Missional Communities

Almost a decade ago, in his bestselling book The Present Future, Reggie McNeal talked about the growing phenomenon of post-congregational Christians, people who, for a variety of reasons, choose to pursue their spiritual journey outside the routines and rhythms of the congregational model of church that has dominated religious activity for centuries. This development has created ripe conditions to produce and to nurture a new life form of church that intersects people in the middle of life--in their homes, their workplaces, their leisure pursuits, their passions to help others. In Missional Communities McNeal shows us this new form of church and how it differs in its rhythms, its celebrations, its activities, and its scorecard. He maintains that it is not for everyone, nor is it the replacement for centuries of church practice. But it is clearly a growing phenomenon that cannot be ignored. At the very heart of the book are stories about some of these new missional communities, each one illustrating a fresh and different chapter in God's work in and through the church. The settings range from Europe to North America, from suburb to city to college campus, from neighborhood to workplace. McNeal presents these stories in the hopes of exciting the imaginations of those attracted to this burgeoning movement--whether they want to get started in their own distinctive way of doing missional community or want to be more missional in their traditional practices. For all those thousands of churches and leaders who have followed Reggie McNeal's bold lead, Missional Communities offers a vision of a new and vibrant life form in churches.