Adios Buckhead Church, Hola Buckhead Church And Your Moms Church And Your Church
I have a dream. Wait. Dangit. That line’s used already.
Let me try that again…
I live a dream. I do. For some reason, God has dropped me smack dab in the middle of a fantasy. I don’t pretend to think I don’t have it well. I do. And the dream keeps getting bigger.
If you look to the right side of my blog you see this…
“My life goal is to inspire a movement of authenticity among all generations of Christians that morphs the face of the evangelical church into a place of being real with yourself, others, and God.”
And it truly is. I’m slowly beginning to see the potential for that crazy statement to take place.
Opportunities that allow my family and I to chase hard after that statement are unfolding left and right.
From my music project with my new family at Integrity, to forming a tribe of creatives that I honestly believe will create culture which in turn will change the world. And many things in between.
The time has come to make an extremely hard decision.
I am going to cease being “Service Programming Director” at Buckhead Church.
This decision did not come easily. I mean seriously? I have most of your dream job. I know.
Thus I know it is a God thing.
I feel propelled to step out into a role where I can help the global church.
That would be Buckhead Church, your mom’s church, your church.
Jeff and I have been discussing this for a while and it did not come quickly or easily.
But it is the right decision and I’m extremely excited about the road that is being paved and still hot and smells like hot asphalt in front of me.
Here is the cool part.
I’m not going anywhere. Not moving back to So Cal. I’m staying right here. ATL baby. Dirty South. I’ll still be leading worship at Buckhead Church and ideating with Jeff and the amazing team here. So in a sense, I get to have my cake and eat it too. Only without the health insurance. 
I believe whole heartily in what North Point Ministries is doing around the world and am honored to be able to continue to be involved.
Just now, I get to be involved while being involved with you as well.
Here are the details from my boss.
Jeff Henderson is about to make his Ragamuffin Soul dot Com guest blogger appearance. Please welcome him with a round of applause.
From Jeff…
Is there anything Carlos Whittaker can’t do? He’s a great worship leader, can brainstorm like crazy and is the personification of developing online community. The dude can even play some mean ping-pong. (I should know. He beat me in the Buckhead Church staff ping-pong tourney in ‘08.) As you know, Carlos is the real deal. He loves Jesus. He loves Heather and the kids. He loves the Church. In turn, we all love Carlos. Knowing that, I knew it would probably be only a matter of time before God opened up other doors for Carlos to serve beyond Buckhead Church.
This week Carlos is transitioning from his role in Service Programming to help us launch “North Point Online.” Beginning August 16th, North Point Online will offer a live webcast of the Sunday evening worship service at Buckhead Church. Following the lead of our friends at LifeChurch.tv, NewSpring and others, we are looking forward to venturing into an online church experience that creates an opportunity for our attenders to invite their friends outside of Atlanta into a growing relationship with Christ. I have asked Carlos to help us with this new initiative.
After the launch in August, Carlos will transition off of the Buckhead staff into his own coaching/consulting ministry helping other churches, including ours. He is one of the most gifted people I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with and I’m excited to see the Lord open up doors for Carlos to impact the Church at a new level. In fact, his coaching venture is already off to an incredibly strong start.
He’ll still be a part of what God is doing at Buckhead, but now he’ll be able to be a part of what God is doing at your church as well. That’s a win-win. After all, we’re all on the same team anyway. (Plus, this year, I might be able to win the Buckhead staff ping-pong tournament.)
Ok. I wrote that. No. Kidding. Jeff wanted you to know from his mouth too. Or his fingers.
As well, so you know there is no drama what so ever. Nothing hiding in the darkness. So don’t bother looking. Like we seriously are having emo hugging times once a week. Andy and Jeff are my biggest cheerleaders and I’ll always appreciate them for that.
So where does that leave us? Self Employed. My family and I are pumped about this next adventure. I’m up for leading worship at your church, coming in and helping with your programming needs, ideating, consulting, sewing, preaching, KIDDING, and just plain disturbing and disrupting career Christians to a place of authentically desiring to sprint back into Christ’s arms again.
You ready?
‘Cause life is too short to not do what God is calling you to do.
Chase hard after God’s calling.
It’s better that way.
Let’s go.
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
um….come to my church just once. we need something to shake up things. excited for you los. praying for you and your family tonight.
shake it up yourself Tyler! and bring Carlos out
Holy crap!
hahaha!
this is great Los… God is going to use you in great ways! and, sure…come on over to central IL…I think we could use some shaking up too…
Wow Los! Awesome, and welcome to the world of church online! Praying God continues to guide and provide!
Awesome…welcome to the great wide open.
I'm excited for you, Los. As someone who's been following your blog for the last couple years and your tweets, (all 435 a day) for a while now, it's been really cool to watch God work with and through you; also how real and open you are regarding the good, hard, and the ugly. It's inspiring to watch, err, read. Blessings on you and your family.
p.s. If you're ever in Alaska, I'll hook you up.
Dustin… we can be in Alaska whenever you need!
Seriously? Sounds great and scary and amazing and terrifying and brilliant.
Wow! Hope the best for you brutha! Does this mean more visits to the IE??
May God bless you and use you to bless all you come in contact with in your new venture. I've been self-employed for almost three years and it's scary, still, at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way and I trust God and His plan, as I know you do. Peace.
Carlos, you are a brave man.
No sire. Brave would be staying when God says go.
GREAT way of saying it Los. Agree whole-heartedly.
Congrats! Can't wait to share the journey and see where this takes you.
See ya in a month.
Los,
That’s awesome! Look forward to seeing where God takes this. Thanks for being real!
Blessings!
I'm moving to plant a new church in the San Antonio area about that same time. Sounds like we get to be scared to death and pumped our of our minds at the same time bro. I'll be praying for you.
come out to the pnw and shake us up carlos!
im excited for you and the fam! this is rad.
i love how you know, to the bottom of your toes, what youre supposed to be doing…and…YOU DO IT!!
thank you for that – you set a fine example for, and inspire the rest of us.
Congratulations Los! How exciting for you and your family! What an amazing adventure you're about to go on! May God bless you and all you set out to do! If I still worked for a church I would definitely beg them to fly you in. You are going to turn the churches you visit into amazing avenues for people to connect with God all over the world! Good Luck and God Bless!
Ready.
Sounds like you got some great support. Blow our minds and make Jesus proud!
so awesome. can't wait to hear whats next.
and you're a professional church hopper too? welp, see you soon then!
Breathe Spirit, Breathe.
I’m seriously proud of you. And inspired. Way to go, Los.
freakin. sweet.
im loving this.
I'm jealous. I have 25 more days of employment and then 25 more days before I move to the Dominican Republic.
Praying for you guys on your new adventure. Enjoy the ride
Oh, and come to Australia (with Israel) for Hillsong conference… pretty please….
Praying for you. I have been following your journey for the last few years and am eager to see where God leads you!
Awesome bro. Thanks for leading the way in the area of faith. May God continue to rattle all of our cages. Now we all need to know your hourly rate for a cup of coffee.
Ok, wow. I'll be calling my church ASAP. Is it to late to sign up for te creatives?
*applause* I saw this coming, and I'm so freaking proud of you I might just cry. Crap. Too late.
So good man!! So good!! Doing what God wants you to do is the best place to be. Looking forward to see how God uses you to shake up the local church!!
"I’m up for leading worship at your church"
Would that include like for example our church in the beautiful country of the Netherlands?
Anyway: congrats on this move! Can't wait to see what God has in store for you!
YES!!!
YEAH! Go for it, I'll be praying for you and your family! Exciting times!
Los, this is just awesome. There were some definitive God moments happening this weekend and of course, there's no coincidence that this is announced the day after Pentacost! We'll be praying for you, your family, and the newest North Point ministry. So, when's North Point going to add a West Point and plant something in SoCal???
Oh man! Los is going global! I look forward to seeing more of what comes for you & pray that God supplies all you & your families needs.
That's awesome. It's a big step, but I'm glad to see you step out on faith. You've already helped many of us through what you share here on ragamuffinsoul.
Very awesome Los!
Thanks for being an inspiration of following Chris even when it's a little wacky.
You are a dangerous man – dangerous but good!
I look forward to hearing how you are used.
Rock and roll my friend. Rock and roll.
peace|dewde
Giddyup!
Just started following you. Found you, from your wife..who I found from Holly Furtick….who I found from….just kidding – but you get the picture, I somehow came across and glad I did.
You will do GREAT with your coaching/consulting.
You got IT!
Praying for you in Austin, Texas
Hey, do you want to come and take Ben's position at Catalyst? Doesn't look like you'd have time, but just asking.
it's always an intensely awesome experience when we show faith to step out of what has already been an amazing experience into something new! you are a great example for everyone to look to. i admire what you're doing my friend and i know we will be hearing more awesomeness from you very soon! Glory to God!
very col. will be praying for all of you during this exciting time for you
Wow. I tell ya, I never know what I'm going to read here next. But it's always surprising and exciting.
Exciting stuff! I know that many will be blessed by this step of faith!
This is very exciting! I know that many will be blessed by your step of faith.
sweet-ness Los…can't wait to see what's next
Really an answer to a prayer. A friend from Atlanta is moving to Uganga later this year and was asking me today to forward whatever sermons I'm listening to when we are gone (I'll be in the Dominican Republic at the same time). I started telling her about NewSpring and other online services but have never tried them. Looking forward to being a part of it and not just listening to sermons but being a part of community online.
I've gotta admit a little jealousy creeping up my spine as I've been reading everybody's comments.
To truly let God be the master of your destiny is something that most of us ( I ) shy from because it's just too frightening to fathom.
At the same time, I am excited for you and your fam. And keep thanking God that you get to live out the dream of so many and dispel the myths of the dream turned real.
How great! God bless you!
That's incredible news!! Dreaming keeps us alive so I'm inspired by your willingness to pursue your God-given dream at all costs. Will most definitely be praying for you & the family as you go on this new adventure! And thrilled to see it all unfold!
this is awesome. I'm looking forward to all that is happening soon.
Carlos, this is inspiring and exciting. God is so good! Can't wait to see what you get up to next…
Were you joking about the sewing or the preaching? My wife is looking for some help in her purse business, she does a lot of sewing!
Awesome to see others leaping out into the dark with only a huge vision from God leading them!
Shine on…I know God is going to use you greatly for his plan.
Congrats man !!!
amazing.
Dang bro! I'm offline for a couple of days and I come back to this!?!
Wow, I'm so happy for you. That's awesome that you're going to be pursuing the dream God has called you too. I'll be praying for you and look forward to hearing more about it in person next time I swing through the ATL.
First of all, congratu-freakin-lations! That's awesome! Taking that step is awesome. I'm happy for you guys!
And second – more or less importantly – wher do we sign up? Or, rather, where do we sign YOU up?? I mean, how does one go about bringing you to their church and… umm… how do we know how much moola you need? I'm all about supporting a ministry, especially one that's just beginning.
More info, puh-LEASE!!
So very excited for you! Love seeing where God is taking you. You constantly challenge me by taking the plunge no matter what! Thank you for that!
Keep walking in God's will and he will bless you more.. Praying for you man!!!
Awesome Carlos! God bless you and the rest of the Whitakers. We will be praying for y'all as you step out in faith to follow God's calling.
Disrupt away, bro!
Bubba
that is the dumb idea ever. no. kidding. you only live once. make it count. dream big. risk big. do something big for/with God.
CONGRATS, bruh! Wish you all the best and look forward to updates along the way.
So excited for you and your family man! We will be praying for you guys!
gave me chills. amped for the dream to continue. grateful to know you and be around your creative self. brilliant my friend. brilliant.
Woohoo! I'm scared and excited for you all at once! I can't wait to see how He uses you…
Way to go man. You, Ben Arment, Tony Morgan… what in the world? God is up to some craziness. Moving people into some uncomfortable waters… but isn’t that where He wants us to be anyways?
We should form a spiritual Entrepreneur’s club. Godpreneur’s.
Entrepreneur:
A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
Godpreneur:
A person who steps out in faith, with considerable initiative and risk, hearing the call and answering to leverage their gifts for Kingdom impact.
Awesome time with ya'll last weekend at the cove. Tell the kids the chics and lambs are missing them . Ya'll come back soon ya hear!!!!
Huge News! That is awesome…incredible support from your family (physical, NorthPoint, and online)! Good luck bro..
Congrats, man. Dream chasing is way fun when God is the One holding the dream. Just more motivation and inspiration for me as I go after mine.
Your a blessing! I don't know you personally, never met you, but you have trully inspired me. Just your sharing of yourself in any normal sitution awesome and sometimes amusing. I work as a creative in my church, edit video, create graphics etc. But you have opened my eyes to being real. No longer am I creating for the saved now I creating to reach the unsaved. I am praying for you, I haven't but I am going to start. Continue to look towards that higher calling brother! Much Love! Oh and everybody needs a personalized bobble head ;D
Peace
RWR
I love that people find you through me! YES!
Peace and blessings to you and your family. I will continue to pray for you.
Hey Los,
Been following you for a while and putting the bug in the ears of the powers that be (the creative staff) at my church to take a look at the way you build community online. Turns out we're about to launch an internet campus, so you can bet I'll be cozying up to our new Internet Campus Pastor (arriving in town in two days) and telling him all about you, assuming he doesn't already know.
Keeping you and your family in prayer as you make an amazing step of faith. I know God will honor it and use you. He's pretty amazing that way.
Reading you these past months, I've been sensing an earthquake coming in your life. I am confident that you will facilitate amazing things; God has your back!
Said it before, I'm saying it again…you are an inspiration to us all! Can't wait to see how God uses you next. It's gonna be great!
yay carlos. I applaud your courage and can't wait to hang out more now that we don't have jobs. =) God's got big things in store for you.
way to go man…the Church is proud of you.
Like I said on Heather's blog (yes, I read her comments first) I've only been following you since Nov or Dec. I wouldn't keep coming back if what you say or do didn't capture my interest. God puts people in our paths for a reason! Even peeps who may never meet in real life. It's amazing to me how I have grown since I remembered to go to Mercyme's site & follow the live version of what I had seen the night before. I met some amazing people! And still talk with several on a daily basis. I know with the number of followers you have that there is a huge need for stimulation on a daily basis. Not just that Sunday thing. You are opening up a whole new world for people. God has you on an amazing journey & it's exciting to me, a thousand miles from you. I'll hang on for the ride.
gotta love it! congrats, dude. That's what you get for hanging out w/ people like @recreate! (grin)
Hey Carlos – don't worry about the health insurance thing! You always have Dutch, and he would love to see you healthy (but he loves the sick ones too – that's how he puts up with us!). Love you guys and we are excited with you. God is doing crazy things with us in Griffin as well – love to talk to you about them sometime. Hunt & Manda
"just plain disturbing and disrupting career Christians to a place of authentically desiring to sprint back into Christ’s arms again.
You ready?
‘Cause life is too short to not do what God is calling you to do.
Chase hard after God’s calling.
It’s better that way."
Wow. Great words, colossal goal. Thanks! Oh yeah, and keep on doing what God's calling you to do.
Muy chido. Just prayed for your new adventure. Continued blessings to you and your familia.
Wow. I will pray for you and the Family. This is very exciting. Contratulations, Los.
Happy for you.
More happy for Buckhead, my church (hopefully!) and all the other churches you will be able to influence and impact in the areas of creativity, worship and authenticity.
Big time win for the Kingdom of God today!
Godspeed!
Hey man! Happy for you and the fam! Looking from the outside…in…with you guys, lifechurch.tv., healing place, new spring, and a ton of others you are revolutionizing what the church will look like in the future. But I know you know this. So I pray that your seeking never stops. Thanks. See you at Echo bro.
Speechless . . . GOD is so great !!! Here he said He wanted us to have life and that more abundantly . . . all we have to do is go when He says go . . . GOD makes it simple , we make it complicated You and all your family are in my prayers
wow… you are a man of faith, Los. I pray that when my door of opportunity opens that I am as willing to forego the comforts of status quo and brazenly pursue the dream of God as you are doing right now. Thank you for your "realness" and I will be praying for you even more now that you are stepping even deeper into the call of God on your life. Your family will be in my wife and mine's prayers brothaman.
Peace for now!
Central Florida would love some Los by the way! I'll find out how to make this happen…
Congrats!! I know it was a tough position but it is great to see a body that is so supportive in you moving into other God lead things. As a self-employed person I know insurance is crazy…check out PeachCare for the kids and I just got insurance through AIGA. So let me know if you need help in that dept.
couldn't let all those typos set there…one mo' 'gin…
Congrats!! I know it was a tough decision but it is great to see a body that is so supportive in you moving into other God led things. As a self-employed person I know insurance is crazy…check out PeachCare for the kids and I just got insurance through AIGA. So let me know if you need help in that dept.
When I read this today…I was shocked.
Then however, I read on. This is an exciting opportunity and I will definitely be praying for you as your journey out into the unknown where God is calling you.
So cool. Like Jeff said, it was obvious that it was just a matter of time until God had you do something bigger. My son and I came to the Of the Blog night and then I really knew that God was freeing you to move on to much more! Can't wait to see it flesh out. Maybe not a good word, flesh. Anyway, also very excited about the webcast weekly since we have moved to Florence, SC. We are loving the NewSpring church here but its just not the same as Buckhead.
Now we will get both. Syched. Blessings.
Excited for you and praying for you and your fam! Looking forward to seeing what God's gonna continue to do through you!
Wow. Cool. Let us know when you role through Austin!
That is going to be awesome and a great step for you and your family! Enjoy it!
Wow. That took balls. Best of luck.
wow, man that is awesome.
I look forward to reading about the progress and ultimately to view the outcome.
oh, to be self-employed… free to serve the Church — all for glory of God.
Sewing?
Ah, more inspiration to strike out on my own. Best wishes and I'll be watching to see what happens next!
great news. really looking forward to seeing how God continues to use you for his glory. peaceout homie.
You sure like a rollercoaster Los. Bold move. Keep them coming.
Praying.
Praying for you and your new venture…. Don't forget Prov. 2:3-5….. Trust and "lean NOT on your own understanding…" Being self employed is a constrant dependance on the Lord and it forces us to trust ALL THE TIME. God Bless ;*)
I finally got a chance to read this. Incredible step of faith. I seem to be surrounded by similar steps right now. A good friend of mine from church is leaving in 2 weeks for full time mission work in Thailand. Another friend of mine picked up and left Pittsburgh to follow God's lead, without so much as an idea of work, to Chicago. Our current worship pastor and band director came from California via Arizona and Canada via Texas respectively. They all are taking or took giant steps of faith, as you are doing, to follow God's calling.
How did you discern your calling and "hear" from God that this was the next step? I am in a place where I am comfortable, but I don't feel like this is where I am supposed to be in the long run. Your story and the stories of my friends inspire me, but I can't seem to get through all the noise to hear God on the issue.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
@tlamarca on twitter
acramal@gmail.com
facebook.com/tlamarca
Hey, Los.
wow–I’m just now hearing about this
astonished, amazed, perplexed and encouraged that you would take such a step of faith. praying for you.
Sounds like an absolutely perfect transition for you. Was surprised when I heard the initial thoughts of you leaving, but to hear you're not actually leaving, and that you're going to be even more available to other churches and congregations is just amazing! Can't want to see what God ordains through your new efforts and activity.