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."
Better Together
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Thousands of Protestant churches are perplexed by plateaued or declining enrollments, while other congregations nearby thrive. Is there a way for them to combine forces, drawing on both their strengths in ways that increase their missional impact?
Church merger consultant Jim Tomberlin and award-winning writer Warren Bird make the case that mergers today work best not with two struggling churches but with a vital, momentum-filled lead church partnering with one or more joining churches. Based on solid research and practical experience, the authors provide a hands-on guide so that lead churches and joining churches can each understand the issues, select an appropriate model, and develop strategies that will create a positive, healthy merger.
This much-needed resource describes the range of mergers for strong, stable, stuck, and struggling churches. While many congregations are motivated by survival, an increasing number identify "mission" as their primary impetus. No matter what type of merger a church may be considering, the authors address key questions about the process: How can a merger help a church go forward? How will a merger process unfold? Where can a declining church find another congregation to join? What are the pitfalls that both pastor and congregation should avoid? How can "better together" lead to more, rather than fewer, life-giving, high-impact, reproducing churches?
No matter what your motivation for merging your church with another—to begin a new church lifecycle, cross racial lines, reach more people for Christ, multiply your church's impact, or better serve your local community—Better Together will give you the tools you need to create a thriving new entity.
From the Back Cover
Praise for BETTER TOGETHER
"Better Together is certain to become the standard reference for churches that see mergers as a strategic tool for kingdom impact. Tomberlin and Bird give us useful language, a helpful guide to the opportunities and challenges of church mergers, and the tools to navigate a successful merger."
—Andy Stanley, senior pastor, North Point Ministries, Alpharetta, Georgia
"As part of the Ginghamsburg team that engineered a merger to create a 'new,' thriving, urban congregation, I deeply appreciate the information, inspiration, and practical toolkit in Better Together. It will help your church navigate the pitfalls and potholes that we had to discover the hard way."
—Karen Smith, executive director, Missional Operations, Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, Ohio
"Better Together will become the go-to book on how to do mergers well—the kind of mergers that are about multiplication more than subtraction and expansion more than elimination. Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird provide invaluable help through research, great examples, practical guidance, and helpful language."
—Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research; author and blogger, edstetzer.com
"As Mars Hill expands, we are experiencing exactly what Tomberlin and Bird are reporting—multisite churches have an opportunity to merge with existing churches to multiply gospel effectiveness. This is a very timely and helpful book for our church and many others."
—Mark Driscoll, founding pastor, Mars Hill Church; founder, Resurgence; co-founder, Acts 29 Church Planting Network
"Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird are on the front lines of a church world changing so rapidly most of us have a hard time keeping up. Better Together is the best kind of work: based on real-life facts, marked by thoughtful interpretation, and filled with a vision for the beauty and flourishing of the church. This book could open untold doors for your church and ministry."
—John Ortberg, senior pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church; author, The Me I Want to Be
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book was easy to read and provided exactly the information I needed as I helped plan our own congregation's potential merger. I especially appreciated the distinction between an "ICU merger" (two dying churches merging in an attempt to survive) and other, healthier types of mergers. It invited the question: "How can we make this a healthy merger, even if a part of it is in the interest of sustainable ministry?" I recommend this book to anyone contemplating a congregational merger.
By K. VANWYK
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very helpful book for pastors and leaders. If your church is struggling, stuck, stable or strong, this book will give you a great guide for working with other churches.
By Hal Andre
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Tomberlin & Bird do an excellent job describing dynamics that work & those that hinder churches in the merger process. Having worked with 2 church mergers and 3 church dissolutions, BETTER TOGETHER confirms many things to have perceived. However, they take merger considerations much further. There is no need to wait until a church is in its final life cycle stage to begin merger conversations. The Appendices alone make the book worth the purchase.
HAL ANDRE BILBO, Lead Missionary, Stanly Baptist Association (NC)
HAL ANDRE BILBO, Lead Missionary, Stanly Baptist Association (NC)
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful
If you're thinking about incorporating a church into your church or be incorporated this book is very useful. The information seems well researched. Read more
Published 7 months ago by 5683winston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Together
This book is a must read for any leader and church that is looking at the option of Merger to help the Local Church.
Published 10 months ago by M. Busch
