In the heart of Boca Raton, Florida, church planter Cliff McCray and his team at Radiant City Church are on a mission—to reach the next generation with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ and to raise up leaders who will carry that mission even further. As a church planter with Acts 29, Cliff isn’t just building a church—he’s cultivating a movement in South Florida.

From Gridiron to Gospel: Cliff’s Calling

Cliff’s story is one of redemption and purpose. A talented athlete, he was offered multiple Division I football scholarships, but everything changed when he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy before his senior year of high school, costing him those opportunities. Football had been his god and identity, and losing it was devastating. He enrolled in college to study engineering but lacked discipline, turning to partying and watching his grades slip.

Cliff believed football would bring stability, so after more medical tests ultimately cleared him to play, Cliff earned a walk-on spot at the University of Central Florida. That season, UCF won its first conference championship. Yet, even with success, Cliff felt empty and began questioning his purpose.”What does life mean? Am I just going to play professional football, get married, get old, have kids, and die?”

In 2008, the sudden death of a close teammate shook him. Amid grief and confusion, Cliff finally listened to a college pastor who had been sharing Jesus with him for years. Captivated by the Bible, Cliff encountered the gospel, gave his life to Christ, and was baptized. “I was the life of the party,” Cliff recalls. “When I met Christ, it was a crash collision. People were like, ‘What the heck happened to this guy?!’”

Football gave him discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills—but Jesus gave him a mission. That mission grew stronger through mentoring others, leading Bible studies, and eventually surrendering to the call of church planting. Today, Cliff uses that same energy and team-building mindset to lead Radiant City Church with authenticity and bold faith.

Engaging the Next Generation

Radiant City Church is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational church with a focus on reaching young people with a gospel that is both real and relevant. In a culture where many in the next generation are walking away from faith or never stepping into church at all, Cliff and his team are flipping the script by creating a church that feels like family and speaks to the real questions young people are asking.

Cliff’s football background gave him an opportunity to serve as chaplain for the Florida Atlantic University football team, allowing him to preach the gospel to them on a weekly basis. FAU then opened their football facilities for Radiant City to use. A few months later, Radiant City baptized 13 people—9 of them were FAU students, including 8 FAU football players! Today, in addition to their growing number of regular attendees, they are averaging about 40 students a week; many of them are athletes as buzz has been spreading on campus. Radiant City also uses tools like social media, podcasts, and creative events to break down barriers and invite people into gospel conversations. From campus outreach to hosting culturally aware conversations on faith, identity, and justice, the church meets people where they are—with the unchanging truth of Jesus. Cliff shares, “It’s just so exciting to see God moving in the lives of young people.”

A Sending Church at Heart

Reaching people is just the beginning. Radiant City is also a sending church. With the support of Acts 29, Cliff has committed to raising up and launching church planters who will take the gospel to other cities and neighborhoods in need of a vibrant, gospel-centered church.

Through preaching opportunities, a church planting residency, and strategic coaching, Radiant City is investing in multiplication from the start. Cliff has already taken a planter under his wing who will launch a church in late 2025 or early 2026 in nearby Lake Worth, Florida. ”We want to see a multiplicative movement happen here in South Florida.”

The Mission Ahead

The heartbeat of Radiant City is simple: to see lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the vision is bold: to raise up a generation of disciple-makers, leaders, and church planters who will carry that gospel into every corner of the world.