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Kingdom Come: Why We Must Give Up Our Obsession with Fixing the Church--and What We Should Do Instead
There’s a reason Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come . . .” and not “Thy church come.” The church clearly plays an important role in God’s plans. It was established by Christ, and he is its Head. But have we put too much emphasis on the church? Have we confused a means of participating in God’s Kingdom with the Kingdom itself?
In Kingdom Come, church ministry consultant Reggie McNeal reveals why it’s crucial to realign the church’s mission with God’s ultimate Kingdom agenda. You’ll discover how you can get in on―and help lead―the Kingdom movement currently underway.
Join the mission to help the Kingdom break into our hearts . . . and break out into the world.
In Kingdom Come, church ministry consultant Reggie McNeal reveals why it’s crucial to realign the church’s mission with God’s ultimate Kingdom agenda. You’ll discover how you can get in on―and help lead―the Kingdom movement currently underway.
Join the mission to help the Kingdom break into our hearts . . . and break out into the world.
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2015
27 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Reggie McNeal
30 books15 followersReggie McNeal enjoys helping leaders pursue more kingdom-focused lives. He currently serves as a senior fellow for Leadership Network and city coach for GoodCities. In his consulting and speaking, Reggie draws on his experience as a pastor, denominational leader, seminary teacher, and leadership development coach for thousands of church leaders across North America and the world. His books include The Present Future, Missional Renaissance, A Work of Heart, and Kingdom Come.
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May 29, 2022
I used to be on the board of directors at a church that hired Reggie McNeal as a consultant to help them become more "missional". As such, I had the pleasure of interacting with Reggie on a somewhat personal level on a few occasions. In my experience, Reggie has a vision and a heart to see the church mobilized and going beyond their inner walls and out into their communities to address the effects of sin, such as the existence of poverty, high crime rates, low child literacy rates, unemployment, hunger, homelessness, and the like. I find this commendable and in many ways needed; there are absolutely some church communities that are effective at "doing church", but not as in touch with their own communities and their needs; Jesus intended that a transformed life would bear fruit, and especially in our American church culture, there appears to be a problem with lack of said fruit. And Reggie, being a visionary, provides some great tips and hints for prospective leaders to be able to navigate some of the challenges surrounding these efforts.
Unfortunately, this is where my commendation for this book (and his message at-large) ends. Reggie's case - that "the church" should re-orient its mission, change its scorecard, and become more "kingdom-minded" - is made using poor exegesis and theology, false dichotomies, and broad-brushing.
The first issue that appears is Reggie's definition of "The Kingdom of God". He defines the Kingdom as "life as God intends it to be" (23). He goes on to explain this concept using two core Bible verses, which he references indirectly through the rest of the book: Matt. 6:10 ("...Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"), and John 10:10b ("...I come that they may have life, and that more abundantly"). Accordingly, this "life as God intended it" is an "abundant" life that is possible "now," here on earth, and this is all due to Jesus, with His core mission of restoring all things to Himself. On the surface, I don't have issues with these definitions, but as I read on, I had to conclude that Reggie is, in no uncertain terms, concluding that this "abundant life" involves the increase of quality of life for people in our community by reversal of the aforementioned effects of sin (i.e. poverty, hunger, etc.), rather than eternal life that comes from salvation by belief in Jesus Christ (as is the context of the remainder of John 10).
He does use lots of other Scripture to make his case, but these two are the ones most referenced in reinforcing his ideas. The point is, to draw this conclusion from just these two verses is pretty blatant cherry-picking of Scripture. In formulating this definition, these two references (and many others that he uses throughout the book) are taken way out of context. I've already pointed out the context of John 10 above, and there are scant references to the rest of Matthew 6, which is part of the larger narrative of the Sermon on the Mount; in this subpart, Jesus' point was to teach people not so much "what" to pray as much as "how" to pray. Furthermore, I doubt a comprehensive study of "the Kingdom" throughout all of Scripture would result in a definition that matches what he is proposing. In fairness, however, he readily acknowledges that no definition could be perfectly adequate to describe all that the Kingdom is; I agree, but a plain reading of Scripture would show that solving society’s ills certainly isn't the primary mission.
Because Reggie is operating under a specific definition of the Kingdom, other things that are well-defined in Scripture are, in essence, redefined to fit the particular narrative that Reggie is trying to get across. For example: "Sin" is redefined as "anything that diminishes life" (26); again, this isn't a bad definition at face value, but in light of what "life" means in Reggie's "Kingdom narrative", it falls short (no pun intended) of the true nature of sin as described by the whole of Scripture (interestingly, there is absolutely no Scriptural backup at all for his definition of "sin"). The gospel is presented as "The good news of the Kingdom: Life as God intended it is available" (43-44); this suffers the same problem as the definition of sin, and demonstrates itself ultimately as a deficient gospel, containing no concept of grace, salvation from sin, or how the death and resurrection of Christ plays into all of that good news.
Despite all the references to Scriptures that help build his case, Reggie appears to be imparting his desired meaning onto the text, rather than drawing the meaning out of the text. I am not a seminary student (yet, anyway), but with Reggie's academic background (having an M.Div and Ph.D in historical theology, and serving as an adjunct), I feel like he should know better than to treat Scripture so flippantly. It should be noted that Reggie does use some Scripture correctly, but when it comes to the core concept of the book and the biblical meanings of the key concepts being redefined, a mark has certainly been missed.
The second issue is an "either/or" mentality when it comes to the Church and the Kingdom. Although Reggie would most likely deny this, there is a prevalent attitude against (what I suppose could be referred to as) the "institutional church". This is evident in slogans and one-liners that Reggie uses throughout the book such as "Jesus said 'I came to give you abundant life', not abundant church" (8), "Jesus taught us to pray 'thy Kingdom come', not 'thy church come'" (8), and "the church is a poor substitute for the Kingdom" (70), to give some examples that stuck out to me. I agree that we shouldn't view our congregation as being the essence of the Kingdom, but ultimately I think this kind of false dichotomy reveals a lack of understanding of the nature of Christ's church in general. There are barely any references to Ephesians (arguably the most comprehensive book of the Bible on the nature and purpose of the church), Acts, Romans, or a good number of the other apostolic writings, which are all rich in ecclesiology.
I think Reggie might do well to do a comprehensive study in Scripture of what the church is, What God's purpose for it was, and how that relates to the Kingdom, because I don't find his explanation of that in this book to be convincing. I don't necessarily disagree that the "Kingdom" and the "church" are not one in the same, but I would strongly object to the idea that God's primary purpose is the establishment of the Kingdom, rather than the building of His church (it's both, not one or the other), or that God didn't have it in mind for the church to be concerned about itself (Kevin DeYoung, in a review of another book of Reggie's, elaborates on this point a little clearer than I could; see the following link: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...). I do want to be fair and recognize that Reggie claims to not be diminishing the need for or role of the church, but in practice I think this book tells a different story.
Finally (and this is related to the first point), Reggie seems to treat the spiritual aspect of the Kingdom as an afterthought, in favor of the physical effects it can have on people. At the end of the day, Reggie thinks of the Kingdom of God in terms of what people "do" for others, rather than how God's Kingdom solves our spiritual problem of our bondage to sin. In reality, the root of society's ills isn't just that the church isn't doing anything; it's that sin hasn't been completely eliminated from the world. Certainly, Christ's redemptive work is happening in the world (whether we participate or not), but it's happening at a deeper level than just at that which "solves society's ills".
Additionally, Reggie is insistent on pointing out that you don't necessarily need to be a Christian or a church member in order to experience Kingdom life now or participate in its agenda. There are several examples he gives of this, one of which is on pages 76-77 where he describes a church partnership with Planned Parenthood to support people affected by AIDS. I don't want to dwell on the political aspects of this; that's ultimately not my point. My point is threefold: 1) As previously mentioned, the Kingdom is not just an earthly reality, it is also (and primarily) a spiritual reality. What Reggie is reinforcing is that he believes the Kingdom's primary concern is what's happening here on earth, which is not supported by Scripture. 2) This implies that it really doesn't matter who you associate with, as long as you are doing "Kingdom work" (his definition). To borrow from a friend of mine as I discussed this with them, I'm sure Reggie would agree with us that Christians should avoid partnering with certain extremist organizations (like the KKK, for example), even if it accomplishes a better quality of life for people; if that's the case, then this would contradict his statement that "The people of God are free to work with anyone who is working for the Kingdom agenda". 3) Although it is true that God advances His kingdom through unwilling agents (Pharaoh, Judas, and other Scriptural examples are prominent), Jesus himself has made it clear that such agents will not necessarily inherit the Kingdom of God (He tells Nicodemus that the ability to see and enter the Kingdom of God is reserved for those who have been born again in John 3:3,5). In many cases throughout the book, Reggie appears to blur the line between “inheriting the Kingdom” and “doing Kingdom work” to the point that, if I didn't know any better, I would almost think that Reggie is giving a nod to a universalist view of salvation (I doubt he actually advocates for this, though). This, to me, underscores the importance of understanding Scripture as it was meant to be understood, and reading/expositing it both carefully and intentionally.
Overall, this book is winsome and optimistic, and does provide some helpful insights and good advice for people wanting to get their feet wet in leading social programs, but I cannot recommend it to people who want to really understand the Kingdom, the Church, or God's mission for the world. I do not think the benefits of this book outweigh the problem of the lack of solid biblical and theological treatment of the concept, which I believe is core to understanding Christianity, how God works in the world, and Jesus' role in establishing the Kingdom.
Unfortunately, this is where my commendation for this book (and his message at-large) ends. Reggie's case - that "the church" should re-orient its mission, change its scorecard, and become more "kingdom-minded" - is made using poor exegesis and theology, false dichotomies, and broad-brushing.
The first issue that appears is Reggie's definition of "The Kingdom of God". He defines the Kingdom as "life as God intends it to be" (23). He goes on to explain this concept using two core Bible verses, which he references indirectly through the rest of the book: Matt. 6:10 ("...Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"), and John 10:10b ("...I come that they may have life, and that more abundantly"). Accordingly, this "life as God intended it" is an "abundant" life that is possible "now," here on earth, and this is all due to Jesus, with His core mission of restoring all things to Himself. On the surface, I don't have issues with these definitions, but as I read on, I had to conclude that Reggie is, in no uncertain terms, concluding that this "abundant life" involves the increase of quality of life for people in our community by reversal of the aforementioned effects of sin (i.e. poverty, hunger, etc.), rather than eternal life that comes from salvation by belief in Jesus Christ (as is the context of the remainder of John 10).
He does use lots of other Scripture to make his case, but these two are the ones most referenced in reinforcing his ideas. The point is, to draw this conclusion from just these two verses is pretty blatant cherry-picking of Scripture. In formulating this definition, these two references (and many others that he uses throughout the book) are taken way out of context. I've already pointed out the context of John 10 above, and there are scant references to the rest of Matthew 6, which is part of the larger narrative of the Sermon on the Mount; in this subpart, Jesus' point was to teach people not so much "what" to pray as much as "how" to pray. Furthermore, I doubt a comprehensive study of "the Kingdom" throughout all of Scripture would result in a definition that matches what he is proposing. In fairness, however, he readily acknowledges that no definition could be perfectly adequate to describe all that the Kingdom is; I agree, but a plain reading of Scripture would show that solving society’s ills certainly isn't the primary mission.
Because Reggie is operating under a specific definition of the Kingdom, other things that are well-defined in Scripture are, in essence, redefined to fit the particular narrative that Reggie is trying to get across. For example: "Sin" is redefined as "anything that diminishes life" (26); again, this isn't a bad definition at face value, but in light of what "life" means in Reggie's "Kingdom narrative", it falls short (no pun intended) of the true nature of sin as described by the whole of Scripture (interestingly, there is absolutely no Scriptural backup at all for his definition of "sin"). The gospel is presented as "The good news of the Kingdom: Life as God intended it is available" (43-44); this suffers the same problem as the definition of sin, and demonstrates itself ultimately as a deficient gospel, containing no concept of grace, salvation from sin, or how the death and resurrection of Christ plays into all of that good news.
Despite all the references to Scriptures that help build his case, Reggie appears to be imparting his desired meaning onto the text, rather than drawing the meaning out of the text. I am not a seminary student (yet, anyway), but with Reggie's academic background (having an M.Div and Ph.D in historical theology, and serving as an adjunct), I feel like he should know better than to treat Scripture so flippantly. It should be noted that Reggie does use some Scripture correctly, but when it comes to the core concept of the book and the biblical meanings of the key concepts being redefined, a mark has certainly been missed.
The second issue is an "either/or" mentality when it comes to the Church and the Kingdom. Although Reggie would most likely deny this, there is a prevalent attitude against (what I suppose could be referred to as) the "institutional church". This is evident in slogans and one-liners that Reggie uses throughout the book such as "Jesus said 'I came to give you abundant life', not abundant church" (8), "Jesus taught us to pray 'thy Kingdom come', not 'thy church come'" (8), and "the church is a poor substitute for the Kingdom" (70), to give some examples that stuck out to me. I agree that we shouldn't view our congregation as being the essence of the Kingdom, but ultimately I think this kind of false dichotomy reveals a lack of understanding of the nature of Christ's church in general. There are barely any references to Ephesians (arguably the most comprehensive book of the Bible on the nature and purpose of the church), Acts, Romans, or a good number of the other apostolic writings, which are all rich in ecclesiology.
I think Reggie might do well to do a comprehensive study in Scripture of what the church is, What God's purpose for it was, and how that relates to the Kingdom, because I don't find his explanation of that in this book to be convincing. I don't necessarily disagree that the "Kingdom" and the "church" are not one in the same, but I would strongly object to the idea that God's primary purpose is the establishment of the Kingdom, rather than the building of His church (it's both, not one or the other), or that God didn't have it in mind for the church to be concerned about itself (Kevin DeYoung, in a review of another book of Reggie's, elaborates on this point a little clearer than I could; see the following link: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/bl...). I do want to be fair and recognize that Reggie claims to not be diminishing the need for or role of the church, but in practice I think this book tells a different story.
Finally (and this is related to the first point), Reggie seems to treat the spiritual aspect of the Kingdom as an afterthought, in favor of the physical effects it can have on people. At the end of the day, Reggie thinks of the Kingdom of God in terms of what people "do" for others, rather than how God's Kingdom solves our spiritual problem of our bondage to sin. In reality, the root of society's ills isn't just that the church isn't doing anything; it's that sin hasn't been completely eliminated from the world. Certainly, Christ's redemptive work is happening in the world (whether we participate or not), but it's happening at a deeper level than just at that which "solves society's ills".
Additionally, Reggie is insistent on pointing out that you don't necessarily need to be a Christian or a church member in order to experience Kingdom life now or participate in its agenda. There are several examples he gives of this, one of which is on pages 76-77 where he describes a church partnership with Planned Parenthood to support people affected by AIDS. I don't want to dwell on the political aspects of this; that's ultimately not my point. My point is threefold: 1) As previously mentioned, the Kingdom is not just an earthly reality, it is also (and primarily) a spiritual reality. What Reggie is reinforcing is that he believes the Kingdom's primary concern is what's happening here on earth, which is not supported by Scripture. 2) This implies that it really doesn't matter who you associate with, as long as you are doing "Kingdom work" (his definition). To borrow from a friend of mine as I discussed this with them, I'm sure Reggie would agree with us that Christians should avoid partnering with certain extremist organizations (like the KKK, for example), even if it accomplishes a better quality of life for people; if that's the case, then this would contradict his statement that "The people of God are free to work with anyone who is working for the Kingdom agenda". 3) Although it is true that God advances His kingdom through unwilling agents (Pharaoh, Judas, and other Scriptural examples are prominent), Jesus himself has made it clear that such agents will not necessarily inherit the Kingdom of God (He tells Nicodemus that the ability to see and enter the Kingdom of God is reserved for those who have been born again in John 3:3,5). In many cases throughout the book, Reggie appears to blur the line between “inheriting the Kingdom” and “doing Kingdom work” to the point that, if I didn't know any better, I would almost think that Reggie is giving a nod to a universalist view of salvation (I doubt he actually advocates for this, though). This, to me, underscores the importance of understanding Scripture as it was meant to be understood, and reading/expositing it both carefully and intentionally.
Overall, this book is winsome and optimistic, and does provide some helpful insights and good advice for people wanting to get their feet wet in leading social programs, but I cannot recommend it to people who want to really understand the Kingdom, the Church, or God's mission for the world. I do not think the benefits of this book outweigh the problem of the lack of solid biblical and theological treatment of the concept, which I believe is core to understanding Christianity, how God works in the world, and Jesus' role in establishing the Kingdom.
February 26, 2018
Reggie McNeal does an outstanding job of unmasking the true and essential nature and mission of the church which is all too often is focused on itself. Be ready to have some of your long-held assumptions about "the church" challenged. Even if you're not sure if you're ready for that, read it anyway. HDC highly recommends this book to deacons, elders, pastors, and others providing ministry leadership to or for the local congregation and/or community in which it is located or serves. This is in our opinion a Must Read!
June 11, 2015
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
I must admit that this book was a challenge for me. I am not quite sure how I feel about the contents. On the one hand I understand I see where McNeal is coming from but on the other hand I have my reservations.
Perhaps that is why McNeal wrote this book. People like me to need to evaluate what we believe and whether or not it is Biblical.
That is where this book enters. In Kingdom Come, McNeal challenges the reader to really look at why many focus on getting "church" right when the focus should be on advancing the Kingdom of God.
Sadly, many people, and I having been one of them, equate the church and the Kingdom of God. This is not so. The church is to promote and advance the Kingdom of God but the Kingdom of God is not the church. Why?
"The Kingdom of God", as McNeal writes, "is life as God intends it to be, His original blueprint for all of creation." When understood, this means that the church plays a role but is not the goal; fulfilling-life with God is.
From this point, McNeal wants church leaders to focus outwards (think missional) and less inward (think church development). It is not to say that the focus should not be on church but that the first focus is going to those that do not know God and His Son Jesus.
McNeal suggests more community involvement with members of that community. Helping in hunger programs, clothing drives, reading initiatives, and such. He also advocates partnering with non-Christian groups for the benefit of the community with the knowledge that God will use such work to advance His Kingdom.
This is where my struggle began. Working with atheists, for example, to feed the hungry in the community. We have differences of theological beliefs, yet putting those aside for the hungry is hard. I struggled with questions of working with theological opposition and whether or not it is wise to do so.
I have not come to an answer but perhaps that is what McNeal wants; to get me to questioning.
I must admit that this book was a challenge for me. I am not quite sure how I feel about the contents. On the one hand I understand I see where McNeal is coming from but on the other hand I have my reservations.
Perhaps that is why McNeal wrote this book. People like me to need to evaluate what we believe and whether or not it is Biblical.
That is where this book enters. In Kingdom Come, McNeal challenges the reader to really look at why many focus on getting "church" right when the focus should be on advancing the Kingdom of God.
Sadly, many people, and I having been one of them, equate the church and the Kingdom of God. This is not so. The church is to promote and advance the Kingdom of God but the Kingdom of God is not the church. Why?
"The Kingdom of God", as McNeal writes, "is life as God intends it to be, His original blueprint for all of creation." When understood, this means that the church plays a role but is not the goal; fulfilling-life with God is.
From this point, McNeal wants church leaders to focus outwards (think missional) and less inward (think church development). It is not to say that the focus should not be on church but that the first focus is going to those that do not know God and His Son Jesus.
McNeal suggests more community involvement with members of that community. Helping in hunger programs, clothing drives, reading initiatives, and such. He also advocates partnering with non-Christian groups for the benefit of the community with the knowledge that God will use such work to advance His Kingdom.
This is where my struggle began. Working with atheists, for example, to feed the hungry in the community. We have differences of theological beliefs, yet putting those aside for the hungry is hard. I struggled with questions of working with theological opposition and whether or not it is wise to do so.
I have not come to an answer but perhaps that is what McNeal wants; to get me to questioning.
November 30, 2015
As a late comer to the missional conversation I found this book to offer more than theory and conversation which are a couple of reasons I'm late to the conversation. As Reggie stated in the book, the term "missional church" should be redundant, but as I have been working through my first lead pastor experience these past two years I have come to grips with the fact that sadly it is not. He offers up a fresh new perspective where the Kingdom of God isn't all about the church, rather the church is all about the Kingdom of God.
It's a practical introduction with some tools and examples you can use to begin moving toward becoming a Kingdom of God focused people. Definitely good food for thought and action.
It's a practical introduction with some tools and examples you can use to begin moving toward becoming a Kingdom of God focused people. Definitely good food for thought and action.
January 21, 2025
I had a few conceptual issues that diminished this book’s impact.
1. While I agree that many churches are too inwardly focused, it felt disingenuous to subtitle a book “why we must give up our obsession with fixing the church” and then essentially discuss how to fix the church. Not to mention, the majority of the New Testament is focused on organizing and correcting the church. This “issue” he premises his book on did not start 1700 years ago (as he claimed), but basically from the onset.
2. Too often it felt like the author made up phrases to take ownership of an idea that is already developed. In his chapter on collaboration and collective impact, he coins “cross-domain collaboration.” Collaboration, however, is in its essence across domains. Perhaps I missed the nuance of the phrase. This chapter was actually a great primer in the topic, so perhaps I am splitting hairs.
3. Lastly, I think he too easily divided the church from the kingdom. Yes, Jesus prayed “thy kingdom come” but he also said He’d build his church. The author offers no solution for how to maintain care for the congregation as efforts turn outward toward “kingdom work.”
To be fair, I think I would have enjoyed this book much more about a decade ago.
1. While I agree that many churches are too inwardly focused, it felt disingenuous to subtitle a book “why we must give up our obsession with fixing the church” and then essentially discuss how to fix the church. Not to mention, the majority of the New Testament is focused on organizing and correcting the church. This “issue” he premises his book on did not start 1700 years ago (as he claimed), but basically from the onset.
2. Too often it felt like the author made up phrases to take ownership of an idea that is already developed. In his chapter on collaboration and collective impact, he coins “cross-domain collaboration.” Collaboration, however, is in its essence across domains. Perhaps I missed the nuance of the phrase. This chapter was actually a great primer in the topic, so perhaps I am splitting hairs.
3. Lastly, I think he too easily divided the church from the kingdom. Yes, Jesus prayed “thy kingdom come” but he also said He’d build his church. The author offers no solution for how to maintain care for the congregation as efforts turn outward toward “kingdom work.”
To be fair, I think I would have enjoyed this book much more about a decade ago.
July 16, 2018
This book was inspirational. My only comment is that I wish it focused a bit more on changes the everyday person could make in their lives. There were a few chapters I got very little out of because they were more geared towards pastors and church leaders.
May 22, 2024
I am excited
Reggie wrote exactly about what I am seeking to do God willing.To dedicate the rest of my life to expanding the Kingdom of God and paving the way for Jesus’ return.
Thank you Dr. McNeal…I am in
Reggie wrote exactly about what I am seeking to do God willing.To dedicate the rest of my life to expanding the Kingdom of God and paving the way for Jesus’ return.
Thank you Dr. McNeal…I am in
October 5, 2023
Helpful focus on the kingdom instead of the church.
May 6, 2015
“There’s a reason Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come . . .” and not “Thy church come.” The church clearly plays an important role in God’s plans. It was established by Christ, and he is its Head. But have we put too much emphasis on the church? Have we confused a means of participating in God’s Kingdom with the Kingdom itself?
In Kingdom Come, church ministry consultant Reggie McNeal reveals why it’s crucial to realign the church’s mission with God’s ultimate Kingdom agenda. You’ll discover how you can get in on—and help lead—the Kingdom movement currently underway.”
I’m not sure what I expected when I picked up this book and started to read. From it’s description, “… to realign the church’s mission with God’s ultimate Kingdom agenda” clearly my interest was piqued. But that is where it ended. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly what it is that disappointed me, but I can say that this book did not keep my attention. I had a hard time wading through the double-speak and removing the author’s personal agenda/values from what I understand to be Kingdom agenda and Kingdom values. Sadly, I don’t think that I would be able to recommend this book.
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publisher, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Goodreads, and to be featured on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com
In Kingdom Come, church ministry consultant Reggie McNeal reveals why it’s crucial to realign the church’s mission with God’s ultimate Kingdom agenda. You’ll discover how you can get in on—and help lead—the Kingdom movement currently underway.”
I’m not sure what I expected when I picked up this book and started to read. From it’s description, “… to realign the church’s mission with God’s ultimate Kingdom agenda” clearly my interest was piqued. But that is where it ended. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly what it is that disappointed me, but I can say that this book did not keep my attention. I had a hard time wading through the double-speak and removing the author’s personal agenda/values from what I understand to be Kingdom agenda and Kingdom values. Sadly, I don’t think that I would be able to recommend this book.
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publisher, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.
*Reviews of this book were posted at the following locations:
Amazon, Goodreads, and to be featured on my blog at http://titus3.wordpress.com
May 27, 2015
If you are interested in truly thinking critically about the church, then this book is for you. Kingdom Come by Reggie McNeal may challenge some of your common assumptions and push you to see outside the norm of the inward focused Western church. I believe it is a much-needed commentary on the state of the church institution, as well as the trends that are causing this institution to self-destruct. McNeal offers positive insight on “Kingdom”, and what it looks like for Christians to push Kingdom outside the walls of the church. Exchanging a church centered approach for a social community approach seems to be the solution. Although, these changes are much easier said than done, and some may challenge them theologically, I do believe that he provides a lot of evidence as well as scripture that at the very least this conversation should be happening.
I would recommend this book to any church leader who is either looking to improve their approach to ministry or that at least wants to be relevant to the important conversations happening around this topic. I believe the ideas presented here make this an important read for anyone who is involved in ministry.
I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
I would recommend this book to any church leader who is either looking to improve their approach to ministry or that at least wants to be relevant to the important conversations happening around this topic. I believe the ideas presented here make this an important read for anyone who is involved in ministry.
I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
May 28, 2015
Reggie McNeal sets out to do exactly what the subtitle suggests. The fist half of Kingdom Come explains why the church must give up fixing the church. While the second half deals with the what the church should do instead along with practical ways to do just that. The thesis of this approachable book is summarized in this statement by McNeal, which he repeats often:
“The church is not the point of the Kingdom; the Kingdom is the point of the church.”
The book is divided into two sections. One focusing on McNeal’s theory that in order for the Church to survive in this new day and age, it must refocus on the Kingdom. The second half gives practical examples and practical steps to achieve that. While the first half of the book is Pastor McNeal, the second half is Leadership Consulant McNeal.
Read more at http://jasoncstanley.com/book-review-...
“The church is not the point of the Kingdom; the Kingdom is the point of the church.”
The book is divided into two sections. One focusing on McNeal’s theory that in order for the Church to survive in this new day and age, it must refocus on the Kingdom. The second half gives practical examples and practical steps to achieve that. While the first half of the book is Pastor McNeal, the second half is Leadership Consulant McNeal.
Read more at http://jasoncstanley.com/book-review-...
June 5, 2015
I received this in exchange for honest review.
The book focuses on how churches need to focus on building the kingdom of God, versus building the church. McNeal says some churches focus on building themselves up versus building up the community. The kingdom of God is bigger than just the church, even though the church is a part of the kingdom. The kingdom is eternal while physical churches are temporary.
The church should want more than just membership and more than just wanting people to get saved. There is more to the kingdom than this.
McNeal also discussed how Jesus helped the poor and disadvantaged. The church is supposed to help those who are down and out. Help those, who are hurt.
Focusing on the kingdom brings transformation into individuals and into churches.
The book focuses on how churches need to focus on building the kingdom of God, versus building the church. McNeal says some churches focus on building themselves up versus building up the community. The kingdom of God is bigger than just the church, even though the church is a part of the kingdom. The kingdom is eternal while physical churches are temporary.
The church should want more than just membership and more than just wanting people to get saved. There is more to the kingdom than this.
McNeal also discussed how Jesus helped the poor and disadvantaged. The church is supposed to help those who are down and out. Help those, who are hurt.
Focusing on the kingdom brings transformation into individuals and into churches.
June 27, 2015
Let us help the Kingdom break in all its fullness into our hearts and out into the world. Are you passionate about following Jesus? Do you know where He wants you to be? Do you want to be the hands and feet of Jesus by serving in practical ways? If you do, you have a Kingdom heart – and you want to see the Kingdom come. How do we get to where God wants us to be? The Church must realign its mission with God’s Kingdom. Help to lead the Kingdom here on earth. Help God’s Kingdom come down to earth right where you are.
April 21, 2016
I agreed with some, disagreed with some, but my overall complaint is rambling. I feel like this could have been half the length and gotten the point across (or maybe even a long article). It definitely gave my congregation some food for thought and opened the discussion for what I've been saying, "ministry doesn't have to be so churchy"
May 26, 2015
Kingdom Come is an interesting book that hits on a lot of valid points and raises a lot of questions within about your relationship with God and wheat His will for your life is. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is a group leader, large or small.
January 23, 2016
A fairly straight forward and easy read. His "kingdom theology" is not ground breaking, but helpful for those who have not thought about it in that way. The best part of the book was the later chapters that offers more practical tips.
August 28, 2015
This is a clear call to rethink how we approach doing God's work. The focus has to change from a "Church" approach as in the traditional meaning of church, to a kingdom centered focus that builds God's kingdom here and now.
September 5, 2018
No Response
No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response Test Test Test happy Run No Hit Tor
No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response No Response Test Test Test happy Run No Hit Tor
September 19, 2018
insightful and shaping
Was reading in this book what I’ve been struggling with as a religious professional for years...Reggie McNeal has always pulled my heartstrings for something greater...and he did it again
Was reading in this book what I’ve been struggling with as a religious professional for years...Reggie McNeal has always pulled my heartstrings for something greater...and he did it again
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