Reggie McNeal's new book on the missional church, Missional Renaissance, released in digital form, a fitting parallel for the groundbreaking nature of missional congregations.

At a recent forum in Louisville, Ky., the church consultant recalled a Presbyterian pastor who told McNeal his church was growing so fast it didn't have time to do evangelism.

"This has a lot to do with us not doing an action but recapturing who we are," McNeal said. "It has authenticity and you can't ignore it. The missional renaissance is the biggest reshaping of the church since the Reformation."

Affiliated with the Dallas-based Leadership Network, McNeal 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.

A new vision

Not only does it mean shifting one's emphasis to ...