Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work

By Jim Tomberlin, Warren Bird and Craig Groseschel

Thousands of Protestant churches are perplexed by plateaued or declining attendance, while other congregations nearby thrive. Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths, in ways that also increase their missional impact? Church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin, with co-writer Warren Bird, makes the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but with a vital, momentum-filled lead church partnering with a joining church. In this new book, they provide a complete, practical, hands-on guide for church leaders of both struggling and vibrant churches so that they can understand the issues, develop strategies, and execute a variety of forms of merger for church expansion and renewal to reinvigorate declining churches and give them a "second life."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wiley
• Release date: Feb 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781118218211

Book preview

Contents

About the Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series

Foreword

Preface

Part One: The New Merger Landscape

Chapter 1: God is Doing Something New

Eleven Merger Contexts

Is This God at Work?

Biblical Basis for Mergers

Mergers as a Strategy for Change

The New Math of Mergers

Serial Mergers and Merger Churches Networks

Why Mergers in the Past Often Failed

A Dream of Greater Kingdom Ministry

Chapter 2: Four Models for Healthy Mergers

Rebirth Mergers

Adoption Model

Marriage Merger

ICU Merger

Realistic Hope

Chapter 3: Missional, Multisite, Multiethnic, and Other Merger Motives

Wrong Motives

Temptations Good and Bad

Potentially Healthy Motives

Rarely a Single Motive

Part Two: How Healthy Church Mergers Work

Chapter 4: Stages and Speed of a Merger

Three Big Questions

Overcommunicate at Every Stage

Chapter 5: How to Measure Success

Measuring Merger Success

Comparison with the Business World

Urge to Merge

Voting

Consultant

Personnel Changes

Name Change

But Not Conflict Free

Chapter 6: Why Mergers Fail

Landmines to Avoid

Landmines in the Preliminary Phase

Landmines in the Deliberation Phase

Landmines in the Postmerger Phase

From a Consultant’s Perspective

Insights from the Business World

Chapter 7: Financial and Legal Aspects of a Merger

Time for Attorneys

Three Ways to Merge

Additional Issues to Consider

Dollars Involved in a Merger

Avoiding a Real Estate Scramble

Escape Clause

Chapter 8: Personnel Changes

Senior Pastor

Transitions for Boards

General Advice for Staff Transitions

Part Three: Your Next Steps

Chapter 9: Determining Whether Your Church is a Good Merger Candidate

Lead Churches

Joining Churches

It Takes Work to Find God’s Leading

How to Discern If Merging is the Right Thing

Evaluating Potential Merger Partners

Systematic God Checks

Chapter 10: How to Start the Merger Conversation

Look Beyond the Walls of Your Church

Pursue Reconciliation Where Needed

Build Multiethnic Bridges

The Kind of Leader a Merger Needs

Humility Goes a Long Way

Chapter 11: Self-Assessment for Merger Readiness

Key Indicators

Alternatives to Merging

Comparison Profile Exercise

Chapter 12: Exercise

Identifying Their Issues

Specific Issues to Address

Chapter 13: Managing Pain and Change

Insider’s Look at the Process

How to Change Church Culture

Learning from the Pain

Putting Your Feet to Faith

Chapter 14: Where Do You Go from Here?

More Churches Through Merging?

Bright Future Ahead

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

Appendix G

Appendix H

Acknowledgments

The Authors

Index

More Praise for Better Together

This is a must-read book for several reasons: It’s the first of its kind on a new, increasing wave of church mergers built on vision rather than survival. It’s based on real-life, first-hand research based on real church mergers by two of Christianity’s most respected voices. It develops a common language that subsequent conversations about church mergers can build upon, and the authors walk the reader through the various steps to a successful church merger."

—Dr. Bill Easum, president, 21st Century Strategies, Inc., www.effectivechurch.com; coauthor, Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by Church Starts

Tomberlin and Bird have knocked the ball out of the park in this book. The research is incredible, the content is insightful and the net results are invaluable. Considering the trends, this book is a must-read for church leaders serious about making the most of what God gives them.

—Dan Reiland, executive pastor, 12Stone Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia; author, Amplified Leadership

The church merger process that has been instinctively used in the past . . . has failed. And it will continue to fail. If a merger is at all in your thinking, please read this book. There is a right way . . . and you’ll find it here!

—W. Charles Arn, president, Church Growth Inc., Monrovia, California; author, Heartbeat: How to Turn Passion into Ministry

This book addresses the most common challenges related to church mergers. Having planted several churches as well as having experienced the complicated task of a church merger, this is a must-read. You can choose to travel this road alone, but take my advice, it’s always easier, faster, and ‘better together.’

—Jaime Loya, senior pastor, Valley International Christian Center, San Benito, Texas

An essential resource for any mission-driven church considering a merger. Practical, field-tested strategies that will help leaders avoid common pitfalls. I highly recommend it!

—Jonathan Schaeffer, senior pastor, Grace Church, Middleburg Heights, Ohio

"We need this kind of win-win thinking in the church. I’d love it if denominational leaders were thinking this way. (I wonder if a challenge needs to go out to them explicitly!) I don’t know of any resource like this in print. Better Together will stimulate a wave of kingdom impact that will make us all say ‘Why didn’t we think of this sooner?’"

—Mark Ashton, senior pastor, Christ Community Church, Omaha, Nebraska

Today’s congregational leaders often wonder whether going it alone is their best option. Yet the m-word (merger) can elicit tremendous fear, confusion, and disappointment—both when the negotiations succeed and when they don’t. This book offers clear and thoughtful guidance about the how and the why (and even the ‘Why not?’) of merger initiatives. Serious study of this material will move leaders miles ahead in their thinking and will greatly increase the chances that a robust and renewed ministry will result from a merger initiative.

—Alice Mann, consultant, The Alban Institute; author, Can Our Church Live?

"Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird have bent my mind again. Like many, I was mired in the old math of church mergers—and now I see that mergers, done well, offer a powerful way to expand God’s kingdom. Better Together is ahead of its time. It’s thorough and inspirational without being laborious. Thank you, Jim and Warren, for pushing me in this direction!"

—Dr. Tom Nebel, director of Church Planting, Converge Worldwide, Orlando, Florida

"Better Together is a practical and complete guide to an emerging opportunity to reclaim and maximize kingdom resources. Don’t attempt to even consider a merger without taking advantage of their research."

—Steve Stroope, lead pastor, Lake Pointe Church, Rockwall, Texas; author, Tribal Church and It Starts at Home

Opportunities for churches working together have never existed like they exist now, but only those who are alert and aware of these strategies will take advantage of this connection. Merging churches takes help and expertise, and this book is a powerful guide to jumpstart such an endeavor.

—Rick Bezet, lead pastor, New Life Church, Central Arkansas

In a church I previously served, I initiated a merger. Ours was the joining church, and we became part of a stronger church in my community. We did many of the things this book recommends. It was the best thing to do for my church and for the kingdom of God. God really blessed the merger.

—Rod Layman, pastor, First Baptist Church, Mesa, Arizona

"When I began consulting twenty-four years ago church mergers were normally based on two dying churches coming together for survival. Not so any more. Tomberlin and Bird show that today’s most successful mergers are mission-driven as two (or more) churches come together around a compelling vision. . . . Better Together will become a definitive guidebook. Out of a complex and emerging landscape, Tomberlin and Bird have distilled useful principles and provided a new vocabulary of family-related terms to use. We are speaking of our own merger as a ‘marriage’ because we envision ‘having kids together’ through new ministry sites in the future."

—Rev. Dr. Christopher M. Ritter, directing pastor, First United Methodist Church, Geneseo, Illinois

Tomberlin and Bird give us a great resource to help churches join together for a greater impact. Having experienced a church merger firsthand, I’m convinced it’s worth the journey. Here’s a guidebook to help you along the path.

—Tony Morgan, strategist, www.TonyMorganLive.com; coauthor, Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership

Tomberlin and Bird rightly describe a growing movement among churches learning to walk, work, and worship God together as one; churches rejecting competition for cooperation and working smart not hard. As one who has both led and benefitted from church mergers, I invite you to prayerfully consider this practical guide.

—Dr. Mark DeYmaz, pastor, Mosaic Church, Little Rock, Arkansas; author, Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church

International Praise for Better Together

"Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird are on to something very important. As they point out, you don’t have to use the word merger. Regardless of what you call it, the concept is similar to church planting and has tremendous potential to expand the impact of vibrant churches as well as revitalize declining churches."

—Nicky Gumbel, senior vicar, Holy Trinity Church Brompton, London; founder, Alpha Course

"God is rewiring his church to reach a new generation. Better Together is an invaluable resource to any church considering a merger. It is comprehensive, well researched, practical, and insightful. We pastor at a multisite church that has successfully grown through a merger and can say, ‘Tomberlin and Bird get it!’ Mergers have great potential. They also come with potential pitfalls. This book will help ensure both churches involved are truly better together."

—Bruxy Cavey, teaching pastor, and Tim Day, senior pastor, The Meeting House, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird have provided the church with a visionary and practical book from which, if many church leaders could embrace it with real humility, the kingdom impact could be huge. Whether you lead a thriving church or are involved in one that is struggling, I commend this book to you.

—Steve Tibbert, senior pastor, King’s Church, London, England; author, Good to Grow

This book is a treasure trove of gems, practical tips on how to navigate the rough seas of merging a church and some small things that can have a major impact. If we had this book fifteen years ago when we had undergone such an endeavour, it would not have been so painful for a lot of people, and we would have been able to avoid many of the pitfalls we have found ourselves in. I can recommend this book to any church considering embarking on such a journey.

—Dr. Johan Geyser, cultural architect, Mosaïek Church, Johannesburg, South Africa

"Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird have always been great at understanding what the next move is in church culture. With Better Together—Making Church Mergers Work they have brought the topic of mergers to a wider audience. Church mergers are not only relevant in the United States, but also in Europe with huge church-planting implications. It’s a must-read book for church leaders who are strategic thinkers."

—ND Strupler, executive director, ICF Movement, Zurich, Switzerland

"The book is extremely helpful in understanding that good mergers actually increase the kingdom of God—including the total number of churches because they become vehicles of change, not preservers of the status quo. Mergers may not be what church leaders had in mind for their churches when they started them, but they may indeed be God’s key to open doors to new opportunities of greater harvest. For those local churches considering a merger, Better Together contains lots of practical wisdom that would lead to peril if not heeded."

—Dr. Dietrich Schindler, executive director, Church Planting, Evangelical Free Church, Germany

"Much like blended families, church mergers are becoming more frequent in our generation. Thanks to Better Together, we now have an excellent guide to assist us in avoiding the land mines and maximizing the potential of this unfamiliar territory."

—Mark Conner, senior minister, CityLife Church, Victoria, Australia

Copyright © 2012 by Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tomberlin, Jim, author.

Better together : making church mergers work / Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird; Foreword by Craig Groeschel.—First edition.

pages cm.—(Jossey-Bass leadership network series; 62)

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-13130-5 (hardback); 978-1-118-21819-8 (ebk); 978-1-118-21820-4 (ebk); 978-1-118-21821-1 (ebk)

1. Christian union. I. Bird, Warren, author. II. Title.

BX8.3.T66 2012

262’.2—dc23

2011047500

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About the Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series

Leadership Network’s mission is to accelerate the impact of OneHundredX leaders. These high-capacity leaders are like the hundredfold crop that comes from seed planted in good soil as Jesus described in Matthew 13:8.

Leadership Network . . .

Explores the what’s next? of what could be

Creates aha! environments for collaborative discovery

Works with exceptional positive deviants

Invests in the success of others through generous relationships

Pursues big impact through measurable kingdom results

Strives to model Jesus through all we do

Believing that meaningful conversations and strategic connections can change the world, we seek to help leaders navigate the future by exploring new ideas and finding application for each unique context. Through collaborative meetings and processes, leaders map future possibilities and challenge one another to action that accelerates fruitfulness and effectiveness. Leadership Network shares the learnings and inspiration with others through our books, concept papers, research reports, e-newsletters, podcasts, videos, and online experiences. This in turn generates a ripple effect of new conversations and further influence.

In 1996 Leadership Network established a partnership with Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Imprint, to develop a series of creative books that provide thought leadership to innovators in church ministry. Leadership Network Publications present thoroughly researched and innovative concepts from leading thinkers, practitioners, and pioneering churches.

To learn more about Leadership Network, go to www.leadnet.org.

Foreword

On Thursday, December 7, 2000, two elders from a nearby church called and asked me if I’d consider becoming their pastor. Because the church I had started, LifeChurch.tv, was thriving and just about to celebrate our fifth anniversary, I didn’t even consider praying about it and politely declined. To my surprise, they didn’t take no for an answer.

The men queried again, this time asking me if I’d at least pray about it. Trying not to sound rude, I explained that I was certain God wanted me to continue with the church we started. Sensing their deep desire to find a pastor, I offered to help them find the best person to lead their church. I was shocked when they declined my offer and asked me a third time to consider becoming the pastor

Reviews for Better Together

[Chad Wilham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very helpful and insightful book about merging churches together for kingdom impact.