Etters FAQ

What Are We Doing?
We are launching a new campus in Oct 2012. It will be Capital Area Christian Church – Etters Campus; one church with multiple locations.

Why Are We Doing This?
Because people matter to God. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and make disciples…” This is about reaching people. For 35 years God has been using CACC to reach people with the good news of Jesus and helping them to grow up and serve in a special community of faith. God has used his church through a variety of strategies such as outreach events, building larger buildings, planting new churches and investing in global missions. Multi-site is a new strategy we believe God is calling us to use to further his mission.

What Exactly Does ‘Multi-site’ Mean?
Being a Multi-site church simply means we are going to be one church that meets in multiple locations.  Think of it like college campuses. You have Penn State Happy Valley, Penn State Harrisburg….well we will have CACC Mechanicsburg campus and a CACC Etters campus.

It Seems Like Things Are Going Fine Already. What Does Multi-site Help Us Do That We Can’t Already Do?
Launching a campus in a new location is a way of “Taking Capital Area Christian Church to the people.” There are thousands of people in our county and neighboring counties that like what we do for the community, but are unlikely to make the trek to Mechanicsburg. Distance becomes a barrier to their full participation, involvement, and ability to invite guests. Multi-site removes that barrier by placing a CACC campus closer to them. It’s a strategic move intended to reach people who are far from God and far enough from the Mechanicsburg campus that we would likely not reach them here. Multi-site also allows us to extend our reach deeper into the community. Also, it is natural and healthy for things to reproduce. Jesus model of discipleship hinges on this kind of healthy reproduction. Multi-site is all about reproducing ourselves, which means more ministry and opportunities to serve others.

Are We Pioneering A New Thing? Is This The First Time Multi-site Has Been Tried?
While Multi-site is new for CACC, it is really not new at all. In fact, over 2000 churches in America are already using or preparing to use a Multi-site model. About 5 million people attend a Multi-site church in North America. A recent article dubbed it “the new normal.” 70% of the fastest growing churches and 9 out of 10 of the country’s largest churches are Multi-site churches. There are various models and approaches to Multi-site out there, but the common denominator is that it allows a church to reach more people.

What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Multi-site Church?
In addition to flat out reaching new friends and family who will likely not be reached at our current campus. Multi-site brings together the best aspects of larger churches and smaller churches. It increases the total number of available seats during optimal worship times. It allows us to leverage the reputation and “brand” of Capital Area Christian Church to more people in our community. It enables untapped talent to emerge and mobilizes more and new volunteers through an added variety of ministry opportunities. It provides more leadership development opportunities for emerging leaders and future staff. It reminds us that the church is organic, not an institution – and can exist in many locations all at once.

So How Do I Explain This To Someone?
Tell them our church continues to grow and we’re expanding by launching a new location in hopes of reaching more people with the love and truth of Jesus Christ. Think of it as franchising; like a Chick-Fil-A. They have more than one location, but the same mission and menu. Or think of a bank branch. You can stop by any one of them and find the same services. The bottom line is that we will always be ONE church, which meets in multiple locations. That means we have one mission, one vision, one Senior Pastor, one team of elders, one staff, and one budget. By launching a new campus of the same church, we can share many services and programs between locations, rather than re-creating all of it from scratch. The meeting location may look different, but we will still be one church.

How Will The Ministry Get Done At The Multi-site?
The same way it does at the Mechanicsburg Campus; through volunteer servants of Jesus who give selflessly to do the Lords work. This is a labor-intensive undertaking and many volunteers will be needed in several ministry areas, including Children’s, Frontline, Worship Band, Technical arts and Administration.

Who Will Organize And Lead It?
There will be staff members at each location to provide direction, support, and leadership. Mike Russell will serve as Campus Pastor for the Etters campus. That means he will provide leadership and pastoral continuity there, as well as lead the staff team at that location. Other staff working with the new campus will include part time roles in Children’s Ministry.

Why Mike Russell As Campus Pastor? Does That Mean We “Lose Him” From Mechanicsburg?
While Mike loves youth ministry he has always felt God calling him to plant churches in the east coast. Launching a new campus will allow Mike and Jenna to remain a part of our church. Mike will continue his responsibilities as Youth Pastor for all of CACC campuses, along with his new responsibilities as Campus Pastor for the Etters Campus.

What Will The Sunday Service Be Like At The New Site?
The goal on Multi-site is to reproduce ourselves! That means you can expect things to be similar in style and feel to what we currently do at CACC. We will have the same hospitable welcome and greeting teams setting the tone. The Children’s ministry people will create the same effective and fun experience for parents and kids. A worship team will lead people to encounter God in the same meaningful ways. Someone will lead a time of communion just like we do every week already and God’s word will be taught in the same practical way addressing the same relevant topics from someone on our CACC teaching team.

What About Kids On Sunday Mornings?
We will have Nursery, Kids Club 360 - Pre School and Elementary School programs just like we do at our current campus.

If I Live Closer To The New Campus Than the Mechanicsburg Campus, Do I Have To Go To There On Sundays?
No. We do need a sizeable and solid core of people at the Etters location to make this work. We hope and expect that much of that core will come from those who live somewhat closer to Etters than the Mechanicsburg campus. Having a location closer to you makes inviting and involvement easier, as well as making penetration into the community stronger. We also know that some will choose to be part of the new campus even though they don’t live close by – but because they feel called, or want to be part of something exciting like this. It’s all good. The main thing is that we get a strong, eager, ready group of CACC people to go be part of this new campus. This will help us be able to reach new people.

What About Other Programs Like Student Ministries And Marriage Ministry?
There will be some programs and ministries that are specific to the Etters campus, and others that combine all sites and meet in one place. Momentum our student ministry will have activities that take place on both campuses but our Sunday night youth group will take place on the Mechanicsburg campus. We will transport students from Etters up to the Mechanicsburg campus. When there is a clear need and leadership in place for a new ministry site, then we know we are ready to offer it there, too.

Did I Hear Someone Say “First Campus?” Does That Mean There Will Be More Than One?
Our vision is to reach as many as possible by any means possible! Yes, we believe God may want us to launch other Multi-site locations as well. Our vision includes transforming central PA through whatever strategies available. We are praying God will open doors for us to launch more campuses in the future.

How Much Does This Cost? Can We Afford It? How Are We Paying For It?
Launching a new campus is not cheap. There are costs for space, staff, equipment, technology, advertizing, and so on. We are using a conservative financial model that minimizes risk to CACC and ensures we have the money before we commit to spending it. Funding for the new campus has been and will continue to be provided by CACC people giving to the Boundless Campaign, as well as other special offerings, and by new giving.