by Rachael Sibcy
Consistency at a multi-site church can be challenging. My mentor recently shared this piece of advice: “You need to be on the same page, but that doesn’t mean the same paragraph and it certainly doesn’t mean the same sentence.”
How can I be on the same page with my counterparts at the other campuses? I can focus on the core similarities. We believe in two combined influences, the home and the Church, and we keep that mission at the forefront of everything we execute. SE!Kids all utilize the Orange curriculum, so no matter what campus you are at, your child is hearing the same truths and the same stories.
How will I be in different paragraphs at times? I study my campus culture and move forward in my findings. I have found that my parents and volunteers interact on social media more than any other avenue, so I utilize the First Look social media plan and promote all of the Orange apps. Down the road at another campus, the early childhood director doesn’t even have social media accounts and interacts with her families and volunteers in a more effective format to them. Two of our four campuses are utilizing the Parent Cue placemats and have just completed a survey to see how effective they are for the two other campuses. We all use the Wonder videos but in different ways. A common factor at our campus has been recent relocation so community is a felt need. So, we have MOMConnect, where we open up the church to hang out and form community while I get to take ten minutes to tell them about how their church longs to partner with them. Other campuses have different felt needs.
We are all heading in the same direction but are in different vehicles. (Mine is an Orange Range Rover.) Would it be awesome if all of our campuses were in the same vehicle? Yes! Would it be easier if we were in the same sentence? Absolutely! But, should we settle for the easy way out when it comes to the spiritual foundation we are developing in these kids and families? That’s not how my Orange Range Rover rolls. There is a reason why it’s called a “spiritual battle.” Before an army goes into war, they examine the territory. They don’t enter into every place the same or use the same tactics for everyone they encounter. They evaluate and study the region they are responsible for and carefully proceed with the same goal in mind.
When I feel pulled in different directions and the diversity seems overwhelming, I must take the initiative and find the common heartbeat that truly is pulsing to the same tempo. I’m thankful that Orange has produced resources that all of our varying cultures can use to collectively reach that reward.
Rachael Sibcy is the early childhood director at Southeast Christian Church (SW Campus) in Louisville, Kentucky.
