01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page iii The Present Future Six Tough Questions for the Church Reggie McNeal A PUBLICATION 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page ii 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page i The Present Future 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page ii 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page iii The Present Future Six Tough Questions for the Church Reggie McNeal A PUBLICATION 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 12/12/08 4:43 PM Page iv Copyright © 2003 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 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BV600.3.M36 2003 262'.001'7—dc21 2003011733 Printed in the United States of America FIRSTEDITION HB Printing 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 PB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page v Leadership Network Titles Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams,byMike Bonem and Roger Patterson The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers, byJonathan Campbell with Jennifer Campbell Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders,byGeorge Cladis Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens,byNeil Cole Leading Congregational Change Workbook,by James H. Furr, Mike Bonem, and Jim Herrington Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey,by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation,by Jim Herrington, RobertCreech, and Trisha Taylor Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out,byRobert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro, with Warren Bird A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey,by Brian McLaren The Story We Find Ourselves in: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian, by Brian McLaren The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church,byReggieMcNeal A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spititual Leaders, byReggieMcNeal The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church,by M. Rex Miller Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches,by Milfred Minatrea The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence,by Bill Thrall, BruceMcNicol, and Ken McElrath The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Transition,by Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree 01_965685_ffirs_11.qxd 5/21/08 2:49 PM Page vi To the new tribe; you know who you are. May your tribe increase! There’s a world counting on you. 02_965685_ftoc_7.qxd 3/29/05 12:36 PM Page vii Contents About Leadership Network ix Acknowledgments xi Preface xiii Introduction xv New Reality Number One: The Collapse of the 1 Church Culture New Reality Number Two: The Shift from Church 20 Growth to KingdomGrowth New Reality Number Three: A New Reformation: 43 Releasing God’sPeople New Reality Number Four: The Return to 69 Spiritual Formation New Reality Number Five: The Shift from Planning 92 to Preparation New Reality Number Six: The Rise of Apostolic 120 Leadership Things I Didn’t Say 140 Conclusion 146 References 149 The Author 151