1. How did this merger idea come about?
● As the Dassel Church of Christ (DCC) Elders began to consider a search for their next Pastor,
they realized that there are very few candidates, and the Dassel Church is not positioned
financially to afford a long-term full-time Pastor.
● Kimball Christian Church (KCC) leadership has provided pulpit supply and leadership
encouragement and training, to DCC, for several years, so the leadership of DCC contacted
the leadership of KCC to discuss the possibility of a merger.
2. Why are we considering a merger?
● DCC elders believe the Dassel church would be stronger and better positioned for growth as
a multi-site (or campus) of KCC, and the KCC elders agree.
● KCC elders have a strong belief that God does not want us to watch a sister church struggle
without being willing to step in and help in any way we can.
3. What are the benefits of this proposed merger?
● Better use of kingdom resources – there is no need for both churches to pay staff to prepare
and deliver a message each week.
● KCC has some resources and processes that would greatly benefit DCC.
○ Youth Programing – including a Student Pastor and Children’s Coordinators on staff.
○ A Worship and Discipleship Coordinator on Staff.
○ An existing governance system which allows many volunteers to be actively involved.
4. What is a multi-site church?
● The simple answer is, “one church in multiple locations.”
● It is multiple locations (often referred to as campuses) sharing the same vision, mission,
values, leadership, and resources to have a greater kingdom impact.
5. Will our church have a new name and what will it be?
● Yes. Both churches will share a new name – the same name with two different locations.
● The name has not been determined yet because input from both communities is needed
before the elders would make this change.
6. What will happen to the existing pastor(s) and staff at each campus?
● KCC staff would remain the same and Tom Kopp, KCC’s Lead Pastor, will continue as our
multi-site Lead Pastor.
● Dave Bruess, the current part-time Pastor of DCC, would help transition to a multi-site
church and then retire and a search for a part-time Campus Pastor in Dassel would begin.
● Elisabeth Nelson, DCC’s Secretary, plans to remain on staff.

7. What will happen to the church board and committees?
● We will operate with one set of Elders, Board, and Committees.
● Initially, the Elders of the multi-site church will be the existing elders of KCC.
● We invite people from the Dassel campus to join one or more of KCC’s Committees, based on their
individual spiritual leadership, talents, and passions to ensure smooth transitions and to
encourage involvement.
8. What will happen to the church’s facilities?
● Both KCC and DCC will have some equipment upgrades made, new signage for the name change will
take place, and DCC will receive some minor renovations made to the facility.
9. What will the worship services be like?
● We will strive to have live worship at both campuses each week; however, the limited number of
musicians and vocalists will dictate when this is fully implemented.
● The sermons will be delivered live in Kimball and live streamed to Dassel.
10. How will the budget and finances be managed?
● All assets, including the building and deposit accounts, will be absorbed and managed by KCC
after DCC’s affirmative vote to merge.
● Budgeting each year is requested by various committees and staff, recommended by the church
board and ultimately voted upon by the membership at the annual meeting.
11. How will current membership be transferred?
● KCC does not want to assume that all the current DCC members and/or attendees will want to place
their membership or attend KCC, so there are no plans to automatically transfer DCC’s membership to
KCC.
● DCC existing members will be encouraged to become members of KCC after their successful vote to
merge.
● KCC periodically offers a membership class and hosts lunch with the Pastors events to introduce
attendees and potential members to KCC’s organizational structure. While not required, DCC members
would be more than welcome to attendee such events to get better acquainted with the KCC
leadership. Additionally, KCC would offer specific classes or other get to know KCC events at the
Dassel campus as needed.
12. Will our denomination and affiliations change?
● Not at all! Both congregations are part of the Restoration Movement. As such, we share the same
historical background, theology, and independence from any denominational
affiliation.

13. What will happen to our supported missionaries and organizations?
● All missionaries, currently being supported by DCC, will be supported at least at the current
commitment levels through 2026 and become part of the mission committee budget. All missions will
be re-evaluated by the end of 2026 and managed by KCC’s existing missions committee.
14. What will the merger cost? Can we afford it?
● Current estimates are somewhere between $40,000 – $60,000. Most of this is for equipment, and
some is for minor facility upgrades.
● Yes. Fortunately, both churches are debt free and have some money available.
15. Who will decide if this merger happens?
● Although the Elders of DCC are recommending this merger with KCC, the Bylaws of DCC state that
this will require an affirmative vote of the current DCC membership. Scheduled for Sunday, June 29,
2025.
● The Bylaws for KCC state that this decision can be made by the Elders. The Elders of KCC are
recommending this merger with DCC and are seeking to give both congregations lots of opportunities
to ask questions and share their input, to ensure a smooth and successful transition, if approved
by DCC’s membership.
16. If the merger happens, what will change?
● For both churches:
○ A name change.
○ A combined website.
○ A shared set of Vision, Mission, and Values.
○ More of a “shared kingdom” mindset, rather than one local church.
● For KCC:
○ Several people will be encouraged to go to Dassel (at least for a season) as missionaries to
provide culture, volunteers, encouragement, and increase the people dynamics when guests come.
○ Your services will continue to be captured on video.
○ You will have several new opportunities for people to serve.
○ DCC will likely close its doors for a temporary time (4 to 6 weeks) to allow for community
impact of ending the previous church and build excitement for the launch of a “new” church. During
this time, DCC attendees would likely attend one of KCC’s
current services.

● For DCC:
○ Your property and funds will be transferred to KCC leadership in July, even before the launch of
the new multi-site church.
○ You will likely close your doors for a time of 4 to 6 weeks to allow for renovations, paint
refreshes, new signage, and to build community anticipation around a “new” church launch.
○ You will receive your messages via video, streamed from the Kimball campus.
○ You will receive a Campus Pastor for your location to help connect the Dassel community to the
new church and to provide pastoral services throughout the week.
○ You will immediately gain support from the staff, leadership, and committees of KCC.
17. What is the timeline for this proposed merger?
● There are several factors that will affect the timeline. We are targeting as early as September
and as late as December before we launch the new church.
● More Specifically, the DCC congregational meeting, for the purpose of voting for or against the
merger, will take place on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
● If the vote is approved, Property and Funds will be handed over to KCC Leadership and more
detailed planning will begin immediately to complete a name change, develop an updated website,
order necessary equipment and determine a reasonable new launch date.
● Starting from the expected Launch Date, working backwards, 4 to 6 weeks to stop DCC in- person
services, perform necessary signage changes, make minor remodeling adjustments.
18. What will happen if the merger doesn’t go through?
● For KCC, nothing will change.
● For DCC, you will need to decide what your long-term options are.
19. What are my next steps?
● Both churches: pray for God’s direction and blessings.
● KCC: If you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share, reach out to any elder.
● DCC: If you have any questions or thoughts you would like to share, reach out to any DCC elder.

If you want to speak to an elder from KCC, you are welcome to reach out to Randy
Werner (320) 282-3417 or Ed Goff (612) 599-9956.

 

9:45am Coffee Fellowship

10:00am Morning Worship Service

You are welcome to share in Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper. We share in communion each week as was the practice of the church in the New Testament, and we ask only that you have professed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.