A Work of Heart E-Book

Reggie McNeal

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: J-B Leadership Network Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 451

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Revised and updated edition of the classic work on spiritual leadership

In A Work of Heart, bestselling author and missional expert Reggie McNeal helps leaders reflect on the ways in which God is shaping them by letting us see God at work in the lives of four quintessential biblical leaders: Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul. McNeal identifies the formative influences upon these leaders, which he sees as God's ways of working in their lives: the same influences at work today forming leaders for ministry in our times. He explores the shaping influence of culture, call, community, conflict, and the commonplace.

• Offers guidance for church leaders to let God shape their hearts from the inside out
• Reggie McNeal is the author of the bestselling book Missional Renaissance
• Gives reassurance for maintaining perspective while doing the demanding work of ministry

The book includes illustrative stories of contemporary leaders opening their hearts to God's guidance.

Leseprobe

A WORK OF HEART

Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders

Reggie McNeal

Copyright © 2000, 2011 by Reggie McNeal. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741 www.josseybass.com

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataMcNeal, Reggie. A work of heart: understanding how God shapes spiritual leaders / Reggie McNeal. — Updated ed. p. cm. — (Jossey-Bass Leadership network series; 60) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-118-10318-0 (hardback); 978-1-118-16027-5 (ebk); 978-1-118-16028-2 (ebk); 978-1-118-16029-9 (ebk) 1. Christian leadership. I. Title. BV652.1.M433 2011 248.8′92–dc23

2011025734

Other Leadership Network Titles

The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs, Brian Bailey and Terry Storch

Church Turned Inside Out: A Guide for Designers, Refiners, and Re-Aligners, Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr

Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams, Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson

Hybrid Church: The Fusion of Intimacy and Impact, Dave Browning

The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers, Jonathan S. Campbell with Jennifer Campbell

Cracking Your Church's Culture Code: Seven Keys to Unleashing Vision and Inspiration, Samuel R. Chand

Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders, George Cladis

Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Neil Cole

Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church, Neil Cole

Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul, Neil Cole

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders, Earl Creps

Reverse Mentoring: How Young Leaders Can Transform the Church and Why We Should Let Them, Earl Creps

Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments, and Practices of a Diverse Congregation, Mark De Ymaz

Leading Congregational Change Workbook, James H. Furr, Mike Bonem, and Jim Herrington

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community, Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

Baby Boomers and Beyond: Tapping the Ministry Talents and Passions of Adults over Fifty, Amy Hanson

Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey, Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr

The Leader's Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, Jim Herrington, Robert Creech, and Trisha Taylor

Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement, Mel Lawrenz

Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out, Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro, with Warren Bird

Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement, Will Mancini

A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual journey, Brian D. McLaren

The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian, Brian D. McLaren

Missional Communities: The Rise of the Post-Congregational Church, Reggie McNeal

Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church, Reggie McNeal

Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders, Reggie McNeal

The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church, Reggie McNeal

A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders, Reggie McNeal

The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church, M. Rex Miller

Your Church in Rhythm: The Forgotten Dimensions of Seasons and Cycles, Bruce B. Miller

Shaped by God's Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches, Milfred Minatrea

The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World, Alan J. Roxburgh ana Fred Romanuk

Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition, Alan J. Roxburgh

Relational Intelligence: How Leaders Can Expand Their Influence Through a New Way of Being Smart, Steve Saccone

Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird

The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church for the Community, Eric Swanson and Rick Rusaw

The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence, Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath

Beyond Megachurch Myths: What We Can Learn from America's Largest Churches, Scott Thumma and Dave Travis

The Other 80 Percent: Turning Your Church's Spectators into Active Participants, Scott Thumma and Warren Bird

The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Transitions, Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree

CONTENTS

About the Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series

Preface to the Updated Edition

Still Needed: Spiritual Leaders

Reflecting the Heart of God

Collaborative Masterpieces

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Looking for God in All the Right Places

Part One: How God Shaped Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus for Leadership

Chapter 1: Moses: A Heart on a mission

Beginnings and Family Relationships

The Prince of Egypt

A False Start

Flight into the Desert

Gifts of the Desert

The Desert School of Leadership

Recalled from Reserves into Active Duty

Power Struggles

A Love-Hate Relationship

Face to Face

Chapter 2: David: A Heart After God

Rise of a Nation

A Secret Anointing

The Fight with Goliath

The Cauldron of Conflict

Community of the King

A Man After God's Own Heart

Chapter 3: Paul: A Heart Captured by God

Cultural Layering

The Heart of a Pharisee

A Blinding Light

A Long Interim

Shaping a Movement by Shaping a Heart

Close Encounters

The Free Slave

Chapter 4: Jesus: The Heartbeat of God

Setting the Stage

Growing Up as God

I Can See Clearly Now

Leader of the Band

The Bethany Trio

Online with the Father

Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen

Part Two: Recognizing God's Shaping Work in Our Own Lives

Chapter 5: Culture: Meeting the World

Knowing Where You Come From

Knowing Where You Stand

Knowing Where You Want to Go and Taking Others with You

Where Are You Going?

Chapter 6: Call: Figuring Out Why We Are Here

First Things First—Have You Been Called?

What Did You Answer the Call to Do?

Have You Seen the Attendant Gifts and Talents Come Along?

Who Is Your Audience?

Chapter 7: Community: Connecting with Others' Hearts

The Leader's Family of Origin

The Leader's Current Family

Watch Your Love Life

Friends

Intentional Learning in Community

Join the Team

Hope on the Horizon

Chapter 8: Communion: Rehearsing for Eternity

Practicing Sabbath

Be All That You Can Be

Becoming God's Friend

Chapter 9: Conflict: Learning to Die So We Can Live

Strategy Number One: Get Over It

Strategy Number Two: Choose Your Pain

Strategy Number Three: Examine Your Critics

Strategy Number Four: Look in the Mirror

Strategy Number Five: Get Good Advice

Strategy Number Six: Be Kind and Honest

Strategy Number Seven: Forgive!

Strategy Number Eight: Make a Decision

Chapter 10: Commonplace: Discovering That the Ordinary Is Extra-Ordinary

Habit Number One: Look for God

Habit Number Two: Keep Learning

Habit Number Three: Say Yes to God

Habit Number Four: Stay Grateful

Conclusion: Collaborating with God's Heart-Shaping Project

Culture

Call

Community

Communion

Conflict

Commonplace

References

The Author

Index

Practicing Greatness

Missioned Communities

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Part One

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ABOUT THE JOSSEY-BASS LEADERSHIP NETWORK SERIES

LEADERSHIP NETWORK'S mission is to accelerate the impact of OneHundredX leaders. These high-capacity leaders are like the hundredfold crop that comes from seed planted in good soil as Jesus described in Matthew 13:8.

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To Cathy (soul mate and wife)

Jessica and Susanna (two daughters who have shown me the heart of God for his children)

And God, whose designs on me extend from eternity to eternity

PREFACE TO THE UPDATED EDITION

OCCASIONALLY PEOPLE approach me at conferences and confide quietly, almost in confessional tones, “You know, my favorite book of yours is A Work of Heart.” It's almost as though they feel the need to apologize, as if this admission constitutes a criticism of my later, more well-known volumes. Sometimes they feel a connection to the book because of a particular topic it addresses. The treatment of how God uses “calling” to shape leaders has helped some make their life mission just a little clearer. For others, the discussion on the heart-shaping aspect of conflict proved valuable. Some found the book helpful in a time of great personal turmoil or leadership crisis. Because it spoke directly to them at a critical time, they retain affection for the volume, though the circumstances that drove them through its pages have long ago changed.

“You know,” I reply in these cases, “it's my favorite too!” It's true! Maybe I feel this way because the book was such a labor of love—and I mean labor—a two-year project. In fact, when I finished writing , I was so exhausted that I couldn't write anything for a year. Somehow I felt I had written my magnum opus, but after all, I was in my early forties and it was my first hardback book (a distinction for some authors)—hardly the summation of a long career of writing. In my mind I knew that I would write more books. But I also knew that I would never write on a subject more important to me than the focus of this book. To this day, when I am asked to spend a day with a leader or group of leaders to discuss their personal and leadership formation, I am most honored. So when the good folk at Jossey-Bass/Wiley asked me to write a new preface to it, I was happy to oblige.