Unlocking victory

Unlocking victory

Here’s a radio-minute that aired nationally this week on Q Place’s Walk the Way: This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. Just a few weeks ago, my friend Lisa wrote an email to all the women in our Bible study. She had great news—one of her students had called her to tell her that she had become a Christian. I could hear the excitement as I read Lisa’s words on my screen: “Girls! We have a new sister!” Lisa is an acting coach—and our group had been praying for her student...Read more …
Prayers, hair, and the neighbor downstairs

Prayers, hair, and the neighbor downstairs

When my husband and I moved into our apartment complex three years ago, I began to pray for God to open up opportunities to meet my neighbors. Matt and I would try to notice who was out and about and greet people, but it seemed that doors would often slam in our faces. I didn’t know what it was about that place. Or was it something about us? We kept praying and making small efforts, and I felt at peace even though it seemed like God wasn’t answering our prayers. But about six months ago, my downstairs neighbor started to say hello as...Read more …
Can you do what Jesus did?

Can you do what Jesus did?

Not too long ago, on the way out of church, Jack and his wife, Pat, noticed a woman, alone, still sitting in her seat. But because they’d been trained to notice others and understand that, in the middle of their ordinary routines and ordinary days, God puts people in front of us for a reason, they stopped to say hello, introduce themselves, and ask if anything was wrong. The three ended up eating together and through asking questions and listening, they unpacked the woman’s story. Her husband had left, she lost her job, and now she felt at the end of her...Read more …
Have you ever considered this first step?

Have you ever considered this first step?

Here’s a radio-minute that aired nationally this week on Q Place’s Walk the Way: This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. The Western world is increasingly skeptical of institutional Christianity. Yet at the same time, people are extremely open to spiritual conversations. Have you ever considered that exploring God and the Bible with a few others, in your own home or at the coffee shop or on the train to work, might be a great first step for people who will most likely never step through the doors of a church?...Read more …
How clear is God’s mission for his church?

How clear is God’s mission for his church?

It is not so much the case that God has a mission for the church in the world but that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission is not made for the church; the church is made for the mission—God’s Mission. ~ J. Andrew Kirk  God could see what was coming even before creating a single atom or a piece of dirt or one star, so he made a plan. This plan, centered in Jesus Christ, is to make us whole again, to redeem the entire creation, to restore shalom. God made the world with this focus.  People...Read more …
Why did you enter the ministry?

Why did you enter the ministry?

I think that many of us go into ministry out of a love for the Lord, a love for people, and a love for biblical theology. But once in ministry, we realize very quickly that we are responsible for leading and managing an organization. The larger the church, the more the focus of our time moves from doing ministry to leading staff, casting vision, dealing with fundraising, and attending to the myriad demands of organizational life. While all of those things are important, they often fail to bring that sense of fulfillment that led us into ministry in the first...Read more …
How can others see that God is alive?

How can others see that God is alive?

Here’s a radio-minute that aired nationally this week on Q Place’s Walk the Way: This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place. I’m Jeff Klein.                Michelle goes to our church and is an active part of our worship team. Her boyfriend, Kyle, doesn’t know the Lord. But even though he’s still sorting through his beliefs, we want Michelle to know that Kyle is welcome – that he belongs, even though he’s still somewhat skeptical of faith. This behavior – allowing someone to feel comfortable and part of the community – has always...Read more …
Pastor, do you love what you do?

Pastor, do you love what you do?

In September of 2015, the findings of a LifeWay Research survey of 1,500 pastors of evangelical and historically black churches found that only one percent abandon the pulpit each year. This discovery was in stark contrast to other surveys that have been taken–with seemingly contradictory results to the LifeWay study–indicating that many pastors leave the ministry every month! Are the outcomes different because of who was surveyed? What other variables could point to such drastically different results? It’s hard to say, but there are indicators that pastors think about leaving more often than they might let on. Who knows? Perhaps you are even among them! Regardless, we encourage you to read...Read more …
Jesus said, “GO.” The question is, how?

Jesus said, “GO.” The question is, how?

If the people of your church felt equipped to share their faith, do you think they would? A pastor from the Chicago area recently shared this story with us: I realized the need and wanted everyone in my church to be directly involved in the Mission of God. So, one Sunday morning I preached one of my best sermons! I urged my people on, I called them to action, I told them that they didn’t want to be the religious leaders walking by someone on the side of the road who needed their help, and I even laid on some guilt. At the...Read more …
You can be someone your friends turn to.

You can be someone your friends turn to.

Here’s a radio-minute that aired nationally this week on Q Place’s Walk the Way: This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. The young man stood up at the Easter sunrise service and began to share the story of why he wanted to renew his vows of baptism. The son of two Catholics, he was dutifully baptized, but, as he grew older, he often wondered if that was literally the only time he had been inside a church—no one ever took him or read him the Bible that he’d been given at...Read more …