Zondervan recently provided me a copy of “Exponential: How You and Your Friends can Start a Missional Church Movement.”
With a pile of books waiting to be read, this book jumped out at me. One chapter in and I was hooked. If you are looking for an incredible look at how to start a group, a church, a network, or a movement, this is a book for you. Written by Dave Ferguson (with help from his brother Jon) this book is an incredible primer on Church Planting in the 21st Century.
That is just the way the book is split up. Section 1: Movements Start With 1. The main focus here is “You can do it!” The first and possibly biggest hindrance to church planting is the start. Many people have had thoughts of church planting, but they never take the time to actually pursue it. Another important factor is a church’s mission. Dave and Jon clearly state their mission as “Helping people find their way back to God.”
Section 2: Reproducing Tribes of 10-100 details their philosophy of groups and leadership. The method they suggest is Individual – Apprentice – Leader – Coach – Director – Campus Pastor – Church Planter – Network Leader. They joke that at first it may seem like an Amway scheme, but the practical outworkings of this practice can be clearly drawn from Scripture and has had incredible results.
Section 3: Reproducing Communities of 100-1000. This section is probably the one that troubled me the most. Don’t misunderstand, I loved the emphasis on reproducing churches. I believe that is one of the best ways of determining the health of a church. However, they bring some startling studies to bear on the question of multi-site churches vs. traditional church planting. If these numbers are accurate in multiple venues as their studies appear to show, then the next few years could lead to drastic change in the way we do “Church.” However, there are still parts of the multi-site movement that bother me. An attraction to personalities rather than relationships and the “Movie-Theatre” mentality, where people show up for the “show” or sermon, and are gone as soon as it’s over. But, new and innovative ideas are always scary at first.
Section 4: Reproducing Movements of 10,000. The notion that Networks form Movements is an incredible definition. Most people have no idea of a movement, or whether they are in one. With the notion that churches plant churches where the pastors get together as part of a network, which continues to grow at each stage of the process, people have immediate access to a broad movement. The yearly conferences and resources provided by such a movement clearly rivals the independent local church.
Several concerns exist with this book (as with any book). One concern I have is the wholesale approval of women in all areas of leadership. While I believe that identifying women with leadership skills and helping them reach their full potential is important, I still believe that the Bible gives clear instructions on who can and cannot be a preacher. For better or worse, God demands that the Pastor of a church be a man. A second concern is the broad nature of bringing “Artists” into the church. While I agree with this principle on the whole, this apparently means that all types of music should be allowed in church, and that those playing do not need to be saved. While I am uncomfortable with the first proposition, I am practically certain I disagree with the second principle. While it is important for people to connect with others who have similar interests and talents, I believe the worship leaders (and those who provide the musical accompaniment) must be held to a higher level.
In conclusion, this is an incredible book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever thought of planting a church; to anyone who wants to reevaluate how church is run; or anyone who is looking at how to develop leaders within their church. It is fast pace, easy to read, and has enough spice to keep you interested throughout the duration.
