Marketing and Communication Basics for a Multisite Church

The multisite church model is shifting. Several years ago, Thom Rainer was already talking about “micro-church” multisite models and the importance of horizontal church growth (i.e., growing through more sites instead of bigger ones). In 2025, we’re seeing that movement gain traction. As growing churches develop campus networks and digital outreach, it requires a sophisticated and purposeful hand at the tiller to properly communicate with everyone involved. 

If you’ve launched a new campus or you’re planning on doing so in the future, it’s important to have a marketing and communications plan in place as part of your larger multiste strategy. This keeps everyone on the same page without stifling campus autonomy and individuality in the process. 

Here are several recommendations from the Ministry Solutions Group team to help you maintain healthy communication across a geographically distributed church body.

1. Understand Your Audience

This is ground zero for any multisite campus initiative. As you expand your church’s footprint, are you fully aware of the breadth and complexities of the audience you are serving? 

Put the time into things like demographic research. What groups are attending, and how do they view the church? What kind of communication channels do they use, and what do they expect to see and hear from an organized religious institution?

You don’t have to let this research dictate what you say or do. But you want to be well aware of it and allow it to influence what and how you communicate — both across each campus and your church as a whole.

2. Craft Your Message

As you communicate with your multisite church, make sure to align all marketing material with your mission and vision. Most people these days, and especially younger groups like Gen Z and Millennials, crave authenticity. If they’re engaging with a multisite screen, there is already going to be a slightly “scripted” quality to their church experience. Every piece of communication they hear should have a clear purpose and should be presented in as authentic and organic a manner as possible.

With that in mind, do your best to keep your messaging unified and consistent where it counts. Again, align everything with your church’s core mission, vision, and values. At the same time, consider where you need absolute consistency in messaging and where it is best to let your individual campus “personalities” shine out.

3. Select the Right Channels

When it comes to getting the word out to the right people, you have a lot of options — too many if you aren’t careful. Choose the channels where you get the most engagement and use each one intentionally. For instance, use:

• Text to send targeted, brief reminders and updates.
• Email for direct-to-audience communications, reminders, and resources.
• Socials for broader, outward-facing communications.
• On-site for intimate and real-time updates and reminders.

Make sure to plan for how and when to communicate, as well. Everyone on your leadership team should know what they need to communicate well before it’s time to do so. This maintains clarity and consistency.

4. Balance Campus and Central Messaging

Multisite church communications require a balance between church-wide messaging and campus-specific communications. Whenever you can, let on-campus channels, like in-person announcements and word-of-mouth, do the work for you. When you need to be unified in a church-wide announcement or initiative, use your online channels to provide targeted information.

One way to maintain a sense of unity and consistency, as well as autonomy, is through branded assets. Create brand guidelines for your church, such as specific messaging, words and phrases, fonts, and logos, that empower each campus pastor and team to individualize these resources for their specific community messaging and needs.

5. Evaluate and Adjust

Your multisite marketing and communications strategy should never be a “set it and forget it” activity. Set clear objectives (again, why are you doing this in the first place?) and choose measurable results that can show you if you’re communicating effectively over time.

This allows you to engage in a cycle of perpetual improvement. Remember, continuous learning means worrying less about looking like you’ve got this multisite thing figured out and investing more energy into learning how to do it better. Make sure you’re willing to put in the hard work, find the best strategies, and accept feedback from others to help you grow.

Carol Dweck, who invented the term “growth mindset,” warns against a false sense of willingness to learn and grow. She points to the need for realistic, attainable, communicated goals, saying, “Mission statements are wonderful things. You can’t argue with lofty values like growth, empowerment, and innovation. But they are meaningless to employees if the company doesn’t implement policies that make these values real and attainable.” 

The same goes for your church. Clarify your multisite communication goals, measure them, and adjust as you go. Don’t be afraid to experiment, too. Just make sure you’re tracking things!

Communicating Effectively as a Multisite Church

Multisite church communications and marketing are complex. They require a confident and thoughtful strategy, the right communication channels, and a willingness to learn as you go along. Use the recommendations above to set the stage for a stellar multisite network that is well-informed, interconnected, and consistently on the same page.

If you have more questions about comms, campus locations, or anything else related to multisite church growth, our team at Ministry Solutions Group can help. Reach out for a strategy session, and together, we can chart a clear path forward for your multisite ministry.