Going to the Q Conference in Austin?

I will heading out to the Q Conference in Austin, TX April 27-29. I attended Q for the first time last year in NYC and had a great connecting with some amazing people from around the world [oh yeah…the speakers were good too 🙂 ] The real beauty of the Q Conference is in the networking that happens in between sessions over meals and breakouts (i.e., if you choose to engage). Although it is quite expensive to attend (and I wouldn’t have been able to attend this year without the generosity of some great connections), the experience is fairly unique in the Christian conference world (See my post/review of last year’s Q Conference by clicking here.).

The following is a description of the conference on their website:

Q was created as a place for Christian leaders in many different channels of society to become informed and exposed to cultural ideas and to one another. No other gathering exists that attracts the most influential leaders of the church and today’s most innovative thinkers into one space for conversation, learning, invention, and collaboration. Over the course of three days, Q introduces participants to myriad topics presented by over thirty experts. Their ideas have been selected to heighten our awareness and challenge our creativity as we consider our roles, individually and corporately, in shaping culture.

The format of Q is designed to expose leaders to the fundamental culture, social, and environmental shifts taking place in our world day. Presentations are short and powerful. Practical application isn’t always included; instead, ideas are presented that allow participants to collaborate with others about what this means for the future of the church. To be honest, it can be a bit mind-blowing.

Q makes no apologies for providing an intense experience meant to expose, engage, shock, and deepen your awareness of current realities and opportunities. Exposure is the beginning of understanding. And understanding allows us to re-imagine how the gospel can be re-expressed in our own contexts – forever changing the landscape of our communities and cities.

It’s no secret that Christianity has gained more conversions in America over the last two hundred years than any other faith yet continues to lose cultural influence. We live in a post-Christian era. Q is a place where we can wrestle with these complexities and envision new opportunities for embodying the gospel in a culture deeply in need of it.

I had the privilege of sharing our Laundry Love Project idea last year (in 3 minutes!) and made some great connections. This year, I’ll be sitting on a panel during one of the sessions about Healthy and Unhealthy Trends in the American Church along with other panelists including:

Gideon Tsang | Pastor, Vox Veniae
Jonathan Dodson | Church Planter, Austin City Life
Shane Hipps | Pastor and Author, Flickering Pixels
Heather Larson | Willow Creek Church, Chicago
Alan Hirsch | Author, The Shaping Of Things To Come
Kris McDaniel | Trinity Vineyard, Atlanta

If you are planning to head out there, I’d love to connect and say hello. Feel free to leave me a comment here and let me know you’ll be around.