Disciple Making

Today, the Western world is increasingly skeptical of institutional Christianity. But an invitation to explore God and the Bible with a few others is a great first step for people who are unlikely to step through the doors of a church. Facilitating these small group communities is an honor and privilege and is also a rich, holistic approach to evangelism that Jesus’ followers of all levels of maturity can participate in. And they have always been part of the church. Small group guru Bill Donahue notes: Small groups were an integral part of the early church structure. They were small enough...Read more …

According to EXPASTORS.com: 50% of ministers starting out will not last 5 years. 1 out of every 10 ministers will actually retire as a minister in some form. And 4,000 new churches begin each year while 7,000 churches close. The statistics speak for themselves Working in ministry—as a full-time pastor or a lay minister balancing a job and a church—is challenging. Ex-pastors cite being overworked, feeling underpaid, feeling unprepared, struggling with depression and discouragement, negative family impact, and loneliness among the top reasons for why they left their pulpits. In addition, an overwhelming 90% say that ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be...Read more …

This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. This question has been burning in my mind: When did the first disciples Jesus walked with GET who He was? Was it when they witnessed miracles? Did it happen in the upper room during their last meal with Him? Along the way? Or was it when Peter blurted out, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” in response to Jesus’ question? There seem to be times they got it. But then what do you do with conversations like the one they had over who...Read more …

A couple years ago, my friend Eileen confessed to Jeff and me—over a nice, mellow, comfy Friday night dinner with her and her husband in their dining room—that she was dissatisfied with her job. Eileen was apologetic. With the economy unstable and unpredictable, each one of us was well aware that we were fortunate still to have jobs. Many people we knew had lost theirs, or would head to work wondering if this day would be their last among the ranks of the employed. Eileen was grateful for her paycheck, but restless. “I’m tired of working for a big corporate...Read more …

Today’s blog is a bit different than usual. As Jeff Klein, our National Church Partnership Director, sat down to begin writing a bit about “Intersections,” he realized that he was pretty much reflecting on many of the same thoughts he’d spoken about in a video some time ago that was produced by Walk the Way before it officially became part of the Q Place family. That’s when Jeff asked me if I thought it would be “cool” to show that instead of having him write it all down. As the On Q Editor, I agreed that, indeed, posting a video blog would be...Read more …

This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. Have you seen the new Google Commercial? It begins with this: “A question is the most powerful force in the world.” It continues: “A question can start you on an adventure. A question can spark a connection.” And finally, “A question can change how you see the world.” Have you thought much about the power of questions? Have you thought about their power when it comes to evangelism and disciple making? What if Google’s right? What if right now, at this point in history, questions are more...Read more …

We’ve all heard Jesus’ command to go and make disciples. But Go where? I assumed I’d have to go someplace far and someplace difficult. So I tried all kinds of different opportunities. I went into Chicago to serve the urban homeless at a soup kitchen. I connected with suburban under-resourced folks at a care center. I tutored kids in a struggling part of the city, an hour’s drive from my home. Each of these experiences was formative and powerful, yet none were sustainable in the sense that I could integrate them into my daily life. I didn’t want to do...Read more …

We don’t change markets, or populations, we change people. One person at a time, at a human level. And often, that change comes from small acts that move us, not from grand pronouncements. – Seth Godin We love the big stuff. The star athletes and celebrities. The crowds. The grandiose events. In 2011, well over 24 million people watched Prince William marry Kate Middleton. And that was only in Great Britain! The estimate for global TV viewership of the spectacular 2012 Olympic opening ceremony in London was 900 million people. According to Nielsen ratings, Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 started...Read more …