Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement. Zondervan / Leadership Network, 2010.
Referenced in: Missional Communities – Convergent With Attractional
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is the first of a series of books published by Zondervan as part of the Exponential Church Planting Network. The series is designed to chronicle the inspiring stories and best practices of the network of churches pioneered by Dave and Jon Ferguson. These churches effectively practice the reproducing principles outlined below that occurs in five stages:
- The first stage is Reproducing Small Groups. An individual starts a small group. As the group grows larger, the leader asks someone in the group to be an apprentice leader who is mentored and eventually released to start a new group. The new group duplicates this process (starting with a leader and an apprenstice leader), while the original group repeats it, and so on. This continues infinitely.
- The second stage is Reproducing Celebration Services. As the network of small groups increases, reaching an effective critical mass, the group launches larger worship assemblies. As these reach a point where they can adequately fulfill their purpose, another service is started. This continues infinitely.
- The third stage is Reproducing Campuses. As the church continues to grow by reproducing small groups and celebration services in one location, it starts a new campus in another location.
- The fourth stage is Reproducing Churches. As the groups, services, and campuses grow in one city, a team is sent to duplicate the process in another city.
- The fifth stage is Reproducing Networks. As the groups, services, campuses, and new churches reproduce, the original church hosts periodic gatherings of the lead pastors from these reproducing churches.
- The fifth stage is Reproducing Movements. The network, as it grows, becomes a movement of people in many locations who lead and apprentice others for the kingdom
As these stages progressed, Dave and Jon clarified five Reproducing Principles:
Reproducing Principle Number 1 – Reproducing requires everyone to have an apprentice. Every group starts with both a leader and an apprentice.
Reproducing Principle Number 2 – Reproducing is proactive, not reactive. They intentionally decided to not simply wait for growth to happen to them, they would make room for the people who weren’t there yet.
Reproducing Principle Number 3 – Reproducing is not about size; it’s about leadership readiness. When considering how to start a new campus, for example, they didn’t necessarily need a lot of people, but the right person to lead the group.
Reproducing Principle Number 4 – Reproducing isn’t about our kingdom; it’s about God’s kingdom. Instead of being threatened when people desire or are chosen to leave to plant churches in another city, we should rejoice and bless their work.
Reproducing Principle Number 5 – Reproducing happens at the edge and at the center.
Each of the chapters in the book develops these stages and principles in greater detail.
Each of the books in the Exponential Series seeks to fulfill four purposes:
- Tell the reproducing church story.
- Celebrate the diversity of models and approaches God is using to reproduce healthy congregations.
- Highlight the innovative and pioneering practices of healthy reproducing churches.
- Equip, inspire, and challenge kingdom-minded leaders with the tools they need in their journey of becoming reproducing church leaders.
Ed Stetzer, missiologist and President of LifeWay Research, says of this text: “Exponential is a book filled with practical examples, compelling vision, and inspiring stories. It will provoke you to reproduce everything at a time when so many churches are not even adding. Jon and Dave are not just theorists. I’ve seen their ministry up close and they deeply care that people would find their way back to God.”
While this method is probably more feasible in church plants than in existing churches, the principles are useful for any missional effort.
From the Publisher
Authors Dave and Jon Ferguson communicate a simple strategy that will engage millions of Christ followers and challenge every church leader to become a reproducing follower and leader. Exponential lays out a brief but solid theology for a reproducing strategy, giving practical ‘how-to’s’ for reproducing Christ followers, leaders, artists, groups/teams, venues, sites, churches, and networks of churches. Weaved throughout this book is the amazing story of Community Christian Church, which was started by five friends who used the reproducing strategies found in Exponential to grow one of the most influential churches in the U.S. and develop a network of reproducing churches. Many of today’s Christians consider the missional challenge of Jesus—-feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, bring people to God’s Word—-as inspirational but not something that’s achievable. Or, they’ve heard the challenge of Jesus and are frustrated with how little they’ve done. Jesus gave his followers this mission because he wants them to hear it, be inspired, and then actually do it … Exponential will show them how. Exponential is the anchor book in the Exponential Series.
About the Author
Dave Ferguson is a spiritual entrepreneur and the lead pastor of Community Christian Church, an innovative multi-site missional church with eleven locations in Chicago. Dave is the movement leader for NewThing, an international network of reproducing churches. He is also the coauthor of The Big Idea. Check out the latest from Dave on his blog (www.daveferguson.org) or follow his everyday adventures on twitter @daveferguson.
Jon Ferguson is the cofounding pastor of Community Christian Church – a multi-site church in the Chicago Metro Area. He serves as teaching pastor and leads the Strategic Team of staff champions for adult, student, children’s, and creative arts ministries across all CCC locations. Jon is the cofounder and movement architect of NewThing, whose mission is ‘to be a catalyst for a movement of reproducing churches.’ He also serves on the boards of the Exponential Network and Stadia East and is an adjunct professor at Wheaton College Graduate School in the Evangelism and Leadership Department. Jon previously coauthored The Big Idea with Dave.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
See Resource Guides on Related Areas:
- Missional Perspectives, Introduction
- Missional Church Resources, Introduction and Index
- Church Leadership and Renewal, Index to Resources
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: