Customer Reviews

Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series)

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Reggie McNeal says that "the rise of the missional church is the single biggest development in Christianity since the Reformation." That's an extraordinary claim--and you should read his latest book to see if you agree.

Churches, he argues, can now be divided into two groups: those that get it (being missional) and those that don't. The typical clergyperson, McNeal writes, "Is groomed to do project management (yes, even the sermon is a project) and perform religious rites, not develop people." So he calls the church to a new role and a new scorecard:
* Ministry focus: from internal to external
* Core activity: from program development to people development
* Leadership agenda: from church-based to kingdom-based

The missional movement is not about "doing church" better. "It is not church growth in a new dress," or a hot new trend or fad. So what is it? McNeal says that "the missional church is the people of God partnering with God in his redemptive mission in the world." The focus is on the world, not a full calendar of church activities that are exhausting, not equipping, God's people.

The author/church consultant reports on many North American church leaders who have moved from a church-centric operation (come to our buildings) to a community focus (we go to you). Example: a senior pastor sent his staff into the community (malls, schools, stores, etc.) and asked them to observe people through God's eyes for one hour. Their conclusion: all the nifty programs back at the church were not now reaching nor would they ever reach those people. Then on a Sunday he sent the whole church into the community to observe. Bingo! The people got it--and it turned the church upside down by being outwardly focused.

McNeal adds, "We were told that if we built successful churches, people would come. We bought and paid for the lie that Six Flags over Jesus was what the world needed. We believed that if we built better churches, our cities would be better off. We telegraphed in dozens of ways the message that involvement in church life was the portal to fulfillment and the mark of an abundant life."

"The program-driven church has produced a brand of Christianity that is despised, not just ignored, by people outside the church." His solution? We need a new scorecard to measure what matters--not church attendance and a zillion sermons, but out-in-the-trenches life-on-life community engagement that produces life transformation.

McNeal then suggests how a church could reallocate resources and he gives more than 75 missional indicators that could be measured in six key areas: prayer, people (leaders and others), calendar (time), finances, facilities and technology. For example, he suggests you measure the number of schools that use the church's facilities. Another measurement: track the amount of time invested in leaders meetings that focus on the people development side.

If McNeal is right--that there is (or will soon be) a major chasm between those "doing church" versus those "being the church"--then this insight from Phil Cooke's newsletter, The Change Revolution, is noteworthy. Citing Alexander von Humboldt's "Three Stages of Scientific Discovery" (as referenced by Bill Bryson in his book, "A Short History of Nearly Everything") Cooke notes that there are five stages to innovation:
1. People deny that the innovation is required.
2. People deny that the innovation is effective.
3. People deny that the innovation is important.
4. People deny that the innovation will justify the effort required to adopt it.
5. People accept and adopt the innovation, enjoy its benefits, attribute it to people other than the innovator, and deny the existence of stages 1 to 4.

This is an important book--even if you don't "get it."

McNeal captures the current of the stream of the Holy Spirit working in the N American church today. He is saying what most of us are saying, but with brilliant clarity. This book will continue to fuel the intensity of the God movement taking place.

The Scorecard is a challenge...the new movement requires new measurements (if we need to measure?). McNeal gives ideas to help generate this scorecard, but this will continue to be a challenge for missional leaders. If anyone has quality solutions send me an email at dwaybright@sugarcreek.net

Also...the attractional model is not evil. The Great Commission is the overriding purpose and goal of the church. Both the nation of Israel in Old Testament and the Holy Nation of the church in New Testament have attractional and incarnational elements. In many cases the church in N America has abandoned its incarnational gifts by conforming to the dominant culture. The Holy Spirit is birthing a renaissance, as Reggie implies, that is restoring this spirit-filled dynamic to the church.

McNeal gets it. This book provides hope for every church that wants to make more and better Christians. This is not a theoretical read, but a practical handbook for the missional leader. One of my favorite quotes: "We bought and paid for the lie that Six Flags over Jesus was what the world needed. We believed that if we built better churches, our cities would be better off. . . The jig is up . . . The program-driven church has produced a brand of Christianity that is despised, not just ignored, by people outside the church."

Mostly, I always enjoy Reggie McNeal's material. His book "The Present-Future" was excellent. His material on spiritual leadership and formation is superb as well. This book did not disappoint. McNeal takes some of the scholarly concepts of the missional church and explains them to a wider audience. Not all of the material one will use, but there is a ton of insight into the present world and how the church can engage in this work. This is a good book for leaders to read and for ministers to read to understand the foundations of the missional church. You will be inspired and educated. He deals with three major shifts in the church. He looks at the shift from internal to external, from program to people development, and from church thinking to kingdom thinking. I felt that the sections on the first two shifts were excellent. This is a good introductory book on the missional movement.

Save yourself some time and shipping costs and just buy a copy for your whole leadership team now. I've only read a handful of books that have impacted my desire to change the world more (Organic Church is another good one). I wish I could buy a copy for every pastor in America! As an organic church that still struggles with old paradigms (everyone in the midwest has been "to church" and has ideas burned into their brain), this book will help our team communicate God's true heart, give us dozens of ideas and help us evaluate our progress better. Thanks, Reggie!

Reggie McNeal offers an insightful approach to dealing with the issues church leaders face in moving a traditional church mindset to a missional mindset. The cultural challenges many traditional churches and church leader face today are addressed by McNeal. The church growth movement and model is now shifting a more revelant missional model. He sets forth a discussion related specifically to issues of measuring the missional church movement's effectiveness and that can help guide future ministry and mission efforts through the church. It is a must read for for those who seek to address the realities we are facing in our communities and churches today.

I'm still reading this book - the fact that I purchased it based on three highly reputable friends who are reading (and using!) says a lot. I have skimmed through, now reading in order. I have read a few books, like UnChristian by Kinnaman, and asked myself "So now what to do" and this book has the "what to do" in it. It is a lot more than the sign on the way out of church saying the mission field starts here... see that every week. We need to be more intentional in our efforts. Need to work with this and struggle a bit to get it going. Great book!

The book certainly does that. As an example, here's another interesting and practical exercise that any congregation can start doing right now (from Chapter 6).

Reggie states that "To change a culture, you have to change the conversations". So he helped guide conversations that one congregation's leadership team had with several hundred of their church members and participants, including teenagers. They called it "Real Talk" and used these five questions.

1) What do you enjoy doing? Many never make the connection that what they enjoy might be the way God wants to bless others through them.
2) Where do you see God working right now? In your life, your kids' lives, your neighborhood, at work, wherever.
3) What would you like to see God do in your life over the next six to twelve months? How can we help?
4) How would you like to serve other people? How can we help? Rather than trying to plug them in to service opportunities inside the church (although this will happen too), the focus should be about helping people outside the church.
5) How can we pray for you?

Over time the results showed that by just doing this and then following up in a coaching setting for those that want to be more intentional about their lives, they advanced God's kingdom as well as added to the vitality of their congregation.

This book is full of practical ways to be more outward focused and engaged in your community and beyond.

i read dozens of great books every year-this one is a "must read" for every church leader. The practical applications mixed with biblical mandate make this a resource to read and read again. I know this will sound extreme, but this book will have a profound impact on all who read it. Not since Martin Luther's Treatise or MLK, Jr's "I have a dream" speech have so many been inspired to live differently.

Reggie McNeal is absolutely fabulous! He's always funny and a blessing in person, too!
This is a great book!!! My Student Ministry partner in crime and I are using this book and The Present Future to build a study for our 6th--12th graders on living a missional life for an upcoming retreat.
Anything Reggie writes is awesome!