Sometimes called Central Support or Central Services, this is the “team of teams” that supports ministry segments across all multisite locations.
Trust me when I tell you, this facet of a comprehensive multisite strategy cannot be over emphasized. A clear plan for shared services is a key component of multisite multiplication. It is one of the X factors that can quickly propel ideas forward or cause huge organizational drag.
Here are some examples of typical shared services teams:
Production/Media
Human Resources
Creative Services
Worship
Facilities
The jobs that these men and women perform are part of the sweet spot of a multisite model. The organization needs to be served by only one of each of the departments listed above. Interpretations of this concept vary across the world as multisite multiplication grows.
This is taking me back to my microeconomics class when talking about shared services. Check out the definition I chose from www.investopia.com for the concept called Economies of Scale:
(I tried to find the one with the most buzz-words. Feel free to ring a bell in your mind every time you read one)
Economies of scale is the cost advantage that arises with increased output of a product. Economies of scale arise because of the inverse relationship between the quantity produced and per-unit fixed costs; i.e. the greater the quantity of a good produced, the lower the per-unit fixed cost because these costs are shared over a larger number of goods. Economies of scale may also reduce variable costs per unit because of operational efficiencies and synergies.
Let me interpret for the Art majors: “Sharing is caring.” In other words, multisite is going to allow you to reach more people for less by not having to re-invent duplicate support teams at each location. The notion of economies of scale is just one facet of shared services, but in my experience, this is probably the most compelling argument as we design the way our teams work together.
Here are some tips to steer your shared services team in the right direction:
“Outside the sermon, (or anywhere for that matter-Smith) don’t refer to them as a ‘satellite campus’ or refer to your location as the ‘main campus.’”
Language like that from the platform and team meeting will only reinforce a segmented view of your organization. Some great terms that are out there when referring to the “main campus” are the “Sending Campus”, “Broadcast Campus”, or “Founding Campus.” Handle these terms with care.
Other tools:
Todd Adkins article HERE
Economies of Scale tutorial HERE
Lencioni book HERE
Star Wars Trailer (cause its on my mind) HERE
Stephen Smith (@stephenandstar) serves in Houston with his wife and four kids. He shepherds four teams within the church: Music, Multisite, Media, and Marketing. He spends the remainder of his time these days with his head in a book or dealing with an unruly yard. His passion is leading worship through song with his wife and leveraging their lives to see ministry multiplied in their home church and beyond.
