Mike McDaniel - The Resurgent Church: 7 Critical Ways to Thrive in the New Post-Christendom World

PRAISE FOR THE RESURGENT CHURCH

Every leader who is longing to lead in the liminal times we live in would be well-advised to carry a copy of The Resurgent Church in his or her back pocket as a navigational roadmap to the future. Drawing from history, biography, technology, theology and wisdom as a global practitioner, Mike McDaniel gives a real gift to the church and those who want to understand the times we live in and how we can move forward.

ERIC SWANSON
LEADERSHIP NETWORK
CO-AUTHOR OF THE EXTERNALLY FOCUSED
CHURCH AND TO TRANSFORM A CITY

As the cultural ground has shifted under the feet of the church, how does one get a read on where things are and how churches should respond? The Resurgent Church helps you exegete the culture and then understand how a church can effectively fit into that moving world long term. It calls for and shows a scripturally rooted way for a lived-out commitment that is a reflection of the gospel. There is much in this book to ponder, both conceptually and practically. I commend it to those seeking a compass to find their churches way in a changed world.

DARRELL L. BOCK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT,
HOWARD G. HENDRICKS CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN
LEADERSHIP AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT

Bolstered by solid statistical analysis and laced with insightful missional thinking, in The Resurgent Church Mike reminds us of the massively changed cultural context in which we are called to faithfully deliver the message of the church and gives us some insightful clues on how to adjust. This is a really well-articulated book by an unusually perceptive church leader.

ALAN HIRSCH, AUTHOR & ACTIVIST
WWW.ALANHIRSCH.ORG

Its all here: a detailed analysis of the churchs current situation, a helpful explanation of the missional-incarnational paradigm, and a practical description of seven essential shifts the church needs to make to find its mission in a post-Christendom age. And its all written by a warmhearted missionary-pastor who lives what he teaches. Read it. Youll be glad you did.

MICHAEL FROST
AUTHOR OF THE SHAPING OF THINGS TO COME,
EXILES, AND THE ROAD TO MISSIONAL

Like the CrossFit workouts he does, Mike McDaniel puts us through a rigorous workout of various disciplines all designed to equip the church to navigate this new world. In The Resurgent Church he puts us through the traces of biblical exegesis, theological commentary, cultural exegesis, and practical examples of ministryall in order to prepare us for the rigors of leading a relevant and vibrant church. This volume not only gives hope, but dispenses massive doses of practical suggestions for those who take seriously the role of leading a movement.

REGGIE MCNEAL
AUTHOR OF MISSIONAL RENAISSANCE
AND KINGDOM COME

2016 by Mike McDaniel

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Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations designated NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quotations designated KJV are from the KING JAMES VERSION.

Quotations designated MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Quotations designated PHILLIPS are from J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition. Copyright J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016932946

ISBN: 978-0718-0787-7-5 (Softcover)

ISBN: 978-0718-0788-3-6 (e-book)

16 17 18 19 20 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my wife, who said, Dont quit! To my children, who said, We believe in you. To my mother, who said, I am proud of you. To my in-laws, who said, Weve got you covered. To Grace Point Church, who said, Take the time. Plus a special shout-out to Dan Stradtman, who helped me plow through the data when I was about to drown, and to Rob Suggs, who took my academic research and helped make it far more palatable and digestible.

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CONTENTS

COMMENDATION FOR THE RESURGENT CHURCH. ITS A MUST READ FOR all those seeking to lead a church of influence in the future.

Mike has skillfully written an in-depth analysis of the mission challenges facing Western churches as they are nudged to the sidelines in many Western cultural settings. The Resurgent Church is written in a popular style, which makes his insights accessible to a wider readership. He explains and cuts through the technical jargon festooning much of the literature dealing with culture and the churchs responses. While popular in style it does not oversimplify the complex array of these challenges. His breakdown of the unchurched, into the previously churched and never churched is particularly helpful. He avoids the blueprint, just-do-it-my-way approach by emphasizing the need for each church to prayerfully build its own strategy arising out of its unique context, and by providing a range of resources available online.

The fact that Mike McDaniel and his wife previously lived with their young family in an African village should not escape our attention. Those who have been impacted by such cross-cultural experiences pioneer much of the missional and incarnational ministry undertaken by church leaders today in Western churches. They return, seeing their own culture in a different light and bringing their insights and training to bear as they recognize the missional challenges facing churches throughout the Western world.