When I travel, I look for Starbucks. I know I will need a good cup of coffee in the morning. And when I go to any Starbucks I know I will get a great cup of coffee from friendly people in a relaxing environment with good music. I know this because after hundreds of visits in dozens of cities, I have almost never been disappointed. Starbucks has proven itself as a brand. That is one main reason you can find them on what seems like every corner of a given neighborhood.

Whether we like it or not, similar thoughts go into how people choose to attend church. People want to find something they need—the good things of God—from friendly people in a relaxing environment with good music. And they want to experience that consistently enough that they can trust the church.

The megachurch proved that a church can draw from an entire region rather just one neighborhood if it becomes one of those trusted places. The problem is that people will drive only so far, and buildings can grow only so ...