I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the main points, even those that will seem radical to many church leaders. I found myself wishing all church leaders would read this book. There were a few things I didn't care for. I felt that the starfish analogy really did not work very well. Every idea had 5 points and it made it very hard to remember, complicated and less reproducible, which goes against the main themes of the book. Also, they used acronyms that I couldn't remember when I picked the book up to read again, even though they were repeated many times, such as I think IDES, which I cannot tell you what it stands for - intentional disciple (or was it discipleship) something something. Some of the wording was a bit hard to follow, too. Talking about microchurches, hubs, networks, etc. also made it sound complicated. I am not sure using those was helpful. It was hard for me to explain what the book was about, but I did share some of the ideas from the book with others.

The Starfish and the Spirit Copyright © 2021 by Lance Ford, Rob Wegner, and Alan Hirsch

Ford, Lance; Wegner, Rob; Hirsch, Alan. The Starfish and the Spirit (Exponential Series) (p. vi). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I’m not sure that Paul would have used the image of a starfish to picture the church, but it certainly is a thought-provoking image for this look at the church by Ford, Wegner and Hirsch. Especially powerful is the recurring emphasis on DNA.
The starfish can be cut in half and reproduce itself because the DNA of the starfish is in each star. As the author’s say on page 74 “Through the structure starfish, may we see circles multiply, each carrying the DNA through the entire body, connected and structured organically as a living system.”
Scattered throughout Pennsylvania are ruins of settlements that ceased to exist when the founder died. There are also church buildings that are but empty shells because the DNA of that congregation was not replicable.
This book is a good reminder that the church is meant to reproduce. We need more donkeys and fewer mules when it comes to church movements.
Many movements are spider like in that there is a central hub and all movement, every activity moves out from center. Once the hub is destroyed the movement dies.
I documented this in my Doctoral thesis project within a specific church movement but there seems to be a widespread idea that leadership must be centered on one person or one small group and everything flows from that hub.
In The Starfish and the Spirit the writers emphasize the importance of shared leadership and giving permission to for people to exercise their gifts without micromanagement.
The authors quote an article from Harvard Business Review that says something about the starfish model:
New power operates differently, like a current. It is made by many. It is open, participatory, and peer-driven. It uploads, and it distributes. Like water or electricity, it’s most forceful when it surges. The goal with new power is not to hoard it but to channel it. P. 23
Lance Ford and Rob Wegner both share sad stories of their ministry in spider organizations and the emotional pain caused by spider bites.
In my 50 years of ministry, I can only recall one experience that even resembled the starfish. However, my commitment in ministry was to model the idea of shared leadership and each person exercising the gifts God gave them.
The authors write about movements that are transitioning to the Starfish. As I read this book I imagine my ministry was more like a spiderfish than a starder but we were moving in the right direction and maybe a new generation can continue the transition.(See pages 16 and 17 for more on transitions.
I would encourage the wide distribution, reading and study of this book but I would be remiss if I did not raise one concern. Although I believe all members of the body should contribute their gifts to the body, I have a concern about an unquestioned commitment to APEST (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers) The authors promote the idea that all these gifts are given today and there are individuals who possess each gift.
Given the definitions they give for these gifts on page 100 and following I can see the validity of these gifts. However, I do not think the descriptions they offer are necessarily how the original Apostles and Prophets viewed their gifts. But once again what a discussion this could generate. And we certainly need to take a good look at ourselves and the church.
I was given a proof of this book through Netgalley.com with the expectation I would read it and offer a review.

The Starfish and the Spirit is a breath of fresh air. They tackle the problem of toxic leadership cultures and the adoption of problematic corporate business models in church ministry structures with great wisdom. They explore Jesus' model of ministry for the making of disciples who will be able to reproduce what they received in others. The genius of a decentralized structure for church life and ministry makes it easily accessible for everyone. This book is valuable because Lance Ford and Rob Wegner share the lessons and insights they have learned in an honest and clear way to give pastors like myself hope for the future of our churches. This is not a one size fits all program but a thoughtful discussion on how to create a disciple-making culture to fulfill Jesus' commission to His church. I would recommend that every pastor get a copy of this book, read it with their leadership team, and allow the Lord to lead them into transformation.

Reimagine the church! That is the focus of this excellent and disturbing book. For those who have been caught up in a hierarchical, program based, performance focused, clergy-centric model of doing church, this book will cause a good deal of anxiety. But the brave learner who is willing to explore new modes of church will find this book to be a helpful guide. It is not easy. It will create a good deal of disruption. Still, in our rapidly changing world, upended by COVID, church leaders need to read this book. Take heart through the stormy waters of transition a new day for the church can emerge, and the good news of the gospel will transform lives, and communities.

Hard to stay focused. The persoanl stories feel complex and lengthy. I have not gotten far inthe book. Im interestedin the topic but distracted by the personal stories. I appreciate the transparency, but I'm interested in what you have to say about the topic and I feel that your not getting to it. Because of my interest in what you have to say, I will returnm to the book. I think I will need to aquire a hard copy.

Thank you for doing this work! The church needs this voice!

What a refreshing view of how to return to a model of the church found in Acts. With the hearts of Christ followers focused on sharing the gospel instead of upon buildings and centralized authority, the kingdom of God will grow exponentially! Encouraging read for pastors and leaders seeking to recapture the Spirit.

I believe The Starfish and the Spirit is a must read for every church leader AND a highly recommended read for every Christian who sincerely longs for Jesus' love to win and transform lives in greater and greater ways around the world.

100% of Jesus' followers need to be discipled into their fullest influence potential. Sadly, most church structures, due to their centralized nature, leave most of that potential underdeveloped. To me, this is the equivalent of never trying to harness the power of Niagara Falls... but far more tragic. The good news is, it doesn't need to be that way anymore.

The Starfish and the Church book (and podcast) identifies the inherent problems with the centralized models and offers an ancient yet incredibly relevant way to recapture the power we read about in the early church and observe in movements across the world.

As someone once said, "Our systems are perfectly designed to get the outcomes we are experiencing." Another wrote, "To keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result is insanity."

The Starfish and the Spirit has not been written to tweak the current systems. This book has been written to challenge those systems, and invite proponents of them to consider alternative ways that will better prepare them for developing spiritual influencers that will make for a far stronger church going forward.