While there are several classic McNeal nuggets in this 30 minute conference session from earlier this year, there was one particular metaphor that stood out that I had never heard/read from Reggie before.
He uses a helpful technology metaphor when speaking of the differences of extracting oil out from under the sands of Saudi Arabia (“as easy as sticking a straw in the sand and sucking the oil out”) and pulling oil out of difficult areas such as western Canada. He contends that alternative technologies must be used to make contact with the difficult to reach, embedded pools of oil. He then moves to say that he wants to challenge the existing church “to sponsor these alternative and parallel technologies that are going to reach deeply embedded pockets of our population that are never going to be church people, no matter what we do with church.”
By the way, we will be hosting Reggie McNeal for a one-day conference here in Kansas City on September 14th. If you would like to know more about that conference shoot me an email.
Classic Reggie. He has the ability to say deep stuff in a way that truly brings it home. Never get tried of hearing him.
Thanks for posting this Brad. Watched the Reggie interview then the roundtable. Loved the picture of the church being a who, not a what. Also the Kingdom metrics, learning your city and changing the city by fixing the problems. Good deeds earning good will then sharing the good news.