A Work of Heart : Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "WE TEND TO see things in others with greater clarity than we see them in ourselves..." (more)
Key Phrases: new apostolic leaders, ministry constituents, leadership constellation, Old Testament, God of Israel, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Leadership is less about technique or motivation than it is about the leader's own heart, suggests Southern Baptist denominational leader McNeal in this careful and readable book. Through brief studies of the lives of Moses, David, Paul and Jesus, McNeal elucidates six factors in the shaping of a leader's heart, all of which begin with the letter c. Although somewhat formulaic, this approach yields fresh fruit, thanks to McNeal's well-integrated grasp of both his biblical sources and contemporary psychology and organizational theory. Among his cs are at least three that are rarely explored in more conventional Christian writing on leadership: the role of "culture" in preparing a leader for his or her specific ministry, the necessity of having a "community" that supports and complements the leader and the importance of "commonplace" experiences that happen out of the leadership limelight. McNeal's attempts to contextualize the biblical narratives lead to some moments of ungainly jargon ("Jesus was constantly online with the Father") and questionable interpretation ("Jesus recruited his initial band of disciples from the business community"), but these are comparatively rare. Christian leaders will find this a valuable primer that invites further reflection; like many primers, however, it would have benefited from a bibliography to guide readers beyond its relatively protected waters. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"It is not just the skills of ministry that are important. The heart-sculpting work of God creates quality ministries. A Work of Heart explains how God is shaping each of us for future service." --Bob Buford, founding chairman, Leadership Network

"We've read leadership manuals ad nauseum. We've attended every high-powered conference imaginable. We've bought the T-shirts, the three-ring binders, and all the right soundbites. But if we're honest, we're in serious drift mode, and we know it. . . . In A Work of Heart, Reggie McNeal has given us nothing less than CPR for the leader's soul, a book that moves us beyond leadership "how-tos" to the lifeline of genuine influence-our own intricate, passionate journey with God." --Sally Morgenthaler, author, Worship Evangelism

"Everyone committed to developing leaders must study Reggie McNeal's understandings of heart shaping, and in doing so, will experience their own hearts being sculpted." --Donald O. Clifton, chairman, The Gallup Organization

"This is a must-read for present and emerging leaders who desire to balance practical leadership techniques with a heart shaped by God. In typical McNeal fashion, this book makes the connection between the truths of Scripture and the real world the leader lives in." --Tim Schroeder, senior pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Kelowna, BC, Canada

"Don't lose heart! Reggie McNeal helps us look under the hood, at the engine of our lives and leadership-our heart-and shows us what it takes to lead with increasing clarity and confidence and live with greater peace." --Dieter Zander, church planter, San Francisco, CA

Dont lose heart! Reggie McNeal helps us look under the hood, at the engine of our lives and leadershipour heartand shows us what it takes to lead with increasing clarity and confidence and live with greater peace. -- Dieter Zander, church planter, San Francisco, CA

Everyone committed to developing leaders must study Reggie McNeals understandings of heart shaping, and in doing so, will experience their own hearts being sculpted. -- Donald O. Clifton, chairman, The Gallup Organization

It is not just the skills of ministry that are important. The heart-sculpting work of God creates quality ministries. A Work of Heart explains how God is shaping each of us for future service. -- Bob Buford, founding chairman, Leadership Network

This is a must-read for present and emerging leaders who desire to balance practical leadership techniques with a heart shaped by God. In typical McNeal fashion, this book makes the connection between the truths of Scripture and the real world the leader lives in. -- Tim Schroeder, senior pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Kelowna, BC, Canada

Weve read leadership manuals ad nauseum. Weve attended every high-powered conference imaginable. Weve bought the T-shirts, the three-ring binders, and all the right soundbites. But if were honest, were in serious drift mode, and we know it In A Work of Heart, Reggie McNeal has given us nothing less than CPR for the leaders soul, a book that moves us beyond leadership how-tos to the lifeline of genuine influenceour own intricate, passionate journey with God. -- Sally Morgenthaler, author, Worship Evangelism

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078794288X
• ISBN-13: 978-0787942885
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book on spiritual formation of leaders, December 17, 2000

By	Eddy Hall "Senior Consultant, Living Stones A... (Goessel, KS USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most books for Christian leaders I have read lately deal primarily with skills. I recommend many of these to pastors in my work as a church consultant, because leadership skills are critical to effectiveness.

But McNeal in this book deals with something more foundational than skills--how God shapes the heart of a leader. After four wonderful character sketches, tracing how God shaped the hearts of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, preparing them for leadership, McNeal moves into what he calls the six "subplots" of the leader's life: culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace.

In the chapter on culture, the author describe two options for how the church can relate to the world--as refuge or mission. Refuge "congregations focus on the past. Fearful of change, these churches create a safe, nostalgic haven for their members." In the missional church, however, "leaders who want to transform the culture seek to build as many bridges as possible to the world outside the faith."

The chapter on communion is probably the best treatment I have seen of the importance of "sabbath time"--regular, protected periods of time alone with God--that I have read. I have been suprised in my work by how few pastors have a discipline of regular, intentional blocks of solitude every week or every other week. I believe that this, far more than learning any set of skills, has the potential to infuse power into the ministry of spiritual leaders. For many pastors and other spiritual leaders, this chapter alone, if heeded, would be worth many times the price of this book.

I sometimes close or follow a consultation by giving the senior pastor the gift of a timely book. This is one I expect to be giving often.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book on leadership, November 27, 2000

By	Marc A. Pitman "Fundraisingcoach.com" (Waterville, ME USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

McNeal pulls no punches in this book! He's obviously passionate about helping leaders cooperate with God's sculpting process. His six "subplots" of a leader's life are well explained and challenging. His insights into the lives of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus were amazing.

I started reading this in a small group. Even though we didn't agree with all of his biographical sketches, we definitely are far better off for having read this book. My biggest problem is that I wanted to underline almost every paragraph!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful Book, June 13, 2000

By	Kenneth D. Williams (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is one of the best Christian leadership books that I have ever read. Reggie offers some phenomenal insights on a neglected aspect of Christian leadership - how God shapes the heart of a leader. A must read for every Christian leader!

I highly recommend the book.