FAQs About The Revolution22 and City Church Merge
God is good and in control of all things. He is advancing His Kingdom in the Treasure Valley through His Church. We celebrate that God has blessed both Revolution22 and City Church Boise with spiritual vibrancy, resources, and a vision to point our city to Him. In this new season, we believe God is calling us to merge our churches into one for the purpose of multiplying Christ-centered churches in the Treasure Valley. The following explains what this merger is about and why we believe God is calling us to pursue it for His glory.
How did this come about?
Pastor John: The Lord began unfolding His plan for us by gently calling me, over the past 18 months to transition from the Lead Pastor role into a narrower role, focusing on discipling Church leaders and mentoring young pastors, while bringing Kingdom hope to those experiencing foster care. Believing God is one in purpose, and desiring to build upon and multiply the life and vision He has poured into City Church, I was thrilled when the City Church elders, upon hearing my heart, piqued at the idea of merging with a like-minded Church in which I could pursue this calling together with them, alongside those I love and have been serving for years.
Interestingly, Bren (Lead Pastor at Rev22) and I talked about merging our churches four years ago, due to our like-mindedness and desire to multiply God’s Kingdom in the Valley. But, lacking a clear call from God to do so at the time, we affirmed God’s call to continue serving alongside one another as distinct churches. It seems however, God placed this idea in our hearts for His (future) purposes that have now become clear.
Pastor Bren: To be honest, when John first approached me about the potential to merge, I wasn’t too excited because it just felt like subtraction for the Kingdom of God in Boise. It wasn’t until I spent time praying that the Lord reminded me of what He had put on the heart of Rev22 since the very beginning: church planting. Once I started letting myself get past all of the potential hiccups that will come in this merger and look beyond myself, I saw that God was not only holding true to who He is in this valley, but giving us the opportunity to actually see the vision He gave us, the way to not only hope for multiplication but tangible resources to have this come to fruition soon.
As the pastor at Rev22 I have always felt the pressure to maintain all that is needed to sustain a healthy church. However, as a church we can’t just maintain what God is doing but we must keep moving forward for the sake of those that don’t have hope in Jesus and those that need to be matured as disciples. By joining with City Church it allows Rev22 to be faithful to what God has asked us to do all along. By having John step into the role of discipleship and church planting development it allows us to do both the multiplying and the shepherding that we both passionately feel led to do by God. I honestly can’t catch my breath when I think about all God can do beyond a one plus one mentality when I see the pieces He is putting together. This is lining up to be more of a multiplication table than addition or subtraction!
Why, specifically, are we considering this merge?
Bren and John have already cultivated a friendship based on mutual trust and respect. Neither is a proprietary leader. Each is open-handed with what God has entrusted to him. Bren knows John is ready and willing to serve under his leadership, in a part-time role focused on discipling leaders and mentoring Church-planters. We are convinced that becoming one will accelerate our (shared) vision and capacity, not only to grow toward maturity in Christ, but to multiply God’s Kingdom in the Treasure Valley by planting new churches. Specifically, we are excited about multiplying our:
Shepherding Resources: Coming together will increase the number of mature/theologically developed leaders in the Church, as will John’s passion and ability to disciple/coach leaders and church planters, freeing Bren up to continue to lead in the ways he is gifted and passionate about.
Volunteer Resources: The volunteer culture present in both churches, when merged into one, will allow us to grow and advance church systems and structures which, in turn, will help us grow up in Christ together, plant new churches, and reach more people with the Gospel for his glory.
Financial Resources: Both churches are healthy, giving churches. As a result, City Church will bring significant financial resources to Rev22, most of which will be earmarked for church planting, which will accelerate our ability to multiply God’s Kingdom in the Valley many times in the future.
What do we mean when we say our churches are becoming one?
As City Church merges into Rev22, City Church will become part of Rev22. Post-merge, we will be one Church instead of two.
What are some benefits of this merge?
This merge is a palpable reminder that dying to ourselves is the only way to live in Christ, and that Christ and His Kingdom are preeminent. Becoming one will require us to die to ourselves in many ways, for His glory and our best. What a statement this will be to our city and to other churches in the Valley; a reminder that God’s Kingdom is bigger than our individual churches, group of friends, or personal comfort. On the heels of a (pandemic) season marked by intense divisions (even within the Body of Christ), what an opportunity God is giving us to stand together as His people to hold His banner high and proclaim the preeminence of Christ in our city.
At a practical level, Bren is a godly, passionate leader with clear vision and the ability to include, empower, and care for people well. City Church people will thrive under his leadership, even as they continue to be taught and encouraged by John, who will be in a part-time role under Bren, giving his time to the much-needed development of discipleship and church planting teams for the maturation of the Bride.
In addition, since Rev22 and City Church share core theology, values, and ministry philosophy, City Church people will be able to continue and multiply what God has been doing in and through them within this new context as one for the Kingdom.
Lastly, Rev’s well-developed systems and structures will make it easy for City Church people to integrate and enjoy the momentum Rev is experiencing in their new building. The stability of having “our own” church building will be a nice change for City Church folks, as City Church has been a bit nomadic for several years; and this has, at times, made it challenging to build momentum. It’s also exciting to know this stable space will be a launching pad for other Christ-centered churches in the Valley.
Who will be the Lead Pastor after the merge?
Bren will be the lead pastor and John will joyfully serve as part of the Rev22 pastoral team, under Bren’s leadership. As discussed above, John senses God’s clear call to make this transition in order to multiply his impact for God’s Kingdom in our city.
What will the Church be called?
City Church will be coming under the Revolution22 banner as they link arms with the Rev community to become part of that church body. Therefore, the name of the church will remain, “Revolution22.”
What will happen to City Church as an organization?
City Church, Inc. will be dissolved as the people of City Church become part of Rev22.
What will happen to the staff and elders of City Church?
Pastor John will join the staff and be an elder at Rev22 from day one. City Church elders will play a key role in the transition. After that, the Rev22 elders will offer elder and/or staff positions employing a process that is a benefit to them and The Church. They will be invited into the process when/if they are ready to serve God's Church as an elder. In the meantime, God's Church will benefit from their wisdom and service in many other areas of His Church.
What will worship services be like?
Our worship styles are already similar, but we are talking about ways to introduce and honor core traditions from both congregations as we become one.
Who will be the main teacher on Sunday mornings?
Bren will be the main teacher, but others, including Pastor John will teach periodically.
What will happen to the City Church finances during the merge?
After compensating staff and paying other obligations, all City Church assets will become Rev22 assets, the majority of which will be earmarked for our first church plant. We will complete this merge and the transfer of funds in accordance with all federal and state laws, under the guidance of legal counsel.
Will City Church members (partners) be considered Rev 22 members (owners)?
The Rev 22 pastors are deeply committed to loving and enfolding City Church people into the Rev 22 community. Thankfully, City Church and Rev22 share very similar theology and values, which means, as City Church people become part of Rev, while there may be differences in language and emphasis, the transition will be largely seamless. To cement our unity, City Church Partners are encouraged to walk through the ownership process at Rev. This will both refresh our common mission and reflect our full unity. As we all reflect, in a small way, the greater unity we have with all those who exalt Jesus and desire to live out The Kingdom. There is, obviously, freedom to step into that commitment when ready, but your leaders are jumping into it right away to show how excited we are to commit fully to our common mission and Lord.
What will happen to City Church Gatherings (small groups)?
We encourage those who belong to City Church Gatherings to continue sharing life as a group after the merge, even as we encourage you to engage and build community with those who are already a part of Rev22. To resist a “them and us” mentality, we encourage those who are currently part of Rev to actively enfold and involve people form City Church in their current and/or new Gospel Communities (what City Church calls “Gatherings”), as appropriate.
Will City Church’s missional giving carry over to Rev?
Yes. The missions that City supports, including CRU, YD Adventures, and Glocal will be adopted by Rev22.
When will the merger happen?
Our official merge date is Sunday, January 10, 2021, but we will have multiple opportunities for “mixing” before that day.
I’m not sure how I feel about all this…
We understand that some are very excited about the merge, but others aren’t so sure. That is understandable. Whether you are feeling excitement, confusion, curiosity, frustration, anticipation, sadness, anger, or another emotion, we want to walk through this with you. We love you and you are very important to us. We will do our best to provide space for you to process, think, pray, and interact over these things. Please reach out to us if you’d like to talk personally. We look forward to that. We want to hear from you and believe God will use you right where you are to help us move forward together in Christ — For His glory and our best.
What do I need to do?
Pray God leads us clearly for His glory.
Ask questions, make comments, and/or express concerns to the elders/pastors.
Get to know City Church Boise or Revolution22 better by visiting their websites at citychurchboise.com and revolution22.org
Engage in “merge” events to help us get to know each other better. Follow Rev22 and City Church Boise’s social media accounts to hear about upcoming events.
Step out in faith with us! Let’s do this together and see what God has in store for His Kingdom in the Treasure Valley.