Ep. 118 - The Quiet Revival: Why Gen Z Is Coming Back to Church (with Dave Ferguson)
Description
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:
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Dave’s personal and organizational transitions, including appointing a new lead pastor at Community
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A deep dive into his 5-step leadership apprenticeship model (from his book Hero Maker)
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His global perspective on a potential revival among Gen Z, especially in the UK
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The explosive growth of microchurches
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His upcoming book Multiplier (coming March 2026)
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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
United States
