Arts + Entertainment

Lord Save Us From Your Followers

Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing America? If you were to meet ten average Americans on the street, nine of them would say they believe in God. So why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?

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Church

Embracing Grace

What can we, the church, learn from the Haggard's experience about the importance of relationships, demonstrating grace, giving people a second chance and making the church a welcome place for those who are hurting?

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Gospel

Post-Christendom Mission

What should the church look like in a post-modern, post-Christian, and post-American world?

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Science + Tech

A Sabbath from Technology?

Do you ever give your Blackberry a day off? Fast from Facebook? Take a time-out from Twitter? If not, you probably need to read this.

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Gospel

"How I Found God"

What does it take for a devout atheist to turn back to God? Can a 15th century painting portraying Jesus condemning people to hell really serve as a catalyst? And what happens when this atheist-turned-believer is Peter Hitchens, brother of the famous hater of religion, Christopher Hitchens?

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Church

The New Face of American Evangelicalism

One would be hard pressed to find a sociologist or Western historian who would deny that Christians in America—specifically, so-called “evangelicals”—have not been a force with which to be reckoned in the last 30 years. It seems, however, that as the faces of that movement are changing, their agendas might be as well. Dan Harris, senior correspondent for ABC World News, recently sat down with some rising Christian leaders at this year’s Q Conference in Chicago to talk about where the Christian movement is headed.

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Church

Are We Facing a Faster Future?

More than a decade ago, journalist James Gleick delivered a lecture at Duke University's Sanford Institute of Public Policy mocking Western society’s obsession with saving time. Things have changed since Gleick delivered his address, but few would argue that most our life-pace has continued to rise. But is this future set in stone? Some now question whether this is the best social framework.

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Media

Do You Want Better Journalism?

You might be the key to more trustworthy news media.

Got a problem with the state of news media today? Do you think it is too biased? Dan Gillmor says maybe it’s our own fault. The Arizona State University professor and author of We the Media: Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People believes that a standard of trustworthy journalism can be achieved, but only if consumers get involved.

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Church

Incarnational Ministry

What made Jesus so amazing was not just that he was an eloquent, adroit speaker who had mastered the law. It was his willingness to take those skills into the darkest, most broken places and put them to work among the helpless, hungry, and hurting.Q spotlights an organization that is following the same pattern.

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Science + Tech

Miracles: Are Science and Faith Irreconcilably Separated?

Eighty-four percent of Americans say they believe in so-called “miracles,” defined as “an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause. “ But many scientists reject the possibility of such things because, by their very definition, they require a violation of the known laws of nature. Is the wall of separation between scientists and the religious on this issue too high to climb?

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Gospel

Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society

Since our inception, Q has been committed to producing content that changes the way Christians think and interact with culture. Today, we're excited to announce the third trade book in this tradition. Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society challenges readers to root their identity in God, rediscover the beauty of human contact and rest comfortably in our flawed reality.

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Media

Walker Percy Interviews Walker Percy

The deceased Southern writer answers all the questions he was never asked

An agnostic-turned-Catholic and existentialist, Walker Percy (1916-1990) was one of the most notable Southern writers of his lifetime who was able to speak about faith without actually speaking about faith. In this piece, we glimpse the author through a little known essay he penned entitled, "Questions They Never Asked Me."

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Social Sector

An Apologetic of Justice

A talk between Gabe Lyons, Andy Crouch and Gary Haugen

Matthew Arnold says that culture is "the best which has been thought and said in the world." Gary Haugen, founder, President and CEO of International Justice Mission and a former member of the State Department, disagrees. Here, Gabe Lyons sits down with Haugen to discuss the role of believers in culture.

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Restorers

Top Ten Culture Shaping Moments of 2011

Is culture really getting any better? Where’s the proof that all the dialogue and collaboration Q is committed to is having any impact? We’ve heard it all and we get it. Many think the work of “cultural renewal” is elusive, and understandably so. It’s not easy to show concretely how culture is changing over time. But in the following Top 10 List, we attempt to put on display that in mainstream culture, a movement is afoot.

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Gospel

Top 11 Q Ideas of 2011

At Q, we believe that followers of Jesus have the responsibility to create culture and contribute to the common good of our society.

In a mix of videos and essays, here is a brief look at the top culture-shaping ideas that Q has helped to cultivate and spread over the course of 2011.

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Restorers

How the Church Can Change a City

What do a collection of evangelical Christian pastors and the openly gay Mayor of one of America’s most liberal cities have in common? You might think not much at all. Then again, you might be surprised. At Q in Portland, Kevin Palau sat down with a panel comprised of Imago Dei’s Ken Weigel, Portland Mayor Sam Adams, and Multnomah County Commissioner Diane McKeel to talk about how this question has been answered in their city.

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Cities

Q in Portlandia

Q is excited to be in Portland today for our fifth annual gathering. We pulled up stakes and headed west this year because we believe this city represents what the future of American social culture might look like. For those who couldn't be with us in Portland this year, we wanted you to catch a glimpse of what we'll be doing and hearing and discussing this week.

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Cities

One City at a Time

The story of how a few churches are impacting their city.

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Government

The Immigration Question

Last week, the state of Arizona put the immigration issue back in the headlines. And the rhetoric began heating up once again.

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Government

Can We Learn Positively from Karl Marx?

Karl Marx (1818-1883) is one of the most despised figures among conservative Christians in America—indeed, among conservatives in general. But can one still learn from a person they fundamentally disagree with as much as this man? Carl R. Trueman, a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary who “relishes the writings of Karl Marx,” says we can.

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Cities

Q Finds Chilly Portland Surprisingly Warm

If you live in Portland and read The Oregonian, you'd know that Q had come to town. The city Rush Limbaugh once dubbed “Lib Land” ranks as one of the nation’s top three “least churched” cities and has a long-standing aversion for anything that smacks of religion.Yet Q found this chilly town to be a surprisingly warm city to host its annual gathering.

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Arts + Entertainment

Introducing Q Sessions

Boutique events with access to some of the world's most experienced authorities

This fall, Q will introduce a new type of event called Q Sessions to support and educate leaders on topics that are both timely and critical to cultural renewal. These boutique events are much smaller than our Gatherings and will offer private access to some of the world's most respected and experienced authorities on subjects of paramount importance.

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Social Sector

TOMS AT&T Commercial

TOMS and AT&T Join Forces

We were thrilled when we began seeing AT&T commercials showing up on prime-time television, featuring the TOMS story, told by our friend, Blake Mycoskie.

Here's a unique behind-the-scenes perspective of the filming of this really incredible commercial.

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Restorers

Story Time

Zach Williams | Album Release

Friend, musician and Brooklyn church-planter, Zach Williams has a new album called "Story Time," releasing next week.

Q was honored to have Zach join us in Austin this year. His sincere presentation of original music from the beautiful stage of The Paramount Theatre truly enhanced our time together.

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Restorers

United We Serve

Serving Together | A National Intiative

Today launched an interesting summer initiative to help connect service organizations with various resources and manpower necessary to keep them alive and thriving.

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Restorers

A New View

Halogen TV

At Q, we often find ourselves gravitating toward other people, organizations, agencies and initiatives seeking to accomplish some very similar things. Coming together to find beauty and truth in the ordinary and the extraordinary, our Q community reflects all channels of culture, but with one goal - seeking to nurture and pursue the common good. Q ideas are intended to celebrate this unique pursuit toward creating a better world.

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Restorers

Rescued

Invisible Children

In our Q community, we have been blessed with the privilege of seeing many significant culture-shaping projects grow and mature in the last few years. And we celebrate these glimpses of renewal in very dark and broken places.

Another recent story of rescue and restoration continues to unfold through the work of Invisible Children.

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Restorers

Choose Shoes

The focus of this season's TOMS campaign is "Choose Shoes." Giving gifts can always be done thoughtfully.

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Business

Millennials in the Workplace

When Tom from the film (500) Days of Summer was asked why he had never achieved his dream of becoming an architect, his response dripped with sarcasm: “I guess I just figured, why make something disposable like a building when you can make something that lasts forever, like a greeting card.” Tom's words are more than a smart line in a great movie. They're emblematic of the way a new generation of employees are approaching the workplace.

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Education

Which American Cities are Education Reform-Friendly?

We all want better educations for our communities and children. But are some cities more “reform-friendly” than others? A new study by The Thomas B. Fordham Institute in conjunction with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research says so. Who made it to the top of the list, and what does this mean for restorers and educational entrepreneurs?

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Government

Four Faces of Global Christianity

Religion's Influence in International Politics

Christianity may be wheezing in America, but the faith is expanding around the world. Yet, few seem to be talking about the cultural and political implications of such a shift. A recent article in Foreign Affairs, however, recently probed the political effects of the Christian faith on international politics. Take a look at four faces of global Christianity.

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Restorers

The Rising

Today, we want your help to support a new musical release from David Hodges. You can purchase his new EP released today for only $3.99 on iTunes.

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Church

Prodigal God: Finding Your Place at God's Table

"The Prodigal God is for both curious outsiders and established insiders of the faith as it is meant to lay out the essentials of the Christian message, the gospel. If the teaching of Jesus is likened to a lake, this famous parable would be one of the clearest spots where we can see all the way to the bottom."

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Restorers

An Interview with Jon Foreman

Trap Door Sun Talks with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Many of us have been enjoying the "seasons" EPs by Jon Foreman, but it's back to band-time. Switchfoot's Hello Hurricane debuted November 10th, 2009 and the group are touring again. Our friends at Trap Door Sun (Jason Locy & Tim Willard) caught up with Jon to discuss song writing and being marooned on an island. You can check it out here.

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Arts + Entertainment

Buying Music vs. Playing Music

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Restorers

"Rescued": A Redemptive Documentary

The 7.0 earthquake in Haiti devastated millions of lives. Compassion-fatigued American's have become over saturated. The natural questions ensue. Can Haiti change? Is there hope for Haiti's most vulnerable children? Through the power of a documentary platform, the lives of two Haitian orphans are elevated and their stories told.

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Social Sector

Green Like God

“God is green. The idea seems bizarre, almost trivial. Yet, I'm as sure of that statement as I am that two plus two is four and the mixing of red and yellow makes orange.”

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Arts + Entertainment

Old School Becomes Art

A lesson on restoration

What are piles of outdated technology like cassette tapes, 8mm film and VHS good for these days? According to Atlanta artist Erika Iris Simmons, they make stunning portraits of iconic figures. Simmons’ art gives the world more than a new aesthetic. Her work illustrates that there is beauty buried within even seemingly worthless artifacts.

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Arts + Entertainment

Can Art Transcend Words?

Georgia O'Keefe once famously remarked, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for.” Does art have the ability to transcend words? The Haiti Poster Project informs us about this important cultural medium.

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Church

What role should the Bible have in society?

How should we interpret the Bible as God's word for our culture today?

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Church

Is True Friendship Dying Away?

Aristotle once observed that close friends “share salt together.” More than seasoning their food at a common table, the Greek philosopher believed that true friends share life with each other. Are we experiencing the kind of friendship Aristotle describes today? A USA Today article and recent research indicates that true friendship may be dying away.

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Church

Anne Rice Quits Christianity, Identifies with Growing Sentiment

The vampire novelist declared last week that she "quit being a Christian" because she can't support what being Christian has come to represent. Is Rice alone in her feelings? Or is she expressing an increasingly common sentiment—even among the faithful—that Christianity as we now see it expressed has strayed from its historic roots?

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Church

Surprising Christmas Perspectives from Lewis and Bonhoeffer

C.S. Lewis (1898 - 1963) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945) are two of the most influential Christian thinkers of the last quarter millennium. But what did they think about Christmas? The truth may surprise you.

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Gospel

Scot McKnight on Living the One.Life

Like so many today, theologian Scot McKnight says the version of Christianity he was taught in his youth is fixated on personal piety while ignoring our calling to broadly shape culture. He argues that Jesus called believers to establish a world of justice, compassion, and peace. While these ideas aren't new, Scot's articulation of them are fresh and disarming. QIdeas sat down with him to ask about what he calls the One.Life.

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Social Sector

Responding to Natural Disasters

Last year was the deadliest in over a generation. Earthquakes, landslides, floods and blizzards claimed more than a quarter million lives worldwide. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any rest for the weary in 2011. Pulling from the ideas of Medair vice-president Roger Sandberg, Q Ideas explores how Christians can best participate in the long-term recovery of devastated areas.

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Gospel

Announcing Q Sessions | Practices with Eugene Peterson

in New York City

It’s no secret that our lives are too busy. If we don’t become more efficient, produce more, get ahead and stay ahead then it seems our culture will leave us behind. But as our outer lives continue to expand and upgrade, our inner lives are lost and neglected. On February 28-29th, 2012, Q hosts its next limited event in New York City, Q SESSIONS | PRACTICES, featuring Eugene Peterson.

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Church

Consumerism and the Church: An Interview with Carl Trueman

Consumerism has become an acceptable earmark of American society. Americans disproportionately consume meat, energy, paper and other goods. As the Christian church struggles to survive in such a moment, one has to wonder how consumerism has affected the body of Christ. Dr. Carl Trueman, a British theologian and professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, offers his thoughts.

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Education

Where are the Christians in Academia?

A Talk between Gabe Lyons and Duane Grobman

The Academy is unique in a lot of ways, both as a place of opportunity and also complexity and challenge for people of faith. Here, Gabe Lyons interviews Duane Grobman, Executive Director of the Mustard Seed Foundation and Director of the Harvey Fellows Program, a fellowship that sponsors Christians in diverse academic fields.

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