This past April in Nashville, I went to what I find to be one of the most unique and refreshing annual gatherings of Christians in the country. I go because I find this event a great way to stay current with fresh thinking on important topics in today’s society, as well as finding it quite generative for my own creativity.
Founded by Gabe and Rebekah Lyons just under a decade ago, the Q conference (it stands for ‘questions’, see more at www.qideas.org) uses a unique format that provides the opportunity to engage a huge range of ideas across a range of topics through talks and other media offered by leading Christian voices, or just leading voices. It’s like TED talks for evangelicals covering broadly the seven key institutions of influence in a culture–Church, Business, the Social Sector, Education, Arts and Entertainment, Media, and Government. Over two days you get to hear almost 40 presentations in lengths of eighteen minutes, nine minutes, or three minutes, with much more including wonderful worship and the chance to connect with new and old friends.
Our friend John Murdock was there as well, and described Q in his article for First Things. “This annual conference has emerged as a favorite watering hole for youngish evangelicals dealing with mixed emotions about the culture wars fought by their theological parents and the parallel subculture in which they were raised…They aren’t fighting to hold on to the vestiges of a “Christian America” but instead are looking for the best ways to be faithful exiles in a post-religious world, a mindset evidenced by Q’s consistent use of mainstream venues in the heart of the host cities instead of suburban megachurch bunkers.” (Click Here for John’s full article).
I go to Q open handed, ready to think hard, be challenged, and be inspired. I expect God to meet me, and come away with some new thinking. That happened again for me, and here are some of the memorable insights or quotes from this past April.
Four questions Christians must ask, and responses: “What is wrong? Stop and Confront. What is confused? Clarify and Compel. What is good? Celebrate and Cultivate. What is missing? Create and Catalyze.” Gabe Lyons
“Religious freedom is hard. No matter what you are for, there are going to be things that you are against and you’re going to have to tolerate.” Andy Crouch
People don’t make cities liberal, cities make people liberal.
“We need to be schooled in the Virtue of Love, and we do that through and in worship, where we are trained in self-sacrificial love.” Fr. Bruno Shah
“The goal is not to turn Bangladesh into the United States, but to turn Bangladesh and the United States into the New Jerusalem.” Brian Fikkert
“When you see the humanity in the other, it’s the beginning of the end to conflict.” Robi Damelin
“Over its history, the church has not done well as a power majority, but rather as a winsome, life-giving minority.” Scott Sauls
“When we look at science correctly, we end up worshipping God.” “You cannot control the events and circumstances of your life, but you can control your reactions to them.” Caroline Leaf
“If I’m not fulfilled in my singleness, I won’t be in my marriage.” Joy Eggerichs
“There is tremendous freedom in the abandoned life….we didn’t come to do our own will, we came to do the will of the Father.” “The call to generous, self-sacrificing love, is actually a call to be who you are…” Sister Joan Catherine Kennedy
“Of all the people who don’t need to freak out over the state of the world and culture…it’s us! We ought to be the most hopeful people in the world! Jesus is coming back!” Christine Caine
And one of my favorites, from Russell Moore, reflecting on moving on from the language of the Moral Majority to the language of a Prophetic Minority: “Onward Christian strangers! Let’s keep Christianity weird!”
Next year’s Q conference is in Boston, April 23-25. For more info see www.qideas.org, and you can bet it’ll help you do their tag-line– “Stay Curious. Think Well. Advance Good.”