Jim Tomberlin began his multi-site church journey in the mid-1990s when he was the senior pastor of Woodmen Valley Chapel. In 2000 he went on to pioneer the multi-site model at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. Since 2005 he has been consulting and coaching churches in developing and implementing multi-campus strategies. Jim leads a seasoned team of practitioner specialists who can help you maximize the redemptive potential of your church. Jim can be reached at jim@multisitesolutions.com

Russ Barksdale has served as the Lead Pastor of The Church on Rush Creek, a multisite church in the Metroplex (DFW), since 1994. He transitioned Rush Creek from a traditional model to a contemporary model, launched another campus, and recently completed a merger. These 3 campuses now average over 3,200 individuals on a weekend. He says the difference between launching a multi-site and merging with an existing church is “the difference between having a baby and adopting a teenager!” He expects more mergers in the near future for Rush Creek.Prior to career ministry, Russ worked for oil and gas companies as a petroleum landman and was active in his church, giving him unique insight in bringing lay and pastoral church leaders together for kingdom work. He has helped churches transition, develop strategies for growth, and weather the storms that normally accompany change. He has written a workbook to help churches entitled, “Passing the Torch: Moving from What If to What Is.”

Those who know him contend the best thing about him is his wife, Sue. Married in 1981, he has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Although he has a Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, his practical experience and down-home style allows him to blend high-level thinking with common sense to arrive at sensible on-site solutions. If you would like Russ to help you with transitioning your church, launching another site, or merging with an existing church, contact us here.

Rich Birch is one of the early multi-site church pioneers in Canada.He led the charge in helping The Meeting House in Toronto to become the leading multi-site church in Canada with over 4,000 people in 6 locations. In addition, he served on the leadership team of Connexus Community Church in Ontario, a North Point Community Church Strategic Partner.

Currently Rich leads the multi-site effort at Liquid Church in Morristown, New Jersey.

Rich has a dual vocational background that uniquely prepares him for serving churches to multiply their impact. While in the marketplace, Rich founded a dot-com with two partners in the late 90’s that worked to increase value for media firms and internet service providers.

He and his wife Christine live in Scotch Plains, NJ with their two children and two dogs. You can reach Rich by contacting us.

Endorsements:

“Rich Birch was our key ingredient in making The Meeting House multi-site vision a reality.  He helped us get the big picture and then got dirty in the details of making it happen.”

Bruxy Cavey, Teaching Pastor, The Meeting House

“Not only has Rich’s experience saved us months of struggling on our own trying to figure out the complexities of multisite, his ‘get-it’ factor on the kind of church we’re trying to become has customized his approach to be tailor-made to our setting.  We’re so grateful for his investment in helping us expand our Kingdom-building capacity.”

Jeff Lockyer, Lead Pastor, Southridge Community Church

“Making room for “those who aren’t here yet” has been part of the Liquid DNA from the start and we are really pumped about becoming a multi-site church (okay, we are a little scared and overwhelmed as well:). We feel like we God has made it pretty clear for us that we are to be a multisite church and it has also been clear that God has provided someone like Rich to help us through this process. I LOVE Rich’s experience-driven insight and people-focused approach. At Liquid we are not about building buildings, but reaching people and Rich couldn’t be a better fit for us as we seek advice and feedback in accomplishing what we feel God is putting before us. I am a huge Rich Birch Fan!”

Mike Leahy, Executive Director/Campus Pastor, Liquid Church

Wade Burnett serves as the Directional Leader of The Bridge Community Church, a multisite community of faith in Ruston, Louisiana. The Bridge was launched in 2011 following a reconciliation merger that Wade had the privilege of leading. The merged church is now pursuing a regional church planting focus in the Deep South.Prior to leading in the church, Wade was an attorney for ten years and built a successful law firm. He originally entered the practice of law to help his mother, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life in a Texas penitentiary when Wade was just 16 years old. Before he graduated law school, Wade successfully reversed his mother’s conviction and life sentence. He has appeared or been featured multiple times on The Today Show, 20/20, Dateline, Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and many other media outlets.

While still working as an attorney, Wade helped launch Crossroads Church in Ruston, Louisiana as a lay church planter. He came on senior staff in 2006 following a lengthy transition process led by his mentor Bill Wellons (and inspired by the Halftime principles of Bob Buford). Today, he continues to enjoy the expanding challenges of this new journey and season of life!

If Wade can be of help to you or your church, please contact us here.

Dennis Choy oversees the Technical and Production ministry for North Coast Church in Vista, CA.Considered the pioneers of multi-site/video venues, North Coast launched their first venue in 1998 and has grown to over 7000 in weekend attendance. Dennis has developed a team of over 65 technical volunteers and staff serving 21 different worship services per weekend. His background in audio visual technology combined with his pastor’s heart has created one the leading church tech teams in the nation.

Dennis shares his knowledge in seminars at various tech conferences around the country including NAB, Info-Comm, WFX, Willow Arts Conference, as well as others. He also serves on the WFX Conference Advisory Committee and on the speaking team for Technologies for Worship Magazine.

If you would like Dennis to help you with your church technology needs or coaching your tech team, contact us.

Alan Danielson was raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico and became a follower of Christ at age 15. Having 20+ years of ministry experience, Alan has been a youth pastor, a senior pastor, a church planter and he served as the Central Team Leader for LifeGroups at LifeChurch.tv in Edmond, Oklahoma.His group ministry experience included over 1,000 Small Groups on LifeChurch.tv’s 13 campuses in 6 different states. Now, Alan is the Senior Pastor at New Life Bible Church in Norman, Oklahoma. He also serves as a small group ministry consultant and leadership coach who has a passion for helping leaders achieve the highest levels of effectiveness. Alan has coached corporate executives, business owners and pastors using his proprietary Triple-Threat Leadership Spectrum (© 2010). His blog, Triple-Threat Leadership e-Book and Triple-Threat Assessment can be accessed via Alan’s website at www.alandanielson.tv.

He is a gifted communicator and has spoken at Willow Creek and Saddleback Small Group Conferences as well as the RightNow conference in Dallas. Alan has been married to his lovely wife, Stacey, since 1994 and they have three sons: Taylor, Landry and Hayden. Alan and Stacey are passionate about Autism because their oldest son is on the Autism spectrum, so they started a non-profit organization called TeamAutism.org.

If you need help in launching or improving your small group ministry, contact Alan here.

Endorsements:

“Alan Danielson is one of the nation’s best leaders in small groupministry.”

Craig Groeschel, author of It, Going All The Way, Chazown andSenior Pastor, LifeChurch.tv, Edmond, Oklahoma

“Alan has a huge heart for people, demonstrates extreme skill in managing and leading diverse teams across a large geographical area, and is one of the most fun people to be around. I’ve appreciated the way he has influenced and encouraged me personally and professionally.”

Heather Zempel, Pastor of Discipleship at National Community Church, Washington, DC.

“Alan Danielson’s provocative teaching and passion for group life will inspire you and your groups to get serious about being the communities God calls you to become!”

Dr. Bill Donahue, author of Walking The Small Group Tightrope and former Pastor of Group Life, Willow Creek Community Church, Chicago, Illinois

Rick serves as the Pastor of Campus Ministries at The Chapelin the Chicago area overseeing their eight existing campuses and launching new campuses wherever and whenever God opens the door. Rick led the reorganization of the staff to support a multi-campus ministry model when The Chapel transitioned from one to four campuses (including two mergers) in the span of 3 months in the fall of 2006. Since that time, Rick has spearheaded the successful launch of four additional campuses, including two additional mergers.Before entering vocational ministry in 2002, Rick served as a Director of IT with Discover Financial Services. Rick is a rare blend of catalytic leader and relational shepherd. He builds bridges as a way of galvanizing people toward a preferred future. He knows how to help churches multisite through mergers.

Rick lives with his wife, Carol, in Grayslake, IL. They have been blessed with eight children—three biological, and five ‘merged’ into the family through foster care or adoption. Rick’s contagious optimism flows out of his belief in the promise of John 10:10 that Jesus came so that we may have life and have it to the full.

If you need help in going multisite, coaching in maximizing a multisite strategy or help in merging with an existing church, contact Rick here.

Chad Moore is Lead Pastor at Sun Valley Community Churchin Gilbert, AZ.Chad began his ministry at Sun Valley in 2004, at that time average attendance was right at 800 and the church met on one campus. Today, Sun Valley averages over 5000 and meets in three locations. Sun Valley went through its first merger in 2011 and is one of the churches highlighted in “Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work”.

Chad is passionate about the local church and the expanse of the cause of Christ in the United States and all over the world. He believes that mergers are both an “art” and a “science” and is thrilled to see churches thrive through the process.

Chad is happily married to his wife Katrina and they are the proud parents of two majestically awesome boys.

You can contact Chad at MultiSite Solutions.

Dave comes to MultiSite Solutions from Hope Community Churchin Raleigh, NC where he served as Executive Pastor, Director of Ministry Expansion and Teaching Team Pastor. Before serving at Hope Community Church Dave was a Regional Director with Campus Crusade for Christ.Dave’s blend of parachurch and local church ministry gives him a unique perspective to help churches strategically accomplish their mission. Starting in 2005, he helped Hope Community Church (Raleigh) triple in size and quadruple its budget. He led Hope’s expansion strategy that moved them from two weekend services to eight on three campuses with nearly 2,000 people attending the launched locations. Dave oversaw a $6.7m budget and the construction of additional buildings while leading a staff team of 90+ people. Hope Community Church grew from 2,000 to 6,500 during Dave’s time on the staff.

Most of his ministry life has been focused on leading teams to launch new ministries and new campuses. Dave is a strategic thinker who gets things done with an easy-going style. His strategic insight and practical experience make Dave passionate about helping leaders effectively live out their vision.

Dave and his wife Kara live in Cary, NC with their three kids and one slightly neurotic dog.

If you would like Dave to assist your church in launching and developing a multisite strategy, contact us here.

Gary comes to MultiSite Solutions from Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago where he served as the key evangelism leader since 1992.At Willow Creek, Garry innovated the Seeker Small Group and creative outreach strategies, including Willow’s current church-wide evangelism initiative, “Living in 3D.”

Prior to this role, Garry was the founding Senior Pastor for five years of an outreach-focused church in Indianapolis, Indiana. His past experience also includes four years as a College Pastor at a church in Bloomington, Indiana; the role of Evangelism Specialist for Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship; and marketplace experience as a consultant with Andersen Consulting.

Passionate about reaching people for Christ, Garry and his team have trained thousands of leaders to launch seeker small groups in their own settings. His award-winning book, Seeker Small Groups, provides a detailed blueprint for facilitating small group discussions that assist spiritual seekers with investigating Christianity.

He also wrote The Complete Book of Questions, a collection of 1001 conversation starters and numerous group study guides including The Three Habits of Highly Contagious Christians; The Tough Questions Series, and (with Lee Strobel) Experiencing the Passion of Jesus to accompany Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ. In 2005, it became the first discussion guide ever to receive the prestigious Charles “Kip” Jordon Christian Book of the Year award.
Garry lives in suburban Chicago and consults on evangelism and seeker small groups at churches around the world.

You can reach Garry by contacting us at MultiSite Solutions.com.

Kristy Rutter works with New Campus Development for The Chapel, a multisite church in greater Chicago area. Since joining The Chapel in 2009 she has helped them grow from four to eight campuses mostly through mergers. Kristy has a unique skill in helping churches find merger candidates and initiate the merger conversation.Before the Chapel she worked for 8 years at Willow Creek Community Church in a variety of roles including sports, evangelism, and neighborhood ministry. One of her favorite roles was as a missionary in Amsterdam reaching out to prostitutes in the Red Light District and young people in the nightclub scene.

Kristy loves multiplying churches through church planting, launching multisite campuses and initiating church mergers. She lives in Elgin, IL and is most proud of her role as wife to Mike and mom to Holland (7) and Jorie (5). If your church needs help in finding local church candidates for merging or training on how to discover and initiate merger conversations, contact us here.

Think of Mark as the “Guest Services Guru” for the local church. He is a unifying force at Granger Community ChurchGranger, IN where he oversees adult relational connections, including groups, guest services and volunteer strategies. Granger Community Church is a successful multi-site church that is consistently voted as one of the most innovative churches in America.As Granger’s chief guest services practitioner he specializes in establishing, inspiring and cultivating teams of volunteers who make GCC a relaxed, rejuvenating and relevant experience for members and guests. The teams he builds are passionate about helping people connect with and serve others.

Mark’s first book, First Impressions: Creating Wow Experiences in Your Church, addresses the issues of guest attendance growth and volunteer development, offering strategies for making high-impact first impressions. A sought after consultant and trainer, Mark has helped local churches of all sizes improve their guest services experience. His most recent book, Lasting Impressions, From Visiting to Belonging, picks up where First Impressions leaves off.

His clear understanding of guests, expertise in team-building and keen eye for excellence has made Mark the go-to guy for creating a welcoming environment in the local church.

Mark shares his love of life and people with Laura, his wife of 3 decades, and their 16-year old daughter, Olivia.
Take the next step of improving the first and lasting impression of your church by contacting us at MultiSite Solutions.

Chris Willard brings more than 20 years of experience in professional ministry leadership to his role as an adjunct member of the MultiSite Solutions team.He served as the Executive Pastor of Discovery Church in Orlando for several years, pioneering Discovery’s multi-site strategy. During that season of significant growth, Discovery Church was twice named one of the 100 fastest growing churches in America.

As a consultant, coach, and connector with an MBA from Belhaven College, Chris has helped leaders from more than 100 churches across the country overcome growth barriers, navigate strategic planning, address staffing issues, and create cultures of generosity.

Chris is on the Leadership Network team as the Director of the Rapid Growth and Generous Churches Leadership Communities. He is also a frequent speaker at FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember marriage conferences.

Chris lives in Orlando with his wife Susan and their three children.

You can reach Chris by contacting us.