Reviews
"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
Book Description
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 shift, from
prediction and planning to preparation for the challenges in 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.
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