mikhail del Rosario at apologeticsky.com.
0:29.8	Music Michael Del Rosario at Apologeticsguy.com. You're listening to Quick to Listen. Each week we go beyond hashtags and hot takes, discuss a major cultural of it.
0:36.4	I'm Morgan Lee. I'm an assistant editor here at Christianity today.
0:40.1	And as usual, I'm joined by Mark Galley.
0:42.7	Hey, good morning.
0:44.0	Editor-in-chief.
0:44.7	I just had to get that in there.
0:45.9	Thank you.
0:46.7	You're welcome.
0:47.0	I appreciate it.
0:47.4	I need the strokes.
0:48.8	Some days I need the strokes.
0:49.9	We just need to be honest so that when, you know, push comes to shove and people criticize the podcast,
1:00.1	they know who to criticize. Exactly. All right. But if it goes well, it's you they should talk to.
1:04.1	Okay. Wow. Thank you. So humble. All right. Well, Mark, who is joining us this week? Well, I'm looking forward to having a conversation with Daniel M. He's the founder and director of
1:08.9	Church Multiplication for Newchurches.com at Lifeway Christian Resources. He's the founder and director of church multiplication for new churches.com at Lifeway
1:12.7	Christian Resources. He's also the author of No Silver Bullets, Five Small Shifts that Will Transform
1:18.2	Your Ministry, As Well as Planting Missional Churches, Your Guide to Starting Churches That Multiply.
1:23.7	Hey, Daniel, how's it going? Hey, great. It's great to be with you guys. Where are you based out of?
1:28.0	So I am currently living in Nashville, but I'm Vancouver, Canada, born and raised, so.
	...

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