Ep 053: Better Together - Why Acquisitions & Mergers Can Be Great Not Scary

Welcome to Episode 53 of the Joshua Gagnon Leadership Podcast!If you enjoy listening to this podcast and it has helped you and your team in any way, please leave us a review on iTunes or Stitcher.Do you have a question for Pastor Josh about leadership, ministry, or any other topic we’ve covered on the podcast so far? Submit your questions to info@joshuagagnon.com or @joshgagnon on Twitter and Pastor Josh might answer it on a future episode!On this episode we are talking about one of the most common questions we get and also one of the newest, but quickest growing sources of church growth and revitalizations: acquisitions and mergers. Acquisitions occur when one church (typically one that is slowing down) and another church (typically one that is larger and rapidly growing) decide to join together in order to breathe new life into the smaller church. This takes many forms in a variety of churches, but in the short history of Next Level Church this has already happened 4 times. We share those experiences, answer some of the common misconceptions, and give advice to churches in both the “larger” and “smaller” positioning from our experience.Mentioned In This Episode:Reach Joshua Gagnon, Lead Pastor, at info@joshuagagnon.com or @joshgagnonReach Roman Archer, Executive Pastor, at roman.archer@nlc.tv or @archerraReach Daniel King, Operations Pastor, at daniel.king@nlc.tv or @danielkinglive10 Takeaways For Leaders:Many churches have living organs that need to be connected to growing bodiesThe greatest source of growth that we will see in North America will be church mergersIf you are in the position of the “lead” church, always lead with open hands and honorVision alignment is first and foremost in making an acquisition successful for the kingdomMost of the time the best answer will be “no”Acquisitions will only serve to multiply to the problems you face organizationally, not to cure themThree things to explore: 1) bylaws, 2) finances, 3) legal investigationGo into the conversation trying to talk them out of it - be overly honest!Honor the people who have invested in the pastCelebrate what God has in store for the futureQuotes From This Episode:“There is something magical about this idea of acquisitions.” - Joshua Gagnon“When we came together, the momentum, the fire, and the passion of two things coming together was beautiful and there was so much purity in it.” - Joshua Gagnon“You always handle what you feel you’ve been given differently than what you feel like you’ve taken over.” - Joshua Gagnon“Long before the opportunity of an acquisition ever came up, our desire was to complete other churches.” - Roman Archer“The question we should be asking is: how can we reach the most people for Jesus? ... Sometimes the answer to that is: by doing this together.” - Daniel King“An acquisition needs to be prayed over and handled even more delicately than a new church launch.” - Joshua Gagnon“Culture match doesn’t mean they are ‘where you are’ but that where you are is where they are heading.” - Roman Archer“When it’s done for the right reasons, this can be one of the most dynamic, momentum stirring situation that any church could experience.” - Joshua Gagnon