Clif McKinley Dot Com

“You broke the bonds, And you loosened the chains

Carried the cross, Of all my shame, all my shame

You know I believe it, But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for”

Still Haven’t Found What I’m LookingFor – U2-The Joshua Tree

Many of you do not know a lot about me.  I tend to be a very measured and guarded person.  I don’t where my feelings on my sleeve.  Most people have to guess what I am thinking.  But I live most of my life very frustrated.  This is something God has placed inside of me, at least I believe that it is Him.  From the time I accepted the call of God and began walking the path of serving Him with my whole heart and life, I have had a desire to see the Church function as God intended.  I believe the local church is the hope of the world.  I believe local congregations can greatly impact the communities in which they are and bring about true revolution.  I believe with all my heart that Jesus did not die to start a religion, but a Spiritual Revolution!  I believe He stepped into human history to change things.

I have been frustrated for as long as I can remember because I don’t see this happening.  I see a lot of business as usual in the Church.  It is very easy to fall into comfortable patterns, to try and protect the bottom line, to play it safe.  But when I look at the life of Jesus, He never played it safe!  My goal is not to build a mega-church, but I am desperate to be apart of a church the is effective and makes an impact.  I live in the tension of what is and what I know should and could be.

I am keenly aware that I am not like most pastors.  I know I see the world and the church very differently than most of my peers.  I know I am very much out of place in the church culture of New England.  This only adds to my frustration.  I would fit in better at Lifechurch.tv or Newspring or Northpoint.  But God hasn’t seen fit to place me there, for now He has placed me here.  And I struggle to ministry as I feel God would have me to do it.

I have spent the last 7 years transitioning this church from a traditional church into a more culturally relevant and  community focused church.  A church that leads people to passionately love God, genuinely love one another, and practically love the world.  This has been a very hard road.   I have angered many, many have left the church.  For 7 year it has felt like 1 step forward and 2 steps back.  I’d like to think we are making progress but some days it doesn’t feel that way.  For as much progress as we have made I still feel we have so far to go.

It is such a challenge to move people to feel as I feel; see as I  see; and to want what I want.

The Bible tells us not to grow weary in well doing, but I have to admit, I’m feeling very weary.  So this me, pulling back the curtain a little, just being honest.  Please pray for me.

Thanks

I have live in New England for the last 18 years, you would think I would know better, you would think I would get it, BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I have been feeling spring fever all week, the weather has been warmer, the snow is melting, life is good right?  So Sunday morning as I step up to lead worship I comment on it, and make OH SO BOLD STATEMENT that the snow is done & spring is here!

Me & My Big Mouth, it SNOWED all afternoon!  Granted it didn’t accumliate, BUT IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!!!!  I have recieved numorus phone calls to remind me I live in New England and I should know better.

I can remember growing up that the rule was “Clear your plate.”  Eat everything that you were given, don’t waste anything, there are kids starving in Africa, so “Clear your plate.”  So we  get conditioned to eat everything on our plate.

In my work life/professional life I have adopted this to a degree.  Finish the To Do List, even though it is a mile long and things keep getting added, “Clear your plate.”

Well I am giving up on that.  I was listen to John Maxwell yesterday as I was working and one thing he said jumped out of the speakers and hit me hard in the head, “Practice Planned Neglect.”  Then he went on to talk about the 80/20 principle and the fact that there are things that you should not be doing.

The key is “planned neglect” there are things on the list that you don’t need to do, should not do, and should even pass on to someone else to do.  Focus on the things that give the greatest return for your time.  So I am presently evaluating my To Do List and asking myself “Where do I need to practice planned neglect?” “What are the things that give me the greatest return on my time?” and “What is just filler?”

Thoughts?

…It is a necesity!

Sadly we think that failure is not an option, when it is really a necessity.  If we are afraid to fail we will be afraid to even try new things.  Life, ministry, almost everything involves a level of risk, taking a chance, getting out there in the scary places.  It has been said, “if we aren’t failing, we aren’t trying.”  That is all too true.  I think many times we fail our way to success.

I’ve made many blunder as a public speaker.  When I was first starting out I was scared of looking bad, until that fateful day that I got up to preach and said everything I had to in 2 minutes and then paced back and forth saying “praise God, Amen, Glory to God” for the next 20 minutes.  CRASH AND BURN BABY!!!!  I am at the point now that I have embarrassed myself enough times to try anything when I am speaking.  This has freed me to be more creative and more bold.  It took a lot of failures, really bad messages, and vocal gaffs to get to this point.  I’ve failed my way to a level of success as a communicator.

We have taken stabs at different events that didn’t work.  Classes that didn’t work.  Programs that didn’t work.  As a result we have a better handle on what does work in our local context.  I call that a win.  As John Maxwell says “we have been failing forward.”  In the last 6 year as the lead pastor @ Lighthouse I have had many miss steps but each one has become a stepping stone to greater growth ad success for the church.

How about you?  Have you been failing forward?  Or do you feel that failure is not an option and you won’t even try until your sure you will get it right?

I’ve been a lazy blogger as of late, lots of stuff going, bla, bla, bla, etc…. anyway I have been reposting things from some of my favorite blogs/bloggers, so here is another cool one from Tony Morgan so enjoy and please throw in your two cents.

I’ve experienced failures. I’ve watched others fail. I’m guessing you’ve seen plenty as well. This morning I tried to think through some common reasons why failure happens. I’m looking forward to some healthy conversation on this one. With that, here are:

10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail

1. It’s not your passion. If it doesn’t make your heart beat fast or cause your mind to race when you’re trying to sleep, you’re probably doing the wrong thing.
2. You don’t have a plan. You need a vision, and you need to identify specific steps to make that vision become reality. That includes a financial plan. (I happen to believe you need direction from God on this.)
3. You’re waiting for it to be perfect. Test-drive it. Beta-test that new idea. You’ll fall into the trap of inaction if you think it has to be absolutely right from day one.
4. You’re not willing to work hard. Everything worth pursuing in my life has involved discipline and perseverance.
5. It’ll outgrow you. Keep learning. Keep growing. But more importantly, build a team of people including leaders that can be who you’re not.
6. You’ve had success in the past. I’ve watched organizations hang on to a good idea for too long. Time passes. Momentum fades. It’s risky to let go of the past and jump on the next wave.
7. You’re unwilling to stop doing something else. Complexity is easy. Simplicity takes discipline. You can’t build a healthy marriage if you’re unwilling to give up dating other women. Who/what do you need to stop dating?
8. You won’t build a team of friends. Anyone can hire from a resume. You need to find people you want to share life with. In the long run, great relationships will get you out of bed in the morning.
9. You won’t have the tough conversations. When breakdown happens (and it always does), someone needs to put on their big-boy pants and initiate the difficult conversation that leads to relational healing.
10. You’re afraid of failure. When fear consumes you, it will cause you to do stupid things. You’ll let negativity distract you. You’ll embrace the known, and grow comfortable with mediocrity. The more often you fail, though, the more often you’ll find success.

Here’s the deal. I don’t think this list is just about personal failure. This is about organizational failure (your ministry, your church plant, etc.). This is about business failure (your start up, your turnaround effort, etc.). This is about relational failure (your marriage, your dating relationship, etc.). The same principles apply.

Now it’s your turn. What else should be on the list? What are some other ingredients for failure you’ve experienced or witnessed? What would you add/delete from the list?

Faith is a persuasion, a firm conviction, based the facts about God’s character that causes us to place our trust in His promises.

It is being convinced that God is who He said He is and He can do all that He said He will do.

If we are “People of Faith” then why do do find it so hard to exercise faith?

Is it because our view of God is wrong?  Is He too small in our minds?  Is He unloving?  Uncaring?

Is it that we don’t understand His promises or just don’t know them?

I am reminded of Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, yes I am that old, when Indy had to take the “leap of faith,” he was stepping out into a great chasm, dropping to certain death but he took the step and landed on solid ground.  He was driven by the need to save someone he loved and it pushed him to really let go and step out in faith.

Yes it was just a movie and it was in the script, bla bla bla, but the image still remains.  What keeps us from letting go and really trusting God with every area of our lives?  Is it that we are not as intimate with him as we need to be?  We don’t know him well enough to trust him?

Whatever the case we need to get to the place where we REALLY trust Him and take Him at His word.  I think that when we really begin to do that we will see some amazing things happen in our lives and in our churches.

Thoughts?

This week Pastor Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch has been doing a sereis of posts on Swerve dealing with questions that he asks his leaders and team members.  I am re-posting the questions that he challenges team members to ask each other.  These are great questions for those in accountablity friendships.

Team Member to Team Member:

1. How is your relationship with God?
2. When is the last time you failed?
3. What faith risk are you currently taking?
4. What hard decision have you been postponing?
5. Who is speaking into your life and what are you learning?
6. What is your biggest vulnerability?
7. What are you dreaming about that you haven’t told anyone about yet?
8. If God would bless anything you did, what would you attempt?
9. Do you have any ongoing sin issues? What are you doing about it?
10. Are you doing what God has called you to do? If not, what can we do to help you to find the right fit?

Sometimes your kids get sick.

Sometimes they throw up.

Sometimes they trow up on you.

The joys of being a parent!

After a 2 weeks in Windows hell (let’s be honest it has actually been 13 years), I have seen the light and am walking away from windows.  Halleluhah I have been set free.  A generious congregate is giving me a Mac Book.  My deliverance has come, Herb and John I coming to the promised land!!!!!!!!!!

It is more than a day off, more then the start of the summer season, more than a family barbeque, it is a day to remember those that gave their lives as a sacrifice for the freedoms we all too often take for granted.

So takes sometime to reflect and remember all those who have given their lives for us.