Help someone experience it, too.

Help someone experience it, too.

  • Posted on December 23, 2015
  • /Under Holiday
I remember going to a Christmas concert on a frigid winter night. I made sure to drop my wife, Pam, off at the door. If I didn’t, she’d freeze before even making it inside. Me? I’m not so bothered by the cold. I’d find the place to park. Once inside, I joined her and we both hunkered down in the upholstered auditorium seats, our coats tucked behind us. Candles glowed in the windows up the aisles and we felt warm despite the bitter temperatures outside. The music was beautiful. The choirs sang traditional carols and the orchestra played classical melodies and...Read more …
Will you let Him?

Will you let Him?

  • Posted on December 21, 2015
  • /Under General
Wherever I go, the biggest concern for living incarnationally is about time: “Hugh, I get this, and I know I should be more intentional about all of this, but I’m just so swamped I can’t imagine having consistent time or energy for people.” My response is always the same: “Anyone has time to be a part-time missionary.” A missionary is just a “sent on.” And the story of God sending people to bring hope to the world didn’t begin or end with Jesus. When Noah and His family needed hope for a new life, God sent an olive branch. When...Read more …
On the Radio – Walk the Way

On the Radio – Walk the Way

  • Posted on December 18, 2015
  • /Under Holiday
This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. I love what Q Place friend, Hugh Halter, says in his book, Flesh: Jesus had a front band. You know the drill – you to to a concert to see, say, U-2, but there’s always a band or two first to get you ready for the big act. Hands down, Jesus was the big act, but God knew He couldn’t just show up. He’d need some openers. Buzz and buildup were needed. Can you imagine what it was like waiting thousands of years for the Messiah? People...Read more …
Dennis

Dennis

Dennis from Southminster Presbyterian Church in Arlington Heights, IL, attended a Q Place VITAL event and heard something he hadn’t heard before: that if people don’t feel judged, they are actually interested in talking about spiritual things. This was exciting for him; and Dennis decided to do something. Equipped with this new piece of information, he invited each person from his engineering firm to go out to lunch with him, one-on-one. Then, while eating lunch together, he asked for their opinion: “I was at a conference where I heard that if people feel safe and not judged, they are willing—...Read more …
Face-to-Face

Face-to-Face

One glance at your own Twitter or Facebook feed and you’ll note the increasing frequency of complex personal, political, and religious conversations. There’s a lot happening in our world today—yes, so much to talk about. But is “online” the best place for this dialogue? In an interview with Barna research, Q Place President Mary Schaller addresses this growing practice: Barna Group: Over the years, Barna research has charted the rising occurrence of spiritual conversations happening online, especially among the Mosaic generation (young adults). What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of spiritual dialogue in the digital realm? Schaller:...Read more …
On the Radio – Walk the Way

On the Radio – Walk the Way

  • Posted on December 11, 2015
  • /Under Sharing
This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place. I’m Jeff Klein. And I’m Pam Klein. The story reportedly goes like this: After an interview with someone, Abraham Lincoln said to his secretary, “I don’t like that man’s face.” She reacted, amazed, “But that’s what his face is; he’s not responsible for his face.” Lincoln replied tartly, “After forty, every man is responsible for his face.” Ha! That’s great. It’s been said that the face mirrors our moods. And it seems that dear ol’ Abe was implying that after four decades of life, anyone should be able to,...Read more …
Nothing to Share? Abide.

Nothing to Share? Abide.

  • Posted on December 9, 2015
  • /Under Sharing
When it comes to sharing your faith, do you ever feel like you don’t have anything to share? Nothing to give? Nothing to say? Tapped out? Empty? This is certainly true for me (maybe more than I’d like to admit), but recently, I think I’ve gained a bit of insight into why. Just the other day I went on my first—ever—silent retreat. It’s true. Despite the decades behind me, I’d never been to one. So why this time? Why all of a sudden? Desperation. I admit it. I was quite frankly at the end of my rope. Busy. Too busy:...Read more …
Family Dinner

Family Dinner

  • Posted on December 7, 2015
  • /Under Sharing
We were getting ready to celebrate our son Joseph’s 15th birthday with his favorite selection for dinner: my home-cooked bacon risotto. As soon as my in-laws arrived, it would be time to eat. What I hadn’t planned on? The Comcast guys. Yes, I knew my husband had made an appointment to change internet services that day; what I didn’t know was that it would take so long. When Nana and Papa arrived—their presence made known to us by Griffin and Jeremiah barking at the front door—the installers were still working away. Then they informed us they would be even longer—an...Read more …
On the Radio – Walk the Way

On the Radio – Walk the Way

  • Posted on December 4, 2015
  • /Under Holiday
This is Walk the Way, brought to you by Q Place, I’m Jeff Klein. This past Sunday marked the start of Advent, the official beginning  of the season that the church celebrates and uses to prepare itself for the coming of Jesus, then, and now, into a world that so desperately needs it. And I love how my church ushered it in. Our worship team decided we’d transform the small gymnasium where we gather to look like a back alley. Plastic, crumpled paper bags, old pizza boxes, magazines and beer cans littered the floor. The reality of this present world surrounded...Read more …
Common Ground

Common Ground

Just before Thanksgiving, I had the chance to be part of providing a Thanksgiving feast for about 75 students at the elementary school where our church meets. It wasn’t my first time—this terrific lunch for the kids is something our church and the school have been doing together for five years now! It’s such a privilege for a church to have a close, friendly relationship with a public school. The story of how that relationship has grown over time is really beautiful and is a living testimony that working together works, is consistent with the heart of God, and demonstrates...Read more …
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