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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."
Jim Tomberlin
Jim resides in Colorado Springs, CO and holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Georgia State University in Atlanta and a Masters of Theology (Th.M) from Dallas Theological Seminary. Jim and his wife, Deryl, have three grown children and eleven grandchildren. In addition to serving as a multisite and merger strategist at The Unstuck Group, Jim has pastored churches in New Mexico and Germany, grown a megachurch in Colorado, pioneered the multisite strategy for Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago and served as the Chief of Staff at Christ Fellowship in Miami. In 2005 Jim founded MultiSite Solutions, a church consulting company that has assisted hundreds of churches in multiplying their impact through intensive multisite, church merger and multiplication consultation. In 2019 Jim merged MultiSite Solutions with Tony Morgan and The Unstuck Group to expand their capacity to assist more churches.
Warren Bird
Warren Bird, Ph.D., is Vice President of Research for the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). He was previously the Director of Research and Intellectual Capital Support for Leadership Network for 12 years. He has collaboratively authored or co-authored more than 30 books for ministry leaders, including Next: Pastoral Succession that Works, Hero Maker, How to Break Church Growth Barriers, and Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work. Warren is an ordained minister through the Christian and Missionary Alliance, having served as a church planter, associate pastor, or lead pastor as well as long-time adjunct seminary professor. Warren and his wife, Michelle, live just outside New York City and have two grown children. He’s on Twitter @warrenbird and regularly blogs at:
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