One Church Many Locations – The History and Philosophy
One Church Many Locations – The History and Philosophy
We are one church with a mission to lead people to Jesus and help them become fully devoted followers of Christ. In 2008, after praying about how we could reach more lives and more communities, God led us to build a campus in NW Calgary.
Today, CSC has a total of five campuses (Central, Bearspaw, Bridgeland, South and Airdrie), allowing us to live the mission by reaching deeper into communities in Calgary and Airdrie. This means, our mission is now carried through the thousands of people who meet in hundreds of community groups that are a short walking or driving distance from home.
What does it mean to be a multisite church?
It means we are one church with a single mission through many locations. We are also united under one strategy, one budget, one senior pastor and one board. Although the people, staff, volunteers and communities in our church are diverse, our discipleship culture is also our common bond. Jesus Christ said He would build the church, and we are to make disciples. Having many locations allows us to have more impact across a larger area.
We believe God has called us towards a multisite vision because:
- A church in the community is a sign of our presence in that community. It says we are active in the community and available to anyone seeking help, meaning or belonging.
- Pursuing mission means our members share Jesus with their own communities. We believe our campuses empower people to invite neighbours, family and friends to gatherings that are near by.
- Pursuing relationships is a big part of our discipleship mission. Relationships grow in nearby spaces where people can meet, worship, share, have fun and do life together in Christ.
- Pursuing simplicity allows us to focus on what matters. We believe having locations close to where people live helps simplify the days for people pursuing God, relationships and our discipleship mission on weekend services and all week long.
- Many locations provide more chances for people to use their abilities and gifts to God’s glory.
The church is about people. We believe God’s will is accomplished through Christians working together across the city and the world as one body of Christ. Buildings give us the space to carry out our mission and a place where people can go when they are seeking help, meaning and belonging. As One Church in Many Locations, we envision each building as a hub for local kingdom work, connected to a powerful network of Christians united on mission as one CSC family.
Two draft horses pulling together can pull three times more than one horse can pull by itself. In the same way, when we work together to use our talents, time and treasure, we can have an even greater impact in our world for Christ.