I find myself in agreement with Mark Howell who said, “When I finally got to it…I found myself captivated by a great story!” on his blog. That’s what happened to me going into the second part of the book. There is a well done outline of the book at Live Intentionally.
Part 2 of Exponential gets into the specifics of growing from small groups to multiplication. At first, I thought that some people may be built for isolation. I am reminded of introverts in the church who aren’t as well equipped for group projects and interactions as others are. But, ultimately, everyone needs some kind of community of support. 
This book has actually changed my mind and my thinking. I’m grateful. I respect the monastics of the patristic period for their dedication and devotion. Some were fairly isolated. But I’m reminded that those monks who went on to do great things and influence the world, such as Saint Francis or Saint Anthony, were those who formed a community and passed on their wisdom to others.
See Proverbs 18:1
Dan King summed it up great when he said, “This idea of a missional church is one that’s gaining momentum” on his blog BibleDude.net. I reviewed John Armstrong’s book, Your Church Is Too Small, a short while ago (here and here). Armstrong gives a strong conceptual foundation to this idea of missional church, and even how different denominations can join in the effort together. I have a good friend at Communitas who is a year into her missional church, which is doing great things in the community.
I did have a some reservations about the book and a request for possible future editions. The book deals heavily with increase. That can be a good thing and is certainly biblical. However, I don’t believe all Churches were meant to be mega churches. The great thing about church the Ferguson way is that the focus is on small groups. So that small church element is present among the mega church atmosphere.
I’m not convinced God intends everyone to grow church exponentially. I resonated with Mason who said just because something works doesn’t necessarily make it good. We must also pay attention to content. Lack of it can lead to ”movements which may draw the crowds but offer little depth” (see New Ways Forward). The words of Christ can divide. They bring a sharp sword as we’re confronted with truth that cuts to our core. I’m not saying this element isn’t present in the authors’ missional work, only that it wasn’t touched on in the book.
There are certainly critical aspects about leadership involved in growth as well. The authors possess leadership qualities and then they identified those qualities in others they apprenticed. To be certain, however, not everyone is a leader. Not everyone who wants to be a leader should be one. Once you lead, there are souls placed in your care. If a person does not put themselves last, they can cause great hurt. Many leaders have led many sheep astray. So I would take some of this with extreme caution.
One other area I thought could be improved was sharing how they do small groups. This could clear up a lot of these other questions I have. What is the teaching material like? Where are some examples, if one would be interested in applying these techniques, to demonstrate how to assemble the teachings and the operations of a small group effectively? I think those details are important.
The way the authors understand how God worked in the Old Testament with organizing Tribes and then down to families is excellent and foundation to the book. Don’t let my critique detract from how excellent of a read this book is for anyone desiring to start working the mission fields. Pastor Martin, who resonates with the experience of the Fergusons, agreed by saying ”this book has much to offer to someone with a burden, a passion, and a drive to see God do great things in the lives of their neighbors, community, or even their county.”
An excellent, inspired, and encouraging read for beginning or expanding ministry.
