I love Q because it asks questions and it offers solutions.  This years 18 minute talks ranged from the neccessity of nuclear disarmament to the spiritual implications of the cell phone.  Sometimes Q is groundbreaking (helping get TOMS Shoes off the ground) and sometimes it is controversial (this year’s interview with Ted and Gayle Haggard.)  But it always forces me to think.

Although I love the content, that’s not the most powerful part of Q.  It’s the participants.  It seems like all of them are starting a non-profit or designing t-shirts that save lives in Uganda.  It’s a bit overwhelming, and it’s easy to start thinking, “look how I’ve wasted my life!”

When I mentioned this to a new acquaintance named Jena over dinner, she said to me, “Don’t feel bad.  Feel inspired.”

And I do.

Q focuses on the topics of the future, the Church, the Gospel and Culture. Past years presenters have included everyone from Pastors like Tim Keller and Rob Bell to social entrepreneurs like the founders of Tom’s Shoes, to writers like Kevin Kelly of Wired Magazine.

Q has been on the forefront of a discussion that is essential to the Church’s shifting role in the world. Beyond being relevant to the culture, how can the Church actively shape the culture through creating art, science, politics, and social structures.

I believe that wrestling with the questions Q raises will be necessary for the Church to redefine itself in a post-Western and post-Christendom world.  I’m thrilled to be a small part in the conversation.