A Life Worth Multiplying? A Look at Dave Ferguson’s Multiplier

At the start of Multiplier, released in 2026 by Zondervan Reflective and Exponential Resources, author Dave Ferguson writes, “You reproduce who you are and what you do” (Ferguson 2026, XI). Through Multiplier, Ferguson helps us see that “we reproduce not just what we teach, not just what we hope, but who we actually are and what we actually do” (Ferguson 2026, XI). The reality is that we all reproduce ourselves and influence others through what we say, do, and embody, whether intentionally or not. If we are not careful, that unintentional and unaware influence could distort and become disconnected from what we intend to communicate. For that reason, Multiplier calls us to “commit to becoming people who are worth multiplying” (Ferguson 2026, XVI). This is a journey of discovering what we are currently reproducing, hearing from God regarding what he has entrusted us to reproduce, and setting guardrails to keep us faithful in multiplying what he has placed within us.

This is a review of Multiplier by Dave Ferguson. Explore the RPMS gauges, the “drift trio,” and how to lead from a place of healthy maturity.

The book is thoughtfully structured into four distinct parts:

• The Introduction: Sets the stage for the journey ahead.
• Section 1: Unpacks the four “gauges of a multiplier.”
• Section 2: Explores the four practices of a multiplier (the key areas of focus).
• Section 3: Offers a challenging call to live the life of a multiplier.

Each chapter is rich with storytelling, up-to-date statistics, and scriptural witness.

Multiplier: The RPMS Gauges as a Helpful Tool

Dave looks at four gauges in our lives that help us analyze how healthy we are as leaders and what we may be reproducing in others, whether intentionally or not. This reflective and confessional journey includes examining our spiritual, relational, physical, and mental health. Dave refers to these four guages as “RPMS.” It is worth noting that these are tools Dave has used in his own life for over a decade, and he believes they “can monitor how you are doing and develop who you are” (Ferguson 2026, XII). The RPMS gauges are an important rediscovery needed for those in leadership, and perhaps the biggest strength of this book overall.

The reality, as Ferguson points out, is that most leaders today are “exhausted, stretched thin, and unsure how to keep going, let alone multiply” (Ferguson 2026, XI). As a pastoral leader in two contexts, a doctoral student, and a writer, I find that these seasons are never far away. They are unavoidable at times. While they are an unavoidable reality for leaders, we too often ignore them or try to push through. We cannot weather the wilderness if we fail to see it as a place of formation; we must choose to let the wilderness moments form and prove us rather than tempt us. In the wilderness, we need greater dependence on God in every area of our lives. The RPMS helps leaders identify where they are getting close or running on fumes, but it also helps us identify places where God is asking us to model greater dependency and experience greater transformation. By running on fumes, leaders stop experiencing transformation. Ferguson’s point is clear: “You can’t multiply something that’s not first alive in you” (Ferguson 2026, XI). Too many of us are leading where we have not been led, or calling for a depth we have long since abandoned in our own leadership.

The four RPMS guages are about becoming aware of “what’s happening in you” (Ferguson 2206, XII). Far too often, we are too busy to ask these questions, assume health too readily, or even fear looking in the closet, and so we avoid such confessional and reflective moments in our leadership journey. This is why the headlines have been full of so many leaders falling from their places of influence, because their personal lives—their own relationships, physical health, mental health, and spiritual growth—have been ignored or stunted and as a result they spin out of control as they move from experience dependency on God, accountability with others, and transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit. 

A Needed Challenge in Evangelism

Ferguson reflects on this reality in Chicagoland, where he has pastored for decades. Over the past few years, headlines have been filled with leaders who have failed to steward their lives and their missions well. 

Ferguson remarks that many of the pastors who were in the circles and ministeriums in the Chicagoland when he first took leadership in that area are no longer pastoring because of ignored areas in their lives that grew up and became destructive, abusive behaviors in the local church. We find this witnessed to in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12, NIV). Almost all leaders start with good intentions and a hope to never drift, but when we are not paying attention to the cues in our lives, we begin to take wrong turns that seem good but are not of God. That is not just a “them” problem. Ferguson echoes, “we start out with a commitment to our own well-being and a bold vision, but somewhere along the way we tend to drift” (Ferguson 2026, 22). Drift doesn’t happen overnight, “it doesn’t happen all at once. It occurs slowly,” that means “we drift one day at a time,” “until we drift so far off course,” that we find ourselves in uintenteded territory and “we end up not making the impact we once dreamed of” (Ferguson 2026, 22). Life is hard, and “drift comes” as Dave points out, “from the gravitational pull of temptation and sin in our lives” (Ferguson 2026, 25). Our ambitions, appetites, and need for affirmation become lusts, greed, and pride that leave us off center. Dave calls these struggles of life “the drift trio” or the temptations of “the world, the flesh, and the devil” (Ferguson 2026, 25).

• “The world surrounds us with empty, fleeting values and relentlessly promotes an indifference—even opposition—to God’s best purposes for us” (Ferguson 2026, 25).
• “The flesh battles us from within, wielding our own corrupted desires and disordered passions against us, pulling us toward choices that damage our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being”  (Ferguson 2026, 25).
• “The devil, our very real spiritual adversary, works tirelessly behind the scenes, whispering lies, sowing confusion, and setting traps designed to sabotage our influence and derail our mission for Jesus”  (Ferguson 2026, 25).

I would add one thing to Ferguson’s list. Certainly, the world, the flesh, and the devil are the biggest things that become the lusts of the eyes, flesh, and the pride of life that inhibit us from discovering God’s best for our lives. However, I would also add that a big threat is “immaturity,” that is, the inability to tell a difference between a good thing and a God thing. Our lure isn’t always defined by the world, or our selfishness, nor outright spiritual warfare. Sometimes we are just too immature to make wise discernment, and these drifts happen in bad ways with the best intentions. However, the purpose of Ferguson’s point is important, unignorable, and clear: we need confessional practices and “people who will serve as guardrails, ask hard questions, and hold you accountable” (Ferguson 2026, 29).

The Strength of Shared Vulnerability

A major strength of Multiplier is that Ferguson does not merely provide a “how-to” manual; he leads from a place of transparency and shared vulnerability. The RPMS gauges offer a practical framework for journaling, checking in with mentors, and discipling others. They serve as a vital tool for addressing “mission drift” in a confessional way, forcing us to ask:

• Relational: Am I connected to deeply life-giving relationships?
• Physical: Am I stewarding my body and energy well?
• Mental: Is my mind still, clear, and grounded in truth?
• Spiritual: Am I truly abiding in Christ and leading from the overflow of the Holy Spirit?

The Second Half: Practices of Multiplication

While the first half of the book focuses on the leader’s internal health, the second half transitions to four outward practices intended to define a multiplying leader:

1. Making disciple-makers.
2. Establishing spiritual communities.
3. Mobilizing new leaders.
4. Launching fresh “church expressions.”

Critical Reflections and Weaknesses

Despite the book’s practical utility—it is “drawn on a napkin at a diner” helpful—there are a few areas where the reader must exercise caution:

• The Risk of Formulaic Thinking: As with many leadership resources, there is an inherent danger that these tools could be treated as a rigid formula. While Ferguson does not imply that “A + B always equals C,” the book’s highly practical nature may lead some to adopt these practices mechanically, bypassing the messy, organic work of the Spirit and the uniqueness of vocation.
• The “Big Box” Shadow: Ferguson speaks eloquently about multiplication and sending—emphasizing that sending is superior to mere numerical growth. He often also notes that “the more we send, the more we grow.” I don’t disagree. While this may be a “law of averages,” it risks appealing to the very “big box” growth mentality that many of us struggle with, and many micro-church movements are trying to deconstruct. Dave does not uphold that model in the book, but it is the narrative of Evangelicalism that will read it into the text, unfortunately. Without a more explicit deconstruction of traditional success metrics, readers may unintentionally use these tools to serve old-school expansionist goals.
• The Need for Visionary Recovery: Finally, as a leader currently navigating a “wilderness moment,” or maybe a season of “holy discontent,” I found myself longing for more than just global success stories. While the book is full of inspiring accounts from the global church, I think I dove in looking for the “help” for those who need to dream again but forget how. I would have appreciated more focus on how a leader—through these practices—actually recovers their vision and finds their “holy fire” again after it has been dimmed by the exhaustion Ferguson describes. However, the “guages” and “practices” are a way to find your way back.

Multiplier: Unignorable Parts

There are several areas where Dave excels, and I will certainly revisit this book and recommend it to others. My review does not do justice to this book’s strengths. Ferguson’s call for pastoral leaders to become disciple-makers, establish spiritual communities, mobilize new leaders, and launch church expressions is deeply biblical, and he outlines this progression well.

I especially appreciate how he explains disciple-making. He clarifies that this is not about buildings, budgets, or branding; rather, it starts “with everyday people becoming like Jesus and helping others to do the same” (Ferguson 2026, XIII). Ferguson envisions people formed in the image of Jesus rather than mere consumers: “Disciples aren’t just consumers of spiritual goods; they’re carriers of the gospel who reproduce the life of Christ in others” (Ferguson 2026, XIII-XIV).

Similarly, establishing a spiritual community is not about growing large churches. Like Jesus, we are calling people into missional communities: “a community that would carry his message together. These communities become the training ground for leaders, the soil where calling is discovered, and the space where mission is lived out” (Ferguson 2026, XIV).

In mobilizing new leaders, Ferguson points out that our role is to call out the gifting and purpose in others and shape them accordingly. It is about identifying, developing, and releasing leaders into mission. Dave nails it here: “Leadership development can’t be limited to formal roles or structured pipelines” (Ferguson 2026, XIV). For too long, the church has relied on these primitive roles and mistaken them for discipleship.

Lastly, launching church expressions is about the way making disciples overflows into new spiritual communities: “Multiplication culminates in the birth of new church expressions: house churches, microchurches, campuses, church plants, and more. These expressions are contextual, Spirit-led communities of mission and worship, designed to reproduce” (Ferguson 2026, XIV). The focus on contextual church expressions is a vital point, as the “context” piece is so often underdeveloped within evangelicalism.

Multiplier: The Prophetic Challenges

There were several prophetic moments in this book. As Dave discusses the failures he has witnessed both in stories and in the Chicagoland area, he explains the reality of leadership: “The higher you go, the greater the impact of your missteps” and “with more external influence comes greater personal responsibility” (Ferguson 2026, 27-28). Another poignant point is his warning not to confuse God’s blessings with God’s approval. Even in his kindness, God is driving us “to repentance, not to confirm our complacency” (Ferguson 2026, 28). The way Ferguson unpacks these realities is both timely and necessary.

Ferguson calls us to recognize the potential for multiplication that the Holy Spirit has placed within us and warns us of the dangers of drifting. He then provides four practices that facilitate both self-check and confession. Even more impressively, these gauges include calls to fasting, prayer, family focus, and disciplines like spiritual direction that are truly unmatched in contemporary leadership literature. While I don’t have the space to recount every win this book offers, I find a deep personal resonance with this message. 

As someone who finds great value in leading a quiet life and who lives by a personal ministry philosophy and a rule of life, I found that many of the practices and family disciplines Ferguson calls leaders toward are the very things I have found most valuable in my own journey.

Ultimately, Multiplier is about more than just practices; it provides profound insight into leading well across every dimension—from physical health to spiritual depth—and it calls us to be intentional with exactly what we are multiplying in the world around us.

The Weight of the Wilderness 

For the past six years, my pastoral context has been defined by the margins—serving those who are homeless. For four of those years, I’ve balanced that with the bivocational reality of leading a small, rural church community. When you layer that with the relentless demands of doctoral studies, the complexities of homeownership, financial pressures, and the mental load of family life, the “RPMS” gauges aren’t just a diagnostic tool; they are a survival manual.

I have leaned heavily on my disciplines. I have clung to a Rule of Life to keep me rooted. I am constantly journaling, constantly measuring my health, and constantly trying to ensure I am “worth multiplying.” But there is a particular phenomenon that occurs in the wilderness that a gauge can’t always capture.

I think you can find what it means to be “healthy” by every metric and still be heart-empty.

It is possible to not be “running on fumes” and yet realize you have lost your dream. Somewhere between the pressures of a small rural church and the heartbreak of the poverty on the streets, the creativity and the uniqueness of the person God designed me to be felt as though it were being slowly overwritten by the demands of mere survival.

My calling is not “big and better.” My heart beats for “The Quiet Way.” I am drawn to the fresh expressions of spiritual community—the kind that look and smell different, where the air is thick with multi-voice leadership and the stifling layers of consumerism have been stripped away. This is where I am meant to be, yet even in the right place, the fire can dim.

Sometimes in leadership, there is a slow leak of wonder. Over the years, the exhaustion of being a “good steward” leaves you forgetting how to be a “good dreamer.” 

I think that is where I am (you can learn more about me here).

About Dave Feruson

Dave Ferguson has led COMMUNITY, a multi-expression church in Chicagoland, as a pastor since he and his brother, Jon, planted it decades ago. Ferguson is also known for writing Hero Maker, another bestseller, and serves as the CEO of Exponential, an annual gathering of church leaders and planters that God has used to form and encourage me many times over the years. Over the years, I have had the chance to talk with, listen to, and engage Dave in many ways, and I have appreciated who he is, who God is calling him to be, and how he writes. I continue to have that respect and honor, and think this might be his best work yet.

Multiplier: A Recommended Read for Leaders

Multiplier is a revolutionary and reflective read spanning roughly 297 pages. I find myself agreeing with the simple, radical, and accurate review by Ed Stetzer: “Dave Ferguson gives church leaders a pathway that is both practical and sustainable in this vital book. If you want to become a multiplier, this is the book for you!” Stetzer says what I sensed in this book.

It contains some of the most practical guides I have ever encountered, delivered with a level of transparency and vulnerability that is remarkable—even for Dave. Those who have seen him speak at Exponential know he is already quite open, but this book takes that honesty to a new level. I think this book will be part of Ferguson’s legacy to leaders. This is how leaders get and stay healthy, creating lasting impact in their families, churches, and those they are discipling.

Please buy on Amazon or visit Dave Ferguson’s website.