Churches Adopting Churches: New Life for Healthy and Struggling Churches is a practical, how-to handbook providing a road map for churches interested in adopting a church and for churches exploring being adopted. Churches Adopting Churches focuses on the process of church adoptions, providing insights and best practices from pastors and churches who have experience with adopting or being adopted. The book also explores the dos and don'ts of church adoptions, highlighting key learnings and best practices, as well as potential pitfalls to avoid. Overall, it aims to guide churches in making informed decisions and navigating the adoption process successfully, ultimately enabling healthy congregations to thrive in their ministries.
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Services I Offer
Coaching
- I provide coaching throughout the Adoption process. The coaching is designed for the project, which includes both the parent and joining churches.
- Leadership Pipeline coaching
- Readiness 360 Assessment interpretation and coaching
Workshops
- Readiness 360 Assessment Workshop: Surveys key areas of the church’s spiritual intensity, relationships, alignment, and cultural openness to determine readiness for going multisite.
- Why Go Multisite? Workshop: Helps the church understand the rationale behind going multisite, guiding participants through key processes to prepare for this transition.
- Church Adoptions Overview Workshop: Provides insight into Church Adoptions and a step-by-step process for pursuing a Church Adoption, offered as either a webinar or an in-person workshop.
- Launch Team Training: Initial training for the launch team to prepare for launching a new campus or worship service.
- Planter Assessments: Comprehensive assessments for evaluating potential church planters or campus pastors in preparation for multisite expansion.
- New Church Boot Camp: Tailored program to equip planters for their initial steps, providing processes, timelines, and benchmarks for successful launches.
- Multisite Vision Casting Workshop: Vision casting and preventing vision drift pose unique challenges for multisite churches. This specialized workshop collaborates with senior leadership to ensure consistent vision alignment across all campuses and safeguard against potential drift.
- Multisite Campus Constants Training: A crucial element in upholding the vitality of multisite churches is the establishment of consistent “campus constants." This training is designed to support emerging multisite churches in thoughtfully defining the essential constants that will unify all campuses effectively.
Endorsements
I have found the “bonding step” to be the most challenging step in the adoption/merger process. For the parent church and the joining church to become one body of Christ in two locations, the bonding of church culture requires much intentionality. My experience is this is often the step that slows down an adoption or even sidetracks it into failure. I agree with your premise that the lead pastor and the campus pastor must be on the same page as to governance, communications and messaging. This is all about embracing a common church culture. Thanks for your book – we have needed this practical, step by step guide for pastors and lay leaders seeking a healthy, effective merger.
Dr. Richard A. Hunter
While the basic mission of the church to bring persons into a transformative relationship with God through Jesus Christ remains constant, the forms of the church have changed over the years to meet the needs of the time. In our rapidly changing religious landscape, adopting is one creative way for churches to adapt for vibrant ministry. Dirk Elliott has been at the forefront of working with church mergers and here he consolidates his experience and reflection into practical guidance for churches considering adopting or being adopted. This book is an essential guide, taking congregations from initial discernment and necessary preparatory work, through the completion of an adoption merger and the work of taking on shared values. Such mergers will be a necessary part of revitalizing ministry into the future, and Dirk Elliott is among our wisest guides for making them happen.
Bishop David A. Bard
As Christians, we are people of resurrection. Most churches in our country today are in need of resurrection. Churches Adopting Churches by Dirk Elliott offers a wonderful process and resources for pastors, church leaders, and judicatory leaders of all types. The season of “if-you-build-it-they-will-come” has long passed. We are now in a new season which many of us believe will include churches adopting churches. This book should be a “must -read” for Bishops and cabinets everywhere.
Ken Willard, PCC
Churches Adopting Churches offers an honest and healthy look at the adoption process for all involved. This practical and comprehensive guide blazes a clear path through a myriad of complexities. It is an essential tool for successful adoption and congregational transformation.
Rev. Kristi Hintz
In a time where many churches are experiencing little to no growth, Dirk Elliott’s Churches Adopting Churches presents a practical solution – mergers. This valuable resource delves into theory. It provides a roadmap packed with actionable steps and strategies for congregations looking to breathe new life into their ministries through collaboration. By offering real-life examples and insightful advice, Elliott empowers church leaders with the tools to navigate the complexities of merging churches, from addressing disparities to uniting resources and leadership teams. Whether your church is flourishing or facing challenges, this book lays out a feasible route toward expansion as a united community—a must-read for thinking church leaders dedicated to amplifying their influence within their areas and beyond.