Episode 198 Joe Horan - How a White Steeple Church & Warehouse Church Merged to See a Movement Start

Joe Horan shares his experience leading the merger of two very different congregations—one meeting in a warehouse and the other in a traditional red brick steeple church. He emphasizes the importance of prayer, honesty, and shared vision during the process. The merger aimed to unify diverse cultures around a shared mission of disciple-making, requiring intentional communication and the development of a new, compelling church identity—Bridgeway—focused on building bridges to the community and across generational lines.

Leadership through culture change hinges on a clear vision for the future and deep prayer. Joe discusses how casting a shared vision—centered on mission and disciple-making—helped bond the churches together. He highlights the significance of not apologizing for the new culture but boldly moving toward it, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide the process. Clear communication and defining decisions that shape culture allow a church to progress from shared history to a common future.

Joe stresses the importance of building internal bridges between diverse demographics within the church, like aging congregations and young adults. Patience, intentional communication, and persistence are key, as is reinforcing the vision. Externally, his church reaches unchurched people by engaging in community outreach, local schools, and nonprofits, seeking to bring the Gospel to places where few others serve. These efforts, combined with honest leadership and focus on disciple-making, are vital for growth and ongoing transformation.

Since the merger, a culture of disciple-making has been established, empowering church members to evangelize, disciple, and lead. Joe illustrates this with stories of students witnessing on campus, baptisms, and multi-generational mentoring groups like D-groups. The church has seen significant growth, especially spiritually, as a result of unified vision and intentional disciple-making strategies—remarkably increasing conversions and bringing new believers into the faith community.

Joe offers encouragement for pastors facing cultural and congregational diversity, emphasizing the importance of knowing the target culture before leading change, and confidently moving forward once that vision is clear. He highlights the power of shared language, visualizing unity as building bridges, and celebrating ongoing progress. His experience demonstrates that with prayer, honesty, and strategic focus, churches can not only survive cultural change but thrive in the mission of disciple-making and community impact.