Continuing on | On Q Blog

The Book of Acts is the story of the movement that started when the church’s first missionaries carried the gospel message from city to city and place to place. The result? A person-to-person, rapid and viral spread of the good news as individuals were transformed by Jesus and “infected” with the DNA of the Kingdom. A deeper look into the activities of Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and John Mark reveals strategic patterns that were essential in this movement:

They followed the leading of the Holy Spirit.
They went to key cities in the ancient world. Crossroads. Places of intersection.
They found “persons of peace,” individuals who were already bent toward this way of life. When possible they started their search in each city’s synagogue, with God’s chosen people, who also most understood the foundation of their message.
Whether they encountered favor or opposition, they continued faithfully, pursuing all open doors.
When possible they spent time in each city, meeting with and discipling those who received Jesus.
They left a person in each city to walk alongside the church that was established there.
They continually encouraged and supported the churches with consistent communication that included additional visits and letters.

Q Place is also a movement—one defined by the same desire that inspired those early missionaries—to move out and get personally involved in making disciples. In the past year it has grown more and more clear that God is leading us to a strategic framework that is similar to that revealed in Acts—to make disciples city by city as God leads, empowers, and opens doors.

So in 2016, while continuing our commitment to deepen current relationships with individual churches wherever they are in the United States, we have decided to focus intentionally on the five key “crossroad” cities where we have already seen God’s favor and affirmation: Chicago, Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver.

How will this play out? In each city, we anticipate forming a team of individuals with a variety of abilities and gifts, who will carry out the work of Q Place in that city. Each team will include the following essential roles:

Lead Catalyst – this person will lead the effort in each key city, shepherding, teaching, and walking alongside churches and initiators who desire to get involved in making disciples using the methodology of Q Place.
Champion – a person of influence, most likely a pastor, who is passionate about Q Place and will establish connections with a network of local pastors and ministry leaders. There may be more than one champion in each city.
Catalysts – these important individuals will join the Lead Catalyst in his or her work of walking alongside churches and initiators, helping with training and support of Q Places and Q Place Ministries.
Prayer Leader – this person will pull other people together to cover the city in prayer as the city team steps out to activate God’s people in that area into disciple makers.
Fundraising Leader – this person will assist the Lead Catalyst in raising funds to sustain the work in the city.

As we begin 2016, will you pray with us as we continue to flesh out and implement this strategy? Q Place will be diving deeply into relationships with key cities, key churches, and church leaders who have committed themselves and their body of believers to mobilize people into making disciples. It’s a long walk in the same direction, and just as in Acts, it is work that is fully dependent on the empowerment and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jeffrey Klein
National Field Director