ClarkFrailey.com

You can shine like stars in the universe.

clark — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:49:00 +0000

"But I'll never get this project completed!" "Those potholes are so huge – why doesn't someone fill them?" "I'll never get these books read." "I don't care for this music…. it's too loud/soft/fast/slow." —– The litany of complaints never ends. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy that what you complain about with words but refuse to take action on will never [...]

Linchpin: Seth Godin’s look at art

clark — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:30:26 +0000

Seth Godin's Linchpin takes a look at the artist inside of all of us. Nothing short of sparking a revolution in the way we think about our daily lives and work – Godin challenges the reader to become indispensable by engaging our work with passion instead of becoming the dull, monotonous "cogs" in a corporate [...]

Takeaways from “Ignite” by Nelson Searcy

clark — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:57:07 +0000

My takeaways from "Ignite" by Nelson Searcy This is my fourth Searcy book to complete in the past four months: Activate, Launch, Fusion, and now Ignite. His books are easy to read, chock full of practical advice and experience, and they read like I think. I'm a sucker for his books now, I even pre-ordered this [...]

My takeaways from Creating Community (Andy Stanley)

clark — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:33:54 +0000

My takeaways from Creating Community (Andy Stanley) We must push people to get in groups. The alternative is "disconnected, isolated, lonely people…not a viable option." Group experiences across the church need to be predictable – not in boring but in what their purpose is, how they will meet, etc. Clarify the "wins" for groups Strive for 100% participation There are [...]

Connecting the concentric circles with social media

clark — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:08:50 +0000

Rick Warren introduced an idea several years ago in his book "Purpose Driven Church". The concentric circles represented the influence and relationships of a community in this order: Community Crowd Congregation Committed Core It provides a handy framework for understanding influence and commitment among the people in any given church environment. I began thinking recently about the use of social media [...]

3M’s – Message, Music, & Munchkins

clark — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:57:12 +0000

I was recently asked to give the top 3 things that were my priorities in ministry. After thinking about it there are three things I’d die for – battles that I’m willing to fight for in church work and they go like this: Message – biblical and relevant Music – contemporary and passionate Munchkins – excellent children’s ministry, [...]

2:00 am and driving to a hospital

clark — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:04:22 +0000

The pastor that helped me begin to follow Jesus Christ, baptized me, taught me to golf, preached at my ordination and wedding, and mentored me through my early years in ministry died recently from complications with a brain tumor. Phil embodied to me the calling of a pastor and the desire to pursue God in all [...]

Bowled over

clark — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:52:45 +0000

Wendy, the boys, and I embarked on a new adventure this past Sunday as we were welcomed to our new church home in Edmond at Coffee Creek Baptist Church. Something more and more rare in ministry, this church took great care of us as we transitioned to their ministry. We were welcomed with a luncheon and [...]

The Problem of Default

clark — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:38:55 +0000

Default. It’s so incredibly boring. Fire up your favorite desktop publisher, word processor, or presentation software. Select “default” for everything and see what you get. Rubbish. That’s because default is easy, known, and standard. Of course it’s not always the best solution, but it’s certainly easier than having to think, be creative, and ask questions. Dictionary.com says default [...]

Asking the tough questions

clark — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:54:21 +0000

An increasing trend among my fellow pastors on facebook is the collaboration during message preparation. Often I’m the one asking for help with a text or thoughts on an illustration. This week a friend posted a need for info on the topic of the “uniqueness of Jesus” in the context of faith. I offered my humble [...]