“We produce all of it and then it just sits there when we’re done,” Groeschel says. To extend the use of the material, it has been placed on the church’s website for download.
Most churches don’t have the resources available to Life, which is the largest congregation in the Evangelical Covenant Church with a weekly attendance of more than 14,000 people. Because the downloads are free, even the smallest churches can use the high quality materials, Groeschel says, explaining it gives them the opportunity to do what they could not otherwise afford.
Materials include outlines from a variety of message series, with corresponding promotional design graphics and videos, and broadcast-quality opening videos. The topics include dealing with relationships, experiencing God, and finding God’s vision for a person’s life.
The church has not advertised the material, but word has spread and thousands of churches around the world already have downloaded items. Groeschel says churches do not have to credit Life, but must use it for non-commercial purposes.
Life operates as a multi-site congregation, with campuses in seven locations in three states. The multi-site model – known as “one church, many locations” – is a new and growing concept among churches, with Life Church joining Willow Creek, Seacoast Church in South Carolina, and North Pointe Church in Atlanta as high profile examples.
According to a recent survey by the Leadership Network, as many as 1,000 churches in the U.S. have some form of multi-site ministry. In the Life Church model, each church campus has its own pastor and worship band, but Groeschel’s message is broadcast via satellite or projected from a DVD.
To download the material, visit the church website at Life Church.
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.
