One Assembly: Rethinking the Multisite and Multiservice Church Models

“Leeman’s work was influential in our church’s decision to move from multiservice to a single service.”
―Ryan Kelly, Pastor of Preaching, Desert Springs Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Maybe you have been there: you’re running late to church, and you know it will be hard to find an empty seat. This is an all-too-frequent experience in a growing church. For churches experiencing this dilemma, a common solution is to add another service or location. This seems like a cost-effective fix. Besides, no one wants to turn away non-Christians. But is it the best option?

Jonathan Leeman presents a series of biblical, theological, and pastoral arguments to help reorient our minds to a scriptural definition of church. He makes the case that maintaining a single assembly best follows the Bible, fulfills the Great Commission, and furthers our partnership with other churches.

• Makes the case that keeping presence and authority together best allow a church to protect the gospel
• Offers compelling alternatives to the multisite model for dealing with growing attendance other than simply building a bigger space, such as planting, revitalizing, learning to work with other churches, or encouraging attendees to attend a church closer to where they live
• Sets forth a biblical definition of church based on the words of Jesus and the New Testament model
• Focuses on long-term gospel ministry rather than short-term logistical fixes

Jonathan Leeman (PhD, University of Wales) is the president of 9Marks and cohost of the Pastors Talk podcast. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books and teaches at several seminaries. Jonathan lives with his wife and four daughters in suburban Washington, DC, and serves as an elder at Cheverly Baptist Church.

Editorial Director, 9Marks; author, The Rule of Love