What are the best books for closing or merging churches?

You are doing hard and holy work. You will need to draw on all of your best thinking and pastoring!

To help you on this journey, the Good Friday Collaborative has assembled a book list for you. This book list is exclusively available for our newsletter subscribers — get on the list by entering your email below!

We recommend two types of closure and merger books.

Primary Recommendations

The first type of books about concluding existing ministry illustrate a variety of possibilities and approaches to faithful futures. These books do not pretend to have all the answers. Instead, they accompany pastors and congregations in the sacred work of congregational endings. Examples include Ending with Hope edited by Beth Ann Gaede and Toward the Better Country by Gail Irwin.

The Good Friday Collaborative loves this type of book because they align with our own approach to coaching and consulting! We believe that you are the expert in your context. Our role is to support, resource, and encourage you as your congregation faithfully follows God to the cross and beyond.

Technical Supplements

The second type of merger/closure books offer solid technical recommendations. The reason we list them as supplements is because they read as if their way is the only way. These authors are presented as authoritative experts who can tell you exactly how to proceed. Their books are designed to persuade readers to follow one particular plan. These plans tend to make assumptions about the worth of churches based on size and money, and they can minimize the grief involved in closing congregations or leaving sacred spaces.

Bonus Books

As a bonus, our annotated booklist concludes with an extra section of books! These are the books that undergird our philosophy of change. These additional valuable resources shape how we lead adaptive change, heal conflict, discern next steps, and give voice to grief. These resources are helpful regardless of whether congregations end up deciding to close, merge, relocate, restart, or reimagine life together.

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Disclosures:

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