“The message of Christianity is actually a really positive, life-affirming beautiful message for all people, but it can get squashed into this really dark, restrictive space, and it doesn’t actually need to be that way.”

Sam Dewhurst, a qualitative researcher and brand strategist with her business Monostory, is passionate about empowering people to live and curate personal faith in a way which translates into our wider world.

She’s curating Q Commons Sydney later this month, a local gathering of a global event sponsored by Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) and SPARC. Across two hours on a Friday night, it will feature three prominent US-based Christians and three prominent local Christians speaking on how to advance good in the world.

Best selling author Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, David and Goliath), TV producer Mark Burnett (Survivor, The Bible) and broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien will all present their ideas via a video recording of the US-based Q Commons event which is taking place on the same day. Locally, apologist and Director of CPX,  John Dickson, Principal of Wenona School and educator Briony Scott, and film maker and Young Australian of the Year, Genevieve Clay Smith will present live.

Similar Q Commons events will be hosted in cities around the world on the same day, featuring the same three US-based keynote speakers, and a different mix of local speakers.

“We are excited about highlighting people who are curating culture – specifically the way we do things in Sydney –  who are being proactive about doing great work in their sphere of influence and culture.”

In a conference-saturated space, how does Q Commons stand out?

“The wrestle, the honesty, the upfront-ness, the brashness of really tackling some of these very big ideas in the face,” says Sam.

Malcom Gladwell will be speaking on legitimacy, Mark Burnett on Virtue and Soledad on Ethnic division, while John Dickson will be speaking about having a public faith in a personal culture, Genevieve Clay Smith on breaking down the divides and Briony Scott on authentically engaging in culture.

The other big difference, she says is that the focus is not trained theologians presenting a blueprint for Christian living, but it’s culture-makers sharing how they live out that blueprint.

“These are people who are cultural leaders and that’s what they’re known for. It’s not people standing up talking about how we need to be more inclusive or express our faith publicly. It’s from the perspective of people doing it in culture already.”

Those who are interested in ideas and culture would know these kinds of forums are readily available in the non-Christian world. Sam points to the Festival of Dangerous ideas as one such place.

“Because the role of Christians is about being reflective of Christ walking on the Earth, Q commons is a ‘Festival of Dangerous ideas’,” she laughs.

“It’s my hope that people who attend Q Commons will catch values, language and be able to ask themselves the questions about our culture that we ask our speakers: what is right, what is wrong, what is missing and what needs to be challenged?”

Q Commons Sydney takes place February 27, 7-9PM at God in the City Church, Darlinghurst.