In this powerful episode of The Church Planting Podcast, Greg Nettle is joined by long-time friend and influential church leader Dave Ferguson. Dave is the founding pastor of Community Christian Church, president of Exponential, and co-founder of the global church planting network NewThing—now integrated into Exponential.

The conversation covers:

• Dave's personal and organizational transitions, including appointing a new lead pastor at Community

• A deep dive into his 5-step leadership apprenticeship model (from his book Hero Maker)

• His global perspective on a potential revival among Gen Z, especially in the UK

• The explosive growth of microchurches

• His upcoming book Multiplier (coming March 2026)

• Challenges the Church must face to reach the next generation, including creating safe, peace-filled spaces for those deconstructing or new to faith

A must-listen for anyone passionate about multiplication, innovation, and the future of the Church.

01:15 – Dave's leadership transition at Community Christian 04:05 – Merging NewThing into Exponential 06:40 – Dave's new role as CEO of Exponential 08:00 – Life Planning: What it is and who should do it 12:00 – 5-Step Apprenticeship Model explained 15:20 – Preview of Dave's new book: *Multiplier* 16:15 – The "Quiet Revival" among Gen Z in the UK 19:45 – US stats: A spiritual shift is happening 21:18 – Church hurt & challenges for church multiplication 23:00 – Peace as the new apologetic 24:30 – Global microchurch movement—how it started 27:00 – Story: 177+ microchurches through online training 29:00 – Why now is the time to empower global leaders 29:50 – Final encouragement & close