When you walk into Community Christian Church (CCC) in Naperville, Illinois, it feels like you’ve stepped into a living, breathing community where everyone is seen, known, and loved. Founded by Dave Ferguson and his brother Jon, CCC exemplifies the transformative power of doubling groups—a principle that has not only grown the church but changed countless lives. Dave Ferguson sees reproducing groups as the only way to fulfill Jesus’s command in the Great Commission:
If we want to solve Jesus’ mission problem of going to “Jerusalem…Judea…Samaria…to the ends of the earth,” we are going to have to find a new kind of math and a new way to count that results in rapid reproduction. That new math is exponential. The new way to count is by counting on you and your friends to start a missional church movement.[1]
The Vision: “Reaching People One Group at a Time”
Dave Ferguson’s passion for doubling groups began with a simple question: “What if we could reach the whole community by empowering small groups to reproduce themselves?” This vision, rooted in 2 Timothy 2:2, became the DNA of CCC. The idea was simple yet profound: Equip leaders to mentor others, multiply their groups, and extend the reach of the Gospel exponentially.
“We don’t measure success by how many people show up on a Sunday,” Dave often says. “We measure success by how many lives are changed and how many groups multiply.”
This is how it all began:
Long before we launched a celebration service, each one of us started a small group. We had only one problem. We had no people in our church. To solve this dilemma, we decided we’d each start a group and then show up at each other’s group meetings so we could create a perception that there were at least a few people interested in this new church.
Since that time, those small groups of eight to twelve people have reproduced countless times. Today we are a church with more than seven thousand attenders and a network of more than thirty thousand people celebrating every week with several thousand reproducing small groups.[2]
The B.L.E.S.S. Plan
One of Ferguson’s most significant contributions is the development of a simple and effective tool for evangelism. Here’s a summary:
- Begin with Prayer: Start by praying for specific individuals, asking God to open their hearts and guide your interactions.
- Listen: Take the time to listen actively to people’s stories, understanding their struggles, dreams, and needs without an agenda.
- Eat: Build relationships by sharing meals. Eating together creates an environment for connection and trust.
- Serve: Look for tangible ways to serve people based on what you learn from listening. This could mean meeting practical needs or offering emotional support.
- Share Your Story: When the time is right, share your personal story of faith and how Jesus has made a difference in your life.
Embodying the Vision for Church Leaders
For the B.L.E.S.S. Plan to work effectively in a church, the leader must embody the vision. Leaders who live out these principles inspire others by example. This means:
- Consistency: Actively practicing the B.L.E.S.S. steps in their own relationships, demonstrating a lifestyle of relational evangelism.
- Authenticity: Sharing real stories of their faith journey and how they’ve seen God at work through this process.
- Equipping: Encouraging and training church members to adopt this approach while creating opportunities for collective prayer, listening, serving, and sharing.
Leadership must joyfully and visibly engage in any vision they wish to impart to the congregation. Whether it’s multiplying groups or relational evangelism, the leader’s example is crucial for igniting and sustaining movement. Often, leaders want their people to do things they themselves are not doing. This never works.
A Story of Transformation: From Addiction to Hope
Take Lisa’s story, for instance. Lisa joined a small group at CCC after years of struggling with addiction. “I was skeptical at first,” Lisa recalls. “But these people didn’t just talk about Jesus; they lived it. They showed me what love looks like.”
Lisa’s group leader, Sarah, had been trained to foster a safe, welcoming environment while also challenging group members to grow. Sarah’s group doubled within a year, and Lisa became a leader in the new group. Today, Lisa helps others break free from addiction, saying, “What changed my life was seeing God’s love in action. Now, I get to do that for others.”
Another example is John, a high school teacher who felt burned out and disillusioned. He reluctantly joined a small group at the urging of a friend. Through the group’s support and consistent prayer, John rediscovered his passion for teaching and began mentoring at-risk youth in his community. “I never thought a small group could make such a big impact on my life and my career,” John says. “Now, I see my work as part of God’s mission.”
Doubling Groups in Action
CCC’s approach to doubling groups involves intentional steps:
- Invite: Leaders actively invite others to join their group, especially new attendees.
- Invest: Leaders mentor new members, identifying potential future leaders.
- Empower: Once the group grows, leaders equip a new leader to start a second group.
Through this method, CCC’s small groups have multiplied exponentially, transforming neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. The church’s training program ensures that new leaders feel equipped and confident. As one leader, Emily, shares, “The training isn’t just about logistics; it’s about learning how to love people like Jesus did.”
[1] Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement (Exponential Series) Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson
[2] Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement (Exponential Series) Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson
