On Q

There’s a huge joke at my house. My oldest son, Ben, at twenty-one, stands six-one and has blond hair, blue eyes, and a passionate approach to life. If you look at college pictures of me thirty years ago, the resemblance is uncanny! My other three children love to tell Ben that he is me–that he looks like me, talks like me, and resembles me in so many ways. He’s even loud! He walks loud, talks loud, and lives loud. He’s me and my other kids love to point this out because they know how it gets under their big brother’s skin. In...Read more …

Each episode of the old TV show The Twilight Zone began the same way: You are about to embark on a journey–a journey through sight and sound, into another dimension, The Twilight Zone. The music would play and we’d sit, mesmerized, by some very strange things. Today, many Christians feel like they’re in a “twilight zone” of their own: The Post-Christian Zone. And to many of us it feels like a very strange place: The morals and standards that we once assumed are now in question. The Church as we know it is being pushed further and further to the edge. Today, there...Read more …

As I travel, speaking to churches to help them become better at making disciples who make disciples, I’ve discovered something consistent: We really don’t know how to move in a way that starts small, grows slowly, and builds deep. And regarding discipleship, for the most part I find that churches are so “into” their weekend worship experiences and big events that they rarely get around to encouraging the simplicity and intentionality of people walking alongside people. But isn’t that actually what Jesus did? Now, I’m not down on weekend worship or great events, but alone, they will simply not create disciples who...Read more …

In 1953, the Rev. Dr. Theodore O. Wedel, a canon of the National Cathedral and one-time President of the House of Deputies of The Episcopal Church, wrote the following parable. Though written over 60 years ago, is it possible that there is even more truth in it today? On a dangerous sea coast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, went out day and night tirelessly searching...Read more …

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. Not too long ago there was a pretty funny commercial running for the quiz show Jeopardy. It opened with a kid asking her dad where babies come from. The dad is at a loss for words, and fumbles for an answer. Next, a congressman in front of the press, is asked to explain his spending on travel for the past year. He has no answer. Finally, a wife appears, dressed for a party...Read more …

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 …