Q Place Guidelines and Tips

Q Place Basics

1.    The purpose of a Q Place is to discuss questions about God.

2.    An initiator starts a Q Place and continues to facilitate a healthy small group process.

3.    Q Place is not for experts. It’s for new discoveries. If you think you are an expert, resist the urge to teach. Instead, try to listen and ask questions so that everyone can discover answers for themselves.

4.    The format is informal discussion, not lecture. Q Place discussion guides provide the questions for the discussion.

5.    Share your ideas honestly and openly.

6.    At each session a different person can ask the questions and moderate; rotating the question-asking encourages group ownership and dynamic discussions. Answers are directed to the group, and the moderator should not put a stamp of approval or disapproval on answers.

7.    Always show courtesy and respect toward others, even if they don’t agree with your position. Do not judge others and avoid side conversations.

8.    Do not attempt to resolve all differences or conflicts of opinion. Keep moving when there seems to be an impasse.

9.    If at all possible, read the chapter and answer the questions ahead of time.

10. Begin and end on time.

11. Review the Q Place guidelines whenever there’s a new person in the group.

Q Place Discussion Tips

1.    Stick to the topic or passage under discussion. Don’t skip around. Build a common frame of reference. Refer to other sections only if your group has studied them together or if they are mentioned in the discussion questions.

2.    Avoid tangents. Many ideas will surface during the discussion. If the subject is not dealt with in any detail in the chapter, do not let it occupy too much time. Discuss any peripheral topic after the study.

3.    When discussing the Bible, let it speak for itself. Instead of quoting other authorities, (other books, church leaders, notes in the Bible…), try to discover the facts, meaning, and application of the passage together. Avoid religious jargon and technical expressions not found in the chapter you are discussing.