Buildingchurchleaders.com has a nice article (http://buildingchurchleaders.com/articles/2009/missionalmindset.html) about Reggie McNeal called "Missional Mindset." It deals with his new book 'Missional Renaissance,' which, according to Reggie, "...is the biggest reshaping of the church since the Reformation."
In the article it says he, "...warned pastors and staff members that shifting to this mode means more than completing an annual community service project. Instead, he said it calls for an incarnational mindset where pastors and other church leaders live transparently, discipling others through close relationships and accountability."
There's a nice part about the missional church requiring a "new vision and scorecard to measure how it is doing." He pointed out how one church, instead of worrying about how many attended Sunday School or worship services, they want to ensure that all students in their county will be able to read English by third grade. He believes things like this not only help the community, but they "grease the skids for God" - meaning it creates opportunities for evangelistic conversations to happen.
McNeal says there are three shifts needed for a program-driven church to become missional:
1. Changing from internal ministry to an external focus.
2. Asking, "Are our people better off because of what we've done?
3. Moving from church-based leadership to apostolic leadership.
Regarding the last shift McNeals says, "Instead of a minister saying, 'I'm pastor of First Baptist,' he or she would proclaim, 'I'm pastor of the community and my support team is First Baptist.'
A nice, not-too-long article. I really like Reggie. He's an older cat who knows his stuff. I am looking forward to hearing from him at our denomination's regional conference this summer.
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