Reading Exponential by the brothers Ferguson brought this Seth Godin idea to my mind:
“Ideas are cheap. Implementation makes the difference.”
While the ideas in this book are by no means cheap, their implementation made them valuable.
The idea true knowledge works its way into actions has been a staple of historical thought. Aristotle taught that true learning must involve an element implementation. The Hebraic concept of “knowing” is also inescapably practical. To “know” the speed limit is to drive it. To know that smoking is detrimental to your health is to abstain. The tale of Community Christian Church’s inception and growth told in Exponential is rich with such knowledge.
The Ferguson’s lay out the methodology that reproduced their church’s individual and communal leadership. Several ideas stand out:
1) Apprenticeship – a growing relationship with a leader and a follower that anticipates the feature leadership needs.
2) Growing churches attract a creative class – artists propel a church to new growth by facilitating innovation and risk.
3) Multi-site – multi-site churches have greater cost effectiveness than church plants.
In sum, there is no quick fix or magical solution to church growth. The fuel of such transformational growth starts with people moved by God to lead in the context of a life-on-life relationship with another leader. To build relational capital we must invest relational capital.
