DoxA

Linkin Blogs

Los, AKA Carlos Whittaker has the most creative, slick and interactive of all the blogs I read. He is an artist, pastor, thinker, experience architect, and Web 2.0 junkie. Carlos was at Sandals Church in Riverside California where he served for 10 years as the Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts.  Sandals Church is an authentic community of believers whose goal is to be real with themselves, others, and God.  His passion for leading the church into a relational worship experience each and every Sunday was his hearts goal.

In August of  2007 Carlos and his family made the move from Southern California to Atlanta, GA.  Carlos became the Director of Service Programming at Buckhead Church which is one of the three North Point Community Church campuses.  He oversees all the Sunday adult experience and design.  He directly oversees all areas Hosting, Production, Creative, Video, Music, and Programming at Buckhead Church.  He also sits on the creative sermon planning team for Andy Stanley.

Carlos and Heather Whittaker make up a blogging power couple in Ragamuffinsoul.com and Whittakerwoman.typepad.com.  They have 3 children.  In November 2006 Carlos and his wife Heather adopted their son Losiah from Seoul Korea. And I warn you... this is one cute family and to mom and dad's credit, they like to showcase their cute kids prominently on their blogs... Sometimes way too much information and always engaging and interesting; I recommend a look at this Ragamuffin's soul and you to can be one of the quantrillion people who know Carlos.

Linkin Blogs

Almost employing an "eenie - meenie - miny - moe" method to determine which blog to highlight next, I realized since the Ironman World Championship will be this Saturday in Kona I should let you in on the little secrete most triathletes know as Slowtwitch. This site sits in my reader like a little treasure chest of information about triathlon products, people and performance (sorry I'm a pastor, they teach you to talk like that). The news is always the latest and is what I specifically subscribe for but the forum is the largest in the sport. Anyone and everything is discussed here. Want the latest conditions of a race coming up? Check the forum. Want to get reaction of fellow racers of the course you just completed? Check the forum. Want to know whether the bike you're about to purchase is a piece of junk? Ask the forum.

Again, this is a site that will appeal to only a few handfuls of DoxA readers but for those of you who do TRI, I think you'll find it worth your while.

Linkin Blogs

Without Wax, is a reference to the Latin term sine (without) cera (wax), from which the word sincere could have derived. It is also the name of the blog by Pete Wilson, who is the pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Cross Point is a five year old fast growing church that is reaching nearly 2,000 people each weekend between their two campuses. He spends most of his day leading, vision casting and preparing to teach. He is also the founder of Refined Resources, a non-profit ministry organization developed to create cutting-edge culturally relevant media elements and resources. Refined specializes in video teaching segments that can be used in church services, small group discussions, personal growth and more. Pete has been married to Brandi for 11 years and they have three wild boys; Jett (7), Gage (4), and Brewer (2).

Many of the folks I've gotten to know back in Nashville attend Pete's church and speak highly of him as a pastor and as a person. I've enjoyed his blog posts revealing short tidbits on life, the church and about what goes on in his life personally... I can relate. His blog is a reflection of momentary life experiences and I feel like there's a guy out there who's sharing the journey with me. I also have to mention for a pastor his blog is personal and highly read. His church community is connected to him through his blog and gives me hope for what social networking can do to help develop deeper community for Christ followers.

So get a little more sincere by adding some "Without Wax" to your day.

Linkin Blogs

Andrew Jones, otherwise known in the blogosphere as Tall Skinny Kiwi, is not only having a big impact on the emerging church through asking and developing community on line, he's also using old fashioned methods of connecting a face to face community through traveling and participating in conversations like the one I was part of last night.

Knowing for a couple of weeks now that we were going to gather a bunch of Silicon Valley tech geeks and missional minded ministers I was looking forward to this gathering at "Toyland" which is the home of Netscape instigator Michael Toy. My friend and developer of Planning Center, Jeff Berg flew up from Southern California to attend the causal gathering on the date of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins birthday making this a night of homage to the Lord of the Rings. I also felt if I was going to join in a conversation with one of the church's top bloggers I should be reading his blog. I discovered Andrew is well read and connected and can help me understand the role of emerging technologies for the purpose of emerging ministries.

Last night Andrew mentioned that we are in a time where people will write more than they read calling this Generation Text. I'm curious by this because although it may forward creativity it could create avenues leading nowhere. At the same time we are in a time where online nonsense can be easily exposed and corrected.

I feel good to be part of a community of bloggers who's message truly has value and that we're talking about what it can lead to. May our medium follow, as someone said last night, the effective means by which the world is brought humbly down to size as the individual gains his voice in an playing field that is truly level for anyone staring into the 10/24 window.

Blog on!

Linkin Blogs

ANGLE OF REPOSE

PSYCHOLOGY, SPIRITUALITY AND A LITTLE SMACK TALK

Lately I've been been trash-talked, provoked, stimulated to think and made to laugh all due to this blog I've been reading for several months now. I don't have this blog on my reader yet I've bookmarked it to easily access it when I need to hear it from this angle... Angle of Repose, that is.

Angela Hart, is a psychologist in Nashville, Tennessee. But don't think for a moment her posts are some ramblings of a "tell me how that makes you feel" kinda gal. Her observations of life and faith are intelligent, non-preachy and often humorous. Besides being rather sassy she is an amazing writer who crafts her words like a skilled artisan yet finds simplicity in the those things that make life fun... Like triathlon. Yep, she drank the tri-sport cool-aid!

So, for a refreshing, challenging read about sumpin, sumpin...check out Angela's blog HERE. But remember when it's time for some old fashioned blog preaching you can always come back here.

Linkin Blogs

For all you Twin Oaks folks out there you'd be surprised to know there are several other Twin Oaks Church bloggers that you may have not read. In a few weeks I'll feature all of them in one Linkin Blogs post but one in particular I wanted to point out today because... Sheeeeeees getting Married!

Yep our very own Ellie Jenkins (Sunday morning producer extraodinaire) will become Ellie Egles this Saturday. This will be a union of international implications as the entire affair is a European import as Ellie hails from Great Britain and Guillaume across the channel, in the country that invented everything; France!

Although Ellie hasn't posted for several weeks, I think due to the realities of wedding preparations... and believe me this girl has thought of everything (thanks Ellie for the script!)... you will find Ellie is a well read, articulate thinker and enjoys posting her views about life, family, faith and the occasional absurd.

Check out Ellie's blog, Ever Changing, Yet Still the Same HERE and leave her some Happy Skydiving messages!

Linkin Blogs

There are only a few triathlon blogs I read... Slowtwitch primarily (more on that in time) and then there are the dozens of Christ followers random thoughts I peruse. So it's especially enjoyable when I can read clever, witty and provocative musings from a Christ following, triathlete like "Jake." I don't know Jake... not even sure that's his real name. But after reading his blog for many months now I'm certain we would be good training partners. We seem to share similar passions in sport, justice and revealing an honest, if not so perfect, relationship with Jesus.

I first met (read) about Jake when he commented on a post I wrote on Jamie Whitmore. He continues to pray for Jamie and contact her through her blog.Jake lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, is a professional triathlete and competes both road and Xterra. He also is going to UNL (from what I can tell) pursuing a degree in Microbiology... According to this fact he's declared he'll have to slow his blogging down a bit due to schedule. As any triathlete knows working the rest of your life into the sport can be incredibly difficult.

So, even if the posts won't be as frequent I still recommend checking it out. Lots of funny stuff, some weird... occasionally personal but never boring! Check it out HERE.

Linkin Blogs

When people ask me, "Where do you get those ideas on church and culture?" I have to say much is what is observed, discussed and read. When it comes to the reading part. I read books put out by Barna, Driscoll, Keller, Kimball and Claiborne. But in my new 2.0 world I prefer blogs... like this one.

The Fermi Project is a broad collective of innovators, artists, social entrepreneurs, church and societal leaders experimenting with ways to advance the common good in culture.

The focus of this project is strategically placed on Christians and leaders throughout the Church. Multiple mediums are leveraged to push forward the essence of this project, including events, research, essays, films, books and culture shaping projects.

What is the meaning... well from their website they describe it this way...

"In contrast to things that are big, Fermi represents the beginning of a chain reaction. It starts small, but through intentional linking over time creates an exponential effect, a major shift within the church's way of viewing its mission and opportunity within the culture."

These "chain reactions" are powerful and effective. Such as the Girl Effect, Invisible Children and more close to home Beautiful Day. There are many more listed and an invitation to include more "projects."

So check it out and if you have a great idea that you think would make an excellent project share it with us here.

Linkin Blogs

Again, just going down my Google Reader list in an effort to inform you, the wonderful folks who regularly visit this blog, who I check out regularly...

A while back I jumped on the Flowerdust bandwagon because she was one of several bloggers who traveled to Uganda with Compassion International to blog stories, pictures and appeals for people around the world to sponsor impoverished children with AIDS.

Anne Jackson, the "mind behind," is a self described blog extrovert while being an introvert in person. I've not met Anne, I suppose I will some day soon but in the mean time, her internet presence is everywhere. Just this past week Anne twittered she was just shy of making the top 5K technorati ranking... this caused me to breath a quiet "OMGsh!" and do a virtual visit to help push her over the top.

Anne recently joined the staff at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN after being apart of the staff at LifeChurch.tv. She is the author of the book Mad Church Disease and is a contributor to the Deadly Viper Character Assassins blog.

If you were ever wondering what I hope my blog will be like when it grows up... Well, you can go to Anne's blog by clicking HERE. Generally the visit is short, witty, sometimes provocative and always full of compassion. But please remember to come back... because I'll miss you if you leave me for another woman.

Linkin Blogs

Well it may seem a bit confusing but, well... 

The next blog in a series of blogscovery I would like to introduce you to is The Fire. This blog is written by my "little brother" Dan Parkins. Yes, you read that right. Dan and I worked together at Southwest Community Church were he was the College pastor. I was privileged to walk he and his wonderful wife Kelly into their marriage and continually use them as the "dictionary picture" when talking to others of what a godly marriage should be. What I appreciate most about Dan is he is always asking questions. He has a teachable spirit and is very tender about his need for Christ and struggle with purpose.

The title of his blog is not meant as a cutting edge sound bite but rather comes from the personal crucible of extreme physical abnormalities and constant medical attention. Dan has had three liver transplants and most of his large intestine removed. Last year he battled near death through toxic shock awaiting a liver while at the same time becoming a father with the birth of their first child, Noah.

When Dan writes, he writes from a level of experience and focus many of us haven't known, yet all the while, continues to ask questions that do not lead to and end where he has been thus acting as guide but he asks questions that come from the depths of himself wanting to know.

Dan is currently one of the missionaries we support at Twin Oaks Church as he works with international students on the campus of Cal State San Marcos through ISI (International Students, Inc.).

On a personal note... Dan is enjoying a great season of health and is looking forward to being present at the birth of He and Kelly's next child, Mia... due in just a few weeks. We're all excited for the Parkins family up here. So, please check out his blog and send some encouragement and well wishing as they prepare for baby number two!