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.