Dave Ferguson planted a church that planted a network, which then became a movement in about 69 countries. He tells Ed Stetzer why growth is often where multiplication stops, and why reproducing disciples begins with the condition of the leader.

The conversation

Why do growing churches stop multiplying?

Ferguson discusses a five-level scale of church health: declining, plateauing, growing, reproducing, multiplying. He says many churches in the West spend their effort reaching the third level and stay there. A plateaued church spends to get to growth. A growing church faces a second set of costs, buildings and staff, to reproduce. His own church waited nine years before it planted a church, which he calls a regret. He asks every leader to multiply at the smallest scale, in a small group with an apprentice, at any church size.

What should a leader check before trying to multiply?

Ferguson argues that leaders drift by degrees and reproduce who they are, so the work starts inside. Most mornings he marks four gauges, relational, physical, mental and spiritual, as full or empty. Four practices follow: make disciple makers, establish spiritual communities, mobilize new leaders, and launch church expressions, in forms he says can be micro, macro or meta. Ferguson also argues that the DNA of movement lives in every believer because Christ is in them.

From the conversation

“I would say that any movement, for great good or great evil, has at its very core some form of apprenticeship.” Dave Ferguson

“If Jesus is inside of us, everything that’s needed to forgive our past, to give our present a purpose, to give our future a hope for us exists inside us.” Dave Ferguson

“When you’re plateaued or declined, you’re doing everything you can to get money so you can get to growth, to add staff so you can get to growth, add programs to get to growth.” Dave Ferguson

“You can’t lead what you won’t live, and as a pastor and leader, for me, when I preach at Mariners, I actually will get up and say, every sermon I try to mention something about my life group.” Dave Ferguson

About Dave Ferguson

Dave Ferguson co-planted Community Christian Church in the Chicago area and is the visionary for NewThing, a church-planting network with a footprint in about 69 countries. He is president of Exponential and the author of Multiplier: How Healthy Leaders Create a Lasting Impact.

Presenting sponsor: Gloo, a technology company for the faith and flourishing ecosystem.

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