“What Is Your Agenda?”
| By admin
QUESTION:
How do you honestly answer if a Q Place participant (or potential participant) asks, “What’s your agenda in starting a Q Place group?” If you tell them your ultimate goal would be for people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and devote their lives to following him, it would scare participants off. But if you tell them less, it seems dishonest.
– John L. from Erie, PA
Q PLACE ANSWER:
That’s a great question and a common one, because as followers of Jesus, we deeply desire for people to come to know Him. As you think about how you would respond to this inquiry from a participant, it might be helpful to consider how Jesus’ words in John 16:8 would impact your agenda in starting a Q Place:
“When the Helper comes, he will prove to the people of the world the truth about sin, about being right with God, and about judgment.”
(New Century Version)
While we long for people to come to know Jesus and grow in Him, we cannot “save” anyone or control their response to God. That’s God’s part and their responsibility in this deal.
Our part and responsibility is to provide seekers a safe, respectful place where they can honestly examine the message of the Bible and process what they believe. There are very few places where someone who is spiritually curious can safely explore spiritual topics and learn more without being told what to believe. In a Q Place group we provide that non-threatening environment so people can find God as revealed in the Bible. But they have the option of choosing what to believe—and some will choose not to believe.
All that to say, if a participant asked me my agenda in starting a Q Place group, I’d say something like this: “I want to process questions about life, God, and the Bible with people I have met so we can all grow spiritually.”
Fran Goodrich
Q Place Blog Editor
Interested in what a Q Place group for seekers is all about? Get the big picture.
Recent Posts
The (Surprising) Benefits of the Inductive Approach
When Pastor “Ted” and his wife, “Angie,” came to Q Place Coaching, they were eager to learn how to start small groups for people who...
Read More >
What Safeguards Against Heresy in a Group?
In a recent Q Place Coaching group, a participant raised a question that is both common and extremely important: “In Q Place groups, what...
Read More >
Restarting Your Group
First meetings of ANY kind are very important. And small groups are no exception. If you are restarting your group soon, these tips will help you...
Read More >
How to Find a Bible Discussion Guide to Fit Your Group
Looking for any of Q Place's Bible Discussion Guides? Find the whole list here, with links to our web store where you can order them.
Read More >
Jesus is coming! What does that mean for us, now?
Editor’s Note: Occasionally we feature ideas for what your group can study next. If your group is experienced in Bible study, As You Wait for...
Read More >
My Son Stopped By and Guess Where He Ended Up?
My son, “Ryan,” is really unsure about God or religion and if it all fits for him. That’s the main reason I signed up for Q Place...
Read More >
Summertime Impact!
A Discussion Group in the Summer “Six Psalms in the Summer.” That’s what we called our group. People were in and out because of vacations, so a...
Read More >
Resurrection: What Is the Best Evidence?
What would cause someone to believe Jesus bodily rose from the dead? And what difference does it make? At first “Dan” told our Q Place group that...
Read More >
When Your Group Has Senior Citizens
At first our group didn’t know about Sarah’s hearing loss, but it didn’t take long for us to notice her phone buzzing and delivering feedback...
Read More >