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<p>About Leadership Network xvii</p> <p>Foreword xix</p> <p>Introduction xxi</p> <p><b>PART ONE Recasting Vision</b></p> <p>1. Unoriginal Sin: Neglecting Uniqueness 5</p> <p>2. The Fall of Strategic Planning: Obscuring the Essence 17</p> <p>3. The Iniquity of Church Growth: Caging the Kingdom 27</p> <p>4. Lost Congregations: How Churches Adapt to the Vision Vacuum 40</p> <p><b>PART TWO Clarifying Vision</b></p> <p>5. The Good News of Clarity: Why Believe in Vision Today? 51</p> <p>6. Clarity Pre-Evangelism: Softening Your Heart for Clarity 61</p> <p>7. The Alpha and Omega of Clarity: The Ultimate Source of Vision 69</p> <p>8. Hear the Cloud of Witnesses: Learning from Vision Legacies 75</p> <p>9. Discover Your Kingdom Concept: How to Ascertain Vision 83</p> <p>10. Take a Closer Look: Navigating Your Discovery Process 99</p> <p><b>PART THREE Articulating Vision</b></p> <p>11. See with New Eyes: Defining Your Vision Frame 111</p> <p>12. Carry the Holy Orders: Mission as Missional Mandate 119</p> <p>13. Feel the Common Heartbeat: Values as Missional Motives 128</p> <p>14. Show Me the Way: Strategy as Missional Map 136</p> <p>15. Talk the Walk: Measures as Missional Life Marks 151</p> <p>16. Frame the Future: Preparing for a Vision Lifestyle 164</p> <p>17. Speak with New Tongues: Articulating Vision Proper 178</p> <p><b>PART FOUR Advancing Vision</b></p> <p>18. Wage War Against the Status Quo: From Articulation to Traction 197</p> <p>19. Meet Long in the Upper Room: The Secret of Attunement 207</p> <p>20. Transform the Future: Delivering Vision Daily Parting Thoughts 215</p> <p>21. Resurrect Your Uniqueness: If You Copy Someone Else’s Vision, Who Will Accomplish Yours? 234</p> <p>Appendix A Logos and Strategy Icon Examples 237</p> <p>Appendix B Vision Path Examples 243</p> <p>Notes 247</p> <p>Bibliography 255</p> <p>Acknowledgments 259</p> <p>About the Author 261</p> <p>Index 263</p>

"[Mancini] gives a compelling rationale for the church to move on and accompanies this rationale with instructive support and church-wide challenge. All mission boards and vestries would benefit from the materials contained therein."<br /> —The Rev. Jeffrey A. Mackey, <i>The Living Church</i> magazine (Sept. 2008) <p>Mancini (founder, Auxano consulting group) believes that all churches need not be megachurches like Willowcreek (IL) or Saddleback (CA). Here, he avoids a mere discussion of churches worthy of emulation and further crosses denominational lines, having himself worked alongside Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, and others. Mancini eschews the title <i>consultant</i> , preferring instead <i>vision navigator</i> . In short, he helps leaders focus on their own unique cultures and congregational fingerprints. Once churches grasp that they are one of a kind-much like galaxies, fossils, DNA, and sandbanks-they can then, Mancini writes, unleash their full potential. The book, complete with an appendix as well as logos and icons illustrating various churches' visionary thinking, is strengthened by numerous flow charts, diagrams, graphics, and pithy quotes. It has the potential to unseat Rick Warren's <i>The Purpose-Driven Church</i>  in popularity. Yet academic libraries may want to pass on this title for its admitted lack of supporting empirical evidence. Public libraries, on the other hand, would be wise to purchase a copy. With a foreword by inspirational giant Max Lucado.<br /> —C. Brian Smith, Arlington Heights Memorial Lib., IL (<i>Library Journal</i>, May 1, 2008)</p>

<p><B>WILL MANCINI,</B> a former pastor, is the founder of Auxano, a national consulting group that works with traditional and emerging churches and ministries of all types around the country. Their mission is to navigate leaders through growth challenges with vision clarity (auxano.com). </p>

<p><i>Church Unique</i> offers church leaders a way to transform their leadership and vision with missional effectiveness. </p> <p><i>Church Unique</i> is written by church consultant Will Mancini—an expert on a new kind of visioning process to help churches develop a stunningly unique model of ministry that leads to redemptive movement. He guides churches away from an internal focus to emphasize participation in their community and surrounding culture. In this important book, Mancini offers an approach for rethinking what it means to lead with clarity as a visionary. Mancini explains that each church has a culture that reflects its particular values, thoughts, attitudes, and actions, and shows how church leaders can unlock their church’s individual DNA and unleash their congregation’s one-of-a-kind potential. <p>Mancini explores the pitfalls churches often fall into in their attempt to grow, such as adding more programs, using outdated forms of strategic planning, or adopting the latest conference technique. He explores a new model for vision casting and church growth that has been tested with leaders in all kinds of congregations, including mainline, evangelical, small, and large. The practices and ideas outlined in <i>Church Unique</i> will help leaders develop missional teams, articulate unique strategies, unpack the baggage of institution-alism, and live fully into their vision. <p>Whether leading a megachurch or church plant, a multisite or mainline, a ministry or parachurch, <i>Church Unique</i> will provide inspiration as a practical guide for leading into the future. There is a better way. <p><B>ABOUT LEADERSHIP NETWORK</B> The mission of Leadership Network identifies and connects innovative church leaders, providing them with resources in the form of new ideas, people, and tools. Contact Leadership Network at www.leadnet.org.

<br /> "This is the most courageous book I have ever read on church life. McNeal nails the problem on the head. Be prepared to be turned upside down and shaken loose of all your old notions of what church is and should be in today's world." <br /> — George Cladis, senior pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Oklahoma City and author, <i>Leading the Team-Based Church</i> <p>"With humor and rare honesty Reggie McNeal challenges church leaders to take authentic Christianity back into the real world. He's asking the right questions to help us get back on track."<br /> — Tommy Coomes, contemporary Christian music pioneer and record producer, artist with Franklin Graham Ministries</p> <p>"Reggie McNeal throws a lifeline to church leaders who are struggling with consumer-oriented congregations wanting church for themselves. <i>The Present Future</i> will recharge you passion."<br /> — Rev. Robert R. Cushman, senior pastor, Princeton Alliance Church, Plainsboro, New Jersey</p> <p>"Christian leaders will find great questions being answered in this compelling and motivating work that unwraps what he calls 'the realities of the present future' in the church today."<br /> — Kelvin Gardiner, district superintendent, Christian and Missionary Alliance.</p> <p>"The momentum of God that allows visionary ministries to experience exponential growth stalls for the lack of great management (having the right systems and people in place to move to the next level). This is a must read for the young entrepreneur at the beginning of ministry or the seasoned pioneer!"<br /> — Mike Slaughter, senior pastor, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, Tipp City Ohio</p> <p>"I would highly recommend this book to any person interested in the current state of the Church in North America and the future of that Church. It is time that we pay attention to the realities of our ministry context and like David's 'Men of Issachar' discern the right path into the future."<br /> — Rick E. Morrow, pastoral care coordinator, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina</p> <p>"This book is a rare find in which McNeal lovingly challenges the church with a spirit of adventure and rediscovery."<br /> — The Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, Bishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana</p> <p><br /> </p>

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