Multi-Site Exposed Thoughts

As I have stated already today, I went with our Lead Team to the Multi-Site Exposed Conference held at Seacoast on Monday and Tuesday.  To be honest, I am not a conference person. Matter of fact, I hate them. I always feel they are a pissing contest for who can wear the coolest clothes, who has the biggest church and who is pushing the edge the most.  Other than the Unleash Conference I have not been to a conference in which I have not been teaching in about 18 months. I am just fried on them. With that in mind, I went into the Multi-Site Exposed conference excited because we have A LOT to learn, but also not looking forward to being there.

I am happy to say that I LOVED THE CONFERENCE!!!  It might have been the fact that we launched our second campus just four Sundays ago and we have no clue what we are doing, but this conference was just what the doctor ordered.

Here is some random thoughts from the week:

• BLOWN AWAY by Seacoast Church! Honestly, an amazing church. They are the real deal, doing great things, and are about as Kingdom minded as I have ever seen. Their volunteers were over the top and they genuinely want to do everything they can to help churches figure out what it means to be multi-site. Props to Greg and his crew. GREAT JOB!
• I have a new preacher who I’m in love with and his name is Dino Rizzo. I’ve been following Dino for a while but to hear him live and see his heart just pushed me over the top. I might actually have a man-crush on him. The dude is the real deal.
• There were three churches doing multi-site that were all showing their model. EVERY one was doing it different and I loved that!!!!  Of the churches represented, we were the most similar to National Community Church in our approach.
• One of my favorite people in the world is Roger Blackmore and I was THRILLED to see him there. The dude is older than dirt and launched a church in Long Island and is now going multi-site. I want to be him when I grow up.
• Got to reconnect with Pete Wilson. I am convinced Pete is a rock star and doesn’t know it. He is the most humble, nicest mega-church pastor I have ever met. Plus he has cool hair and wears cool shirts.
• FINALLY got to connect face to face with John Atkinson. One of the greatest dudes I’ve ever met. I wish he would come join my team!
• The conference was put on by Leadership Network and I was very impressed with them as well. Great job guys!
• We are 4 weeks into our Holly Springs campus and we did a lot wrong!!!! Man, we learned so much at this conference.
• We are 4 weeks into our Holly Springs campus and I am more pumped up about it today than ever before.  God has been speaking to me about some big changes and tweaks that are going to make H.S. THE campus to be at.
• There is NOT a right way or a wrong way to do multi-site. Everyone is doing it different. You have to figure out what works for your DNA.
• Multi-site is NOT the future of the church. I wrote this one down in my notebook. As I looked around at all the churches wanting to do multi-site I was convinced of this. It is HARD work. Those that are doing it because it is the latest fad and the cool thing to do won’t make it. It is to hard.
• While I don’t think it is the future of the church, I think those that have a true vision from God to do it WILL change the world through multis-site.
• I felt the vision of Revolution went from being a church that does multis-site to a church that is multi-site changed this week. I am more committed to launching campuses than ever before.
• I got to touch base with Greg Surratt about ARC. ARC is THE church planting group out right now. I want to plant churches and I am impressed with what these cats are doing.
• I can’t wait to see what God has planned in Holly Springs!!!!!