Synopses & Reviews
Rediscover Your CHURCHS MISSION Today
"This is the most courageous book I have ever read on church life. McNeal nails the problem on the head. Be prepared to be turned upside down and shaken loose of all your old notions of what church is and should be in todays world."
George Cladis, senior pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and author, Leading the Team-Based Church
"With humor and rare honesty Reggie McNeal challenges church leaders to take authentic Christianity back into the real world. He's asking the right questions to help us get back on track."
Tommy Coomes, contemporary Christian music pioneer and record producer, artist with Franklin Graham Ministries
"Reggie McNeal throws a lifeline to church leaders who are struggling with consumer-oriented congregations wanting church for themselves. The Present Future will recharge your passion."
Rev. Robert R. Cushman, senior pastor, Princeton Alliance Church, Plainsboro, New Jersey
"Christian leaders will find great questions being answered in this compelling and motivating work that unwraps what he calls the realities of the present future in the church today."
Kelvin Gardiner, district superintendent, Christian and Missionary Alliance
"The momentum of God that allows visionary ministries to experience exponential growth stalls for the lack of great management (having the right systems and people in place to move to the next level). This is a must read for the young entrepreneur at the beginning of ministry or the seasoned pioneer!"
Mike Slaughter, senior pastor, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, Tipp City, Ohio
"I would highly recommend this book to any person interested in the current state of the Church in North America and the future of that Church. It is time that we pay attention to the realities of our ministry context and like Davids Men of Issachar, discern the right path into the future."
Rick E. Morrow, pastoral care coordinator, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
"This book is a rare find in which McNeal lovingly challenges the church with a spirit of adventure and rediscovery."
The Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, bishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
Review
"This is the most courageous book I have ever read on church life. McNeal nails the problem on the head. Be prepared to be turned upside down and shaken loose of all your old notions of what church is and should be in today's world."
— George Cladis, senior pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City and author, Leading the Team-Based Church
"With humor and rare honesty Reggie McNeal challenges church leaders to take authentic Christianity back into the real world. He's asking the right questions to help us get back on track."
— Tommy Coomes, contemporary Christian music pioneer and record producer, artist with Franklin Graham Ministries
"Reggie McNeal throws a lifeline to church leaders who are struggling with consumer-oriented congregations wanting church for themselves. The Present Future will recharge you passion."
— Rev. Robert R. Cushman, senior pastor, Princeton Alliance Church, Plainsboro, New Jersey
"Christian leaders will find great questions being answered in this compelling and motivating work that unwraps what he calls 'the realities of the present future' in the church today."
— Kelvin Gardiner, district superintendent, Christian and Missionary Alliance.
"The momentum of God that allows visionary ministries to experience exponential growth stalls for the lack of great management (having the right systems and people in place to move to the next level). This is a must read for the young entrepreneur at the beginning of ministry or the seasoned pioneer!"
— Mike Slaughter, senior pastor, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, Tipp City Ohio
"I would highly recommend this book to any person interested in the current state of the Church in North America and the future of that Church. It is time that we pay attention to the realities of our ministry context and like David's 'Men of Issachar' discern the right path into the future."
— Rick E. Morrow, pastoral care coordinator, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina
"This book is a rare find in which McNeal lovingly challenges the church with a spirit of adventure and rediscovery."
— The Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, Bishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana
Synopsis
Reggie McNeal's landmark book "A Work of Heart" was a contribution to understanding the ways in which God shapes leaders for more vital ministry. In "Finding the Future, "he takes up the challenges of leadership into the future— what must leaders do in order to move beyond "churchianity" to Christianity, to move from church growth the kingdom growth, to develop followers of Jesus rather than just church members, to shift from planning to new ways of moving into the future. By changing the questions church leaders are asking themselves about their congregations and their plans for the future, McNeal seeks to frame the issues so that the future can be approached with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.
Synopsis
This provocative book identifies the six most important questions that church leaders that must address, showing that "business as usual" could very well mean the demise of the business. Those who care about the church must recapture the spirit of Christianity; replace "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; develop disciples instead of church members; foster the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focus on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shift from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges in an uncertain world. This book captures the urgency of the "present future" for the church in a thoughtful, vigorous way.
Synopsis
Many of the old beliefs held by church leaders and congregations read as if they are self-evident, irrefutable truths If you build the perfect church they will come . . . Growing your church automatically makes a difference in the community . . . Developing better church members will mean better evangelism . . . Time has failed to produce the evidence of these claims.
In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.
Written for congregational leaders, pastors, and staff leaders, The Present Future captures the urgency of a future that is literally now upon us, in a thoughtful, vigorous way. It is filled with examples of leaders and churches who are emerging into a new identity and purpose, and rediscovering the focus of their mission within new spiritual dimensions.
Synopsis
Many of the old beliefs held by church leaders and congregations read as if they are self-evident, irrefutable truths If you build the perfect church they will come . . . Growing your church automatically makes a difference in the community . . . Developing better church members will mean better evangelism . . . Time has failed to produce the evidence of these claims.
In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.
Written for congregational leaders, pastors, and staff leaders, The Present Future captures the urgency of a future that is literally now upon us, in a thoughtful, vigorous way. It is filled with examples of leaders and churches who are emerging into a new identity and purpose, and rediscovering the focus of their mission within new spiritual dimensions.
Synopsis
In this provocative book, author, consultant, and church leadership developer Reggie McNeal debunks these and other old assumptions and provides an overall strategy to help church leaders move forward in an entirely different and much more effective way. In
The Present Future, McNeal identifies the six most important realities that church leaders must address including: recapturing the spirit of Christianity and replacing "church growth" with a wider vision of kingdom growth; developing disciples instead of church members; fostering the rise of a new apostolic leadership; focusing on spiritual formation rather than church programs; and shifting from prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges of an uncertain world. McNeal contends that by changing the questions church leaders ask themselves about their congregations and their plans, they can frame the core issues and approach the future with new eyes, new purpose, and new ideas.
Also available: The Present Future DVD Collection (978-0-7879-8673-5), Reggie McNeal's DVD presentation of the ideas and insights featured in his best-selling book.
About the Author
Reggie McNeal is the director of leadership development for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Drawing on twenty years of leadership roles in local congregations, and his work over the last decade with thousands of church leaders, McNeal counsels local churches, denominational groups, seminaries and colleges, and para-church organizations in their leadership development needs. He lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife and two daughters. He is the author of A Work of Heart from Jossey-Bass.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Preface.
Introduction.
New Reality Number One: The Collapse of the Church Culture.
New Reality Number Two: The Shift from Church Growth to Kingdom Growth.
New Reality Number Three: A New Reformation: Releasing God’s People.
New Reality Number Four: The Return to Spiritual Formation.
New Reality Number Five: The Shift from Planning to Preparation.
New Reality Number Six: The Rise of Apostolic Leadership.
Things I Didn’t Say.
Conclusion.
References.
The Author.