Not long ago, I was part of a strategy discussion with a high-impact church in the Midwest. This church isn’t aspiring to be prevailing … it already is. With tens of thousands attending across multiple thriving campuses, they’ve made multisite work in their local context. They’ve got the scars, systems, and stories to prove it. Their campuses are well attended, their central team is highly organized, and their message, crafted for those who’ve long since given up on church, cuts through the noise in every city they enter.

But now, they’re staring down a bigger play.

Their vision? Radically increase their multiplication efforts to reach exponentially more people.

As one leader put it, “We’ve saturated our own city. We’re not looking to add more sites in town. We’re aiming at new cities, entirely.”

They’re not dreaming … at least not recklessly. Their exponential initiative has already mobilized people and resources for this vision. What began as a bold prayer is now taking shape through land acquisitions, facility construction, and discussions about portable campuses, volunteer pipelines, and launch timelines. It’s a decade-long vision for revival … and they’re treating it with the urgency and intention it deserves.

They reached out because they’d already seen the fruit of the ‘Launch a Healthy Multisite Church Campus’ course and know I’ve been in the trenches, having led thirteen multisite launches (and counting). It’s not about theory. It’s about spotting what we tend to trip over between a vision document and opening Sunday. And what they’re doing? It’s not typical.

Most churches expand their reach by stretching—planting campuses just far enough that they can still pull from existing attendees, leaders, and systems. A short drive. A borrowed team. A shared culture.

But this church isn’t stretching anymore. They’re leaping.

“We’ve done the 30-minute expansion,” one of their leaders said. “Our KPIs hold up well across our city. But the second you go rural, they drop off. When you hit another metro, they climb again. We’re convinced we’re called to be a city church, not a regional one.”

It’s an important distinction—one that only a few multisite churches have truly tackled.

Statistically, it’s rare. According to Warren Bird’s largest-ever study of church multiplication, only 5% of multisite campuses are launched more than an hour from their sending campus. Most church leaders know this intuitively: proximity fuels success. That’s why the typical “stretch” strategy stays within a 15–45-minute radius. It’s close enough to leverage core volunteers, staff support, and cultural familiarity.

But what happens when you’ve reached the edge of your stretch?

What if the next move requires something riskier, more resource-intensive, more like a leap?

That’s exactly what this church is wrestling with. And if you’re considering expanding beyond your current reach—into new cities, new cultures, new infrastructure—this conversation matters for you, too.

Let’s unpack what it looks like when a prevailing church stops stretching and starts leaping—and what principles can guide you if you’re considering the same.

What’s the Difference Between “Stretch” and “Leap”?

Let’s clarify some language. Traditionally, multisite churches expand through what I call a “Stretch Strategy”, adding campuses within a short driving distance of their original location. These new sites often draw on the existing church body for launch teams, volunteers, and culture.

A “Leap Strategy,” on the other hand, is when a church starts a campus in a city far enough away that they can’t rely on natural proximity. They’re planting a flag in new territory—sometimes hundreds of miles away—where the sending location can’t easily supply momentum, people, or presence.

Statistically, almost no one does this.

According to ECFA’s comprehensive 2022 study of church planting and multisite trends, only 5% of multisite campuses are located more than an hour away from their sending church. What is the ideal range for most multisite launches? Between 15–45 minutes.

So, why would a church attempt something that only one in twenty others is trying?

That’s exactly the right question.

Why Consider a Leap?

Here are a few valid reasons:

• You have a transferable brand: Your voice resonates beyond your region. It could be your teaching style, your weekend experience, or your creative storytelling. Like Elevation Church launching a thriving campus in Toronto, a 12-hour drive away, some churches have “brand gravity” that transcends geography.
• You’ve maxed out your local stretch potential: This was true for the church I spoke with. They’ve saturated their metro area and need a new sandbox to keep growing.
• You’re equipped for it: You’ve got central support, a clear replication model, strong systems, and a track record of healthy campus launches.

But reasons aren’t enough. The real question is: how do you pull it off?

A Cautious Framework for Churches Considering a Leap Strategy

Let’s break it down using some principles we discussed in the conversation—and some I’ve seen work repeatedly.

1. Find the Closest Leap That’s More than a Step

Don’t start with a 7-hour drive. Look for a city that’s just far enough to test your replication system without breaking it.

In our conversation, we explored cities 2–4 hours away from each other. Why? Because that distance forces a leap, yet it’s close enough for your central team to support it with weekend drives instead of costly flights.

This is about building the muscle of leap-style launches without tearing the tendon on the first attempt.

2. Commitment Comes Before Launch

One of the clearest predictors of success in any campus launch is volunteer commitment. Based on multisite launch data, a sticky ratio to keep in mind is 3:1—you’ll typically see one attender for every three committed volunteers at launch.

Want to launch a new campus with 350 people? You’ll likely need at least 120 active volunteers on board. And those volunteers need to be local, not staff transplants or one-time event guests.

This is where most leaps fail: they underestimate the time and intentionality it takes to move people from interest to investment.

3. Invest in Property (But Not Right Away)

Many churches ask: Should we buy land early or wait to see if the launch gains traction?

What we’re seeing now is a hybrid in leap expansion: make the land purchase a stake in the ground—a signal to the community that “we’re serious about being here.” But don’t break ground until you’ve built a strong portable campus with real volunteers and real traction.

Land without people is a liability. But a thriving portable campus on land you already own? That’s momentum with options.

4. Run a Test Balloon First

Before spending millions, try spending a few thousand.

One of the smartest steps we discussed was using targeted digital ads and pop-up events to test brand awareness and interest in a city before committing. You can run geofenced YouTube ads, host a one-time worship experience with social connection points, and gather names for an “interest list.”

Then measure it.

How many showed up? How many signed up? What was the conversion rate from click, to contact, to commitment?

This early-phase data gives you confidence and minimizes risk.

5. Design Your Pop-Ups for Social Connection, Not Just Spectacle

It’s tempting to treat a pop-up like a one-night concert. But the real win isn’t the number of people who show up … it’s how many connect.

Think of name tags, bounce houses, food trucks, local storytelling, and a clear invitation to stay in touch. One church we know runs “on the Road” events with this exact vibe—think more front porch than performance.

Use those events to build your interest list. Every data point is a potential volunteer. And volunteers build launches.

Common Pitfalls in Leap Strategies

A few landmines to avoid:

• Launching with a partial team: Don’t just send one great pastor: Send a team. When only one culture carrier arrives, they’ll burn out trying to build alone.
• Skipping local data: Just because your online audience is strong in a community 4 hours away, doesn’t mean people there are ready to serve in person. Gather local metrics.
• Ignoring cultural distance: Sports teams can be a surprising litmus test. If they cheer for different teams than your base city, they might not resonate with your church culture either.
  Rushing the timeline: A leap requires a longer runway. Think 12–24 months from property purchase to portable campus, to permanent location.

Backed by Research, Fueled by Vision

Let’s not forget the data.

• The median startup cost for a multisite campus is $200,000, with $200,000 more in first-year costs.
• Launch sizes for multisite campuses, pre-pandemic, were around 120 people: post-pandemic, around 60.
• The ideal seating size for a new multisite campus is 201–500, with a facility ideally within a 45-minute drive from the sending church.

A leap strategy will break many of these norms. But if you’re resourced, brand-strong, and willing to learn as you go, it could work.

Just be aware—you’re swimming upstream.

Final Thoughts: Leap, Don’t Lunge

Here’s what I told the team:

You’re not planting a church: You’re launching a campus at a distance. That’s a different animal entirely.

The good news? You’re not starting from scratch. You’re replicating something proven. The bad news? Replication isn’t as easy when your people, your culture, and your systems can’t stretch to meet the new location. That’s why you need to leap, but land carefully.

Start with a data-informed city.
Buy land only after clear indicators of momentum.
Test with pop-up events.
Recruit a large local volunteer base.
And then—only then—launch.

You’ve done bold things before; you can do this too. Just don’t mistake ambition for readiness.

Let’s leap wisely.

Have you considered a leap strategy for your church? What’s worked, or what hasn’t? Share your thoughts below or drop me a note.