It was too late.  My foot was almost out and there was a good 6 or 7 people in front of me waiting to go through the metal detector.
And so began the walk of shame…

I made it all the way to the metal detector before the guy to my right gave me a whistle and a wink.

Sigh…
Los

So I call Heather from the MARTA Dunwoody Station with the unfortunate news that I missed my bus by 2 minutes.
I can barely hear her because Sohaila is WHALING in the background.
Me – “What the crap? What’s her deal?”
H – “She fell and split her chin open”
Me – “Oh. Dang. Um. How long has she been screaming like that? Cause I can wait for the next bus in 40 minutes if that’s cool…”
H – “I’m on my way” … click

By the time they got to the MARTA station Sohaila was only sniffling.
She has this pretty gnarly cut but nothing too nasty.
As I was putting her to bed tonight she started crying.

Me – “What’s up baby? Why you cryin?”
So – “I’m scared of going to school tomorrow with my chin like this”
Me – “You know what daddy says right?”
So – “Yes daddy. All the other daddy’s are jealous of you because you have me and they don’t”
Me – “That’s right.”
So – “But daddy. What do I do if someone is mean and makes fun of me?”
Me – “You tell them that your daddy is gonna go down there and kick their daddy’s…”
Heather – “CCCCCAAAARRRLLOOSSSS!!!”
Me – “Actually baby, come here…”

So we walked to the makup drawer where all of Heathers MAC makeup is and I grabbed some $40 stick of eyeliner…
I marked my face with a simular looking battle scar.
Sohaila knew what was up.
Me – “I’ll wear my line all day tomorrow if you promise to be strong at school and be proud of your tough girl line. OK?”
So – “OK Daddy. But Daddy…What if someone makes fun of you at work tomorrow?”
Me – “Baby. They make fun of me at work everyday. And look at me. I turned out OK.”
So – “No you didn’t daddy. You are drawing on your face with mommy’s makeup.”

I love my life.
Los

There are hundreds of thoughts, emotions, and lessons that could go along with Matt and Jefferson.
To watch them sing out and dance was a thing of beauty. Obedience. Unbridled Joy.
Thank you Matt and Jefferson for a shifting moment in my life.
What can we all learn from this picture of Authenticity?

Do Tell.
Los
Heather has a perspective from the other side.
*If you enjoyed this post make sure you subscribe to My RSS Feed

There is this myth in church world. Or “the Real World” for that matter.
That if you have an “artists” flare, or a large chunk of your DNA is creative in nature, you have this “LID” that you will automatically hit in your leadership capacity.
I have spent the majority of my ministerial career with my hands over my head waiting to hit this “lid”.
I have not hit it yet.
Why?
Because it is a myth. It is not true. It is a irrefutably unlawful leadership lie.
Although, I can see how administrator types can see us as frightening objects in the culture that is administration.
This lid can be avoided.

Let’s see how dictionary.com defines administration.

the management of any office, business, or organization; direction.

In a large sense, that describes a HUGE chunk of what I do.
How does a musician/artist/emotionalist handle leadership?
Tools and Form.
Here are what I think a person like me needs to have in place around them in order to never hit that imaginary “lid”.

1. Knowing Your Strengths AND Weaknesses
A great profiling system such as the Right Path profile system.
Click on that link and see the most uncreative, non artistic website you have ever seen. But those are the kinds of people who need to “analyze us”. I swear after I took the Path 4 and Path 6 test, I thought someone had been following me taking notes for the last decade. I read my profile weekly. It tells me how I can be the most successful in a high capacity work environment. Here is what this “test” figured out about me…

My STRENGTHS are that I am passionate, highly interactive, and I love to achieve, influence, and relate to others, especially with large groups. I thrive on variety, changes, new challenges, and opportunities to convince others of viewpoints. I point to the future with great optimism.
My STRUGGLES are that when I push my strengths to the extreme I may exaggerate, become emotional, and overlook key details. I may become controlling, impatient, or impulsive.

Needless to say that narrows me down to a T. I have 20 pages of graphs and notes explaining my head better than I ever could. I find this resource invaluable as a creative leader.

2. The Right Team.
This is invaluable. This means surrounding yourself with a team that does not look like you. I need some balance in my work life and creative decision making. So this is key. I have 13 people in my department that balance my strengths and weaknesses. As a creative and emotional leader I need some people who are not emotional and have pretty handwriting. If your team looks just like you, you have a major problem. And remember the last 3 words of the first sentence defining my struggles? That is what Katie is for. She is the most important factor in my leadership capacity. Having someone working with you to overcome your weaknesses is mandatory. And this does not need to be a full time or part time staff position. At Sandals this was fulfilled in a volunteer capacity by different people throughout my 9 years.

3. A Great Boss.
Quickly remove the BS meters from your domes for a second and follow me. You have to have a boss that allows you to form the structure of how you work to you. You have to have a boss that will spend quality time with you. You have to have a boss that trusts you. And you only get one chance at this trust thing. So don’t screw it up. Trust me. If you don’t have a good boss. Wear your hard hat. Because you will hit that lid multiple times a day.

4. The Right Organizational System
I honestly feel that the GTD system was made for creative artists. I wrote a post over a year ago as to how this single handily changed my capacity to lead. Go read that post. Then go here, here, here, and here.
Structure is essential as a creative leader leading creative people. The second you begin to lose structure, you lose credibility. And credibility is 90 percent of the conversation.

5. A Life Coach Group
What the heck is that? Simply? It is like a board of directors for the organization that is you. You are the point of this team. It is completely selfish.
What it is not… It is not an accountability group. It is not a bible study. It is not a beer and pipes on the back porch gathering.
What it is… It is a group of persons who gather together on a semi regular basis to pray for you, fast for you, guide you, and shape you as you attempt with every vein of your existence to live a life worth His calling.
Honestly I am still forming this group. I believe it should be multi generational. I believe it should not be more than 5 or less than 3. You should trust these people with your life and the lives of your wife and children. I am fortunate enough to have many people who fit this category in my life. I have 3 of my 5 in place. I’ll let you know when I finish the group. When I do, I am going to pay for them to travel to one location for 2 days of kicking my rear.

So there you have it. In my opinion, these are the key pieces to a creative artist’s unhindered leadership development.
In my experience the lid will never hit your lazy, unorganized, ADD head if you try and put these into place.

Lead Creatively…
Carlos

When I sat down I looked up at the frame to my left. Then it hit me. And I cried. I cried for 30 minutes.
This is what I was looking at.

6 months ago today I was standing on a stage in Riverside California leading a couple thousand engaged and worshiping family members in my last worship set at Sandals Church.
After 9 I left what quite possibly could have been the healthiest worshipping community in the United States. I say that quite literally.
When you look at the picture below you see my wife on the bottom holding her hands in her face.
Why? Because we knew we would not experience that again. At least not there.

And so I sit here in my chair. 2500 miles away. Crying as I type. Not because I do not want to be here. I know God called me here.
But I cry because I remember watching Sue, standing next to Heather, walk into our gymnasium for the first time and wonder what these people were doing lifting their hands up. When I left she was engaged in obedient worship. I cry because standing next to Sue is Jamila. Married in our gym during a church service. Turning her back on Islam and in turn watching her entire family turn her back on her. Knowing that the face she is seeing behind her closed eye lids is the face of Jesus. I cry because when I got to Sandals Church there was not one hand raised and when I left every fist was pumping.
So you see it is ok to cry. Because the truth is I miss that place called Sandals. It was home.
And although I do not aim to duplicate what God was doing there, here, I do aim to disturb career Christians into seeing His face fresh again.
Real With Myself, Others, and God.
Carlos

• 15″ Macbook Pro. 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo GLOSSY Screen

2 GB 667 MHz SDRAM
160 GB Hard Drive

• WD Passport 160 GB
• Belkin Sling Bag

TOOLS (online)

• iGoogle – This is my home base. Within this landing zone are my Google Apps…

Gmail
Google Reader
Google Calendar
Google Docs

• Firefox and Firefox Scripts (scripts as follows)

Greasemonkey
RTM + Gmail
Morning Coffee
Save It For Later

• del.icio.us

TOOLS (offline)

• ECTO
• Scrivener
• WriteRoom
• OmniOutlinerPro
• OmniFocus
• iCal, Mail, Address Book
• Quicksilver
• Wallet
• CuteFTP

These are the programs that shape my day.
Let’s make the comment section of this post our digital Home Depot.
Share your wealth of tools…
Los

What is it you do?

My own mother does not even know what I do.
And quite honestly, I think the answer to this question is going to continue developing the longer I am here, and the longer Jeff has to see me work in my strengths.
What does that mean?
That I am in the perfect place for someone striving to develop who they are in Christ on a daily basis.
I am in a church system in transition. In a place where I can’t “coast” and make it happen by the seat of my pants.
And I love it.

OK Listen up well. Because this is going to be the explanation I refer everyone to when they ask me…”Are you still leading worship? Is the cooperate environment gonna kill you? How can you work for a MEGA CHURCH?”
Yea. I get those almost every day.
Strap on your listening ears.
Here is the answer.

I am the Service Programming Director at Buckhead Church in Atlanta, GA.

There you go. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions.
Los

OK. Just kidding.
Here is the SIMPLE version and I will break it down from there.
I oversee Creative Elements (video shoots, title packages, brainstorming stuff, ect.), Host Teams (police officers, parking teams, greeter teams, lobby look and feel, ect.), Music and Worship (musicians, worship leaders, vocals, choirs green room hosts, ect.), and Production (lighting, audio, video, tech, volunteer coordination, ect.)
I lead the teams that create the “Adult Experience” on Sunday. And my goal every week is simple. That every adult that comes to Buckhead Church gets it.
What is it?
The authentic and relational love of Christ as shown through people, music, video, and message.

I also represent Buckhead Church in many multi campus meetings throughout the week. Since we are our own campus, we do things differently than the others. It is my job to serve as almost a liason between our campus and the others and be a promoter and quite possibly defender of Buckhead in many meetings.
Lots of meetings.
Lots of meetings.
But good meetings.
Healthy meetings.
Lots of meetings.
Why all the meetings?
3 Campuses.
3 Service Programming Directors.
1 Preacher.
1 Vision.
That is a tough thing to work out but we do it every week and it’s working.

OK. Let’s break it down even further.

1. Creative Elements – The leader of this section of life for me is Amber Blossom. She is UNBELIEVABLE when it comes to this stuff. She creates in her sleep. She makes my life easier. She questions for the sake of the unchurched. She is from Chicago. She is pregnant. Like the baby might fall out tonight pregnant. So she is leaving me. And I am sad. Not because she is going to birth a child. But because I am going to have to run creative meetings alone. And she brings the playdough. She produces videos, writes scripts, interviews interviewees, and SO MUCH MORE. Did I mention she is pregnant? Come back soon Amber!!!
2. Host Teams – This section of my team is run by Mike Hill. Mike is a man who LOVES people. You must be this in order to be in charge of loving each and every person who sets foot into Buckhead Church. The cops, the parking plan, the escalator, the lobbies, the HUNDREDS of volunteers. He leads that team with purpose. I could NEVER do his job. That is why he does it and not me. Oh. And he wears khakis. And that is ok. Because he is older than me and runs triathlons and could beat me in a race with one leg tied around his back. He comes to us from Cooperate America. So I let him wear the khakis. Because he makes khakis look good. Darn good.
3. Music and Worship – Danny Stephens. I already gave Danny more props that he will ever get from anyone here. He puts the Poet in Small Town.
4. Production – Tim Fancher. This guy’s world I won’t ever understand. And I won’t even pretend. There are more routers and switchers and colored cables going from the control room to the auditorium than you can imagine. He runs all things production. Audio, video, lighting and the works. He has an amazing team of volunteers who basically run the show EVERY Sunday. The control room looks like something out of CTU on 24. What the heck is a shadower anyways?

Now, there are more AMAZING full time staff within all those departments. I will brag on them in another post. For now you can meet the directors. Amber, Mike, Danny, and Tim. They run my world and we would be sunk without them.

That is just BUCKHEAD CAMPUS. Remember. There are 2 other campuses who I work with every week. The main players in my week from up north are Tyler Reagin, Julie Arnold, Andy Stanley, and their teams. I meet with them a few times a week for vision and direction and simple communication.
Tyler is SPD Director at Browns Bridge. Julie is SPD Director at North Point (and the OG when it comes to ANYTHING service programming). Andy is the boss. You know. Kinda like in charge of everything and stuff. I hang out with these cats a few times a week for various reasons and they will keep me sane.

Sunday’s
Sundays I produce. What is that? Well think of a concert or awards show or something. There are TONS of people doing 1000 different things. It is the producers job to make sure they are all accomplishing one goal. And that that goal gets accomplished. I don’t know how many production and music volunteers it takes to run a Sunday. I guess I should. But there are lots of them. And the producer has the final say and kinda guides the direction of the service. Looking at things from a big picture perspective. That is my main role right now on Sundays.

SO WAIT!!! YOU’RE NOT LEADING WORSHIP!!!!!???!!!

Slow down catfish. That is not the case. Here is where Jeff and I are.
I will lead worship. He wants me to lead worship. He wants me to lead sooner than I want to lead worship. Because Jeff knows that is what I am good at. When and where I don’t care. It is in my blood. It is who I am. I can do that with both my hands tied behind my back and with my eyes closed.
But the SPD part. I can’t do that with my hands tied behind my back and my eyes closed. That part of the job is going to take time. I am going to have to LEARN to do that. So it was my decision to tell Jeff that I want to wait a few months and really get this part of my job down before I jump into doing any worship leading. I have other events in the next few months leading for thousands of college students here and there that will fill my fix until I get my JOB down.
The most important thing for me is that I pour into my team like no other. That I show them that I am here to bring an authenticity and messy Chrisitanity to their lives. That is why they hired me. To lead a team in a authentic and relational way. And I am really good at that. But it will take time.

So here I sit. TOTALLY stretched and challenged in ways I never could be anywhere else. And I love it.
You know sometimes when you get really good at something and then just coast? That was me. Now there is no more coasting.
And so I call you out. Are you just chillin? Lazy? Getting fat? In all areas of life.
Get off yo butt and shake up your life.
It’s more fun this way.
Los

“Carlos, now where is it that you work?”

I work at like 4 places at once. But really one place. I know. It’s confusing.
So I start this week long series…
Welcome To Atlanta Where the Playas Play. I figure I don’t have a shot of convincing Jeff (sorry Jeff. It’s all I could find. you need a blog man.) to use this as a series title, so I’ll just go ahead and use it on my blog.
If you get bored with this kind of mumbo jumbo, click here. It will be far more interesting to you.

OK. This is really for the West Coasters. My wife thought Andy Stanley was Louie Giglio until 3 months ago. So this is all new for the West Side.

I work at a church. It is called Buckhead Church. Not “The Buckhead Church”. Not “Buckhead Community Church”. Just, Buckhead Church.
It is part of a parent organization called North Point Ministries. There are 3 North Point Ministry campuses and several strategic partners (btw, take a lesson on coding from that link when it comes to FAQ’s). The campuses are Browns Bridge Community Church, North Point Community Church, and Buckhead Church.
Look at the image below.
The circle is the perimeter freeway of Atlanta. It is called I-285. Not “The 285″ as I have been so politely reminded on a daily basis. But simply “I-285″. I know you west coasters are used to giving freeways their own identity. The 91. The 15. The 60. The 101. But not around here. They look at you like you are crazy if you say…

“So I will just shoot up the 85 to the 285 and exit at Lavista Rd. right?”

Trust me. So. I-285 surrounds Atlanta. The dot in the middle of my hand is Buckhead Church. In the “city” The dot on the perimeter, just north of I-285 is North Point Community Church. It is in Alpharetta. That is a city. That would be considered “the suburbs”. It is 20 miles north of Buckhead Church. The dot WAAAY up on my thumb is Browns Bridge Community Church. That is where Tyler works. It is like the suburbs of the suburbs. It is 20 miles north of Alpharetta. He has the same job I do. Only up there. If it looks 3 times as far as North Point is, it is not. I just suck at drawing and I like giving Tyler a hard time. They have the biggest stage in church history. You can land a 747 on it. I’m jealous. OK. Geography lesson over.

Andy Stanley (I wish I had a wiki) is the pastor and main teacher for all 3 campuses.
How does he do that?
Video.
So I work in a 40 million dollar building where thousands of people attend and the teaching is primarily on video?
Yes.
Crazy as it sounds. It works. Not only does it work. But lives are changing every day here at Buckhead Church and I am proud to be part of it.
I watched this Sunday as an HD, life size, preacher delivered a message of conviction and watched as thousands responded. My mouth still hangs open in awe at the effectiveness of this medium.
But the cool thing…on a screen or in the flesh…
Truth is Truth.
Los
And yes. That is Ludacris and Andy Stanley in the same Technorati tag. I like being the first.

Technorati Tags: Andy Stanley, Buckhead Church, Ludacris, North Point Community Church

***crickets***

Laughter.

Sarah made me feel like only half the loser I was. She swore up and down that the locker rooms look the same and it has happened before but no one has actually ever hung out in there.
She went in and rescued my boots, jeans, and bag.
And of’course, EVERY muscle clad male model happened to be working out at the entrance of the locker rooms when she escorted me in to retrieve my clothing.
They all looked a bit confused as I walked straight into the mens locker room to put my stuff away.
As I walked past them all towards the treadmills I heard a whistle and laughter.

It took everything in me not to turn around and wink.

So see. Ragamuffin don’t need no celebrity to make story.
Just follow me around for a day and you’ll have enough for a novel.
Los