we’ve moved!

As part of revamping the Quest website we’ve moved the blog to the main website. So, update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. The blog is now HERE and you can subscribe to the RSS feed HERE.

 

quest outdoors

Quest Outdoors [People, Nature & Outdoors] meets this Saturday, March 1, for another snowshoeing excursion.  If you’re interested, contact ministry leaders Eric and Carina Long at carinastrappello[at]yahoo[dot]com.

To give you a glimpse of what to expect: 

 

qjc presents

the qjc ministry is asking, ‘how can we go deeper together as we seek to follow god’s mandate to love mercy, seek justice and walk humbly’? we recognize that this is not a peripheral command of our faith but a central part of our identity and we desire to go deeper in fellowship and community as we seek god’s heart together. this next year we will be creating different platforms and venues to do just that.

the quest justice and compassion ministry is hosting two awareness and community building forums in the next month. check it:

on march 15th we will be holding a depth class entitled: why the homeless? this class is typically offered two times a year. in this class we explore the questions: who are homeless? what is our call to serve? how do we dispel myths about the homeless? and more. it is a great opportunity to learn more about how we can care and reach out to our brothers and sisters who are homeless and give us an understanding of the challenges they face each day. we encourage all to come who have an interest in deepening their own knowledge and awareness, as well as commit to serving this growing population in ballard. the class is held from 9 am to 12 pm. lunch will be served. immediately following we will be hosting our ‘to the streets’ outreach and encourage those in the class to join us.

on march 17th we will be hosting our first monthly qjc meeting at q café from 7:30pm to 9:30 pm. the heart of this group is to build community around the issues of justice and compassion. it will be a learning experience, as we study together the book the dangerous act of worship: living god’s call to justice. there will be teaching, food, fellowship and community building. we encourage those who are passionate about issues of justice and compassion to come and share your heart and vision in community and meet others who are like-minded in passion. this is a monthly focus group that will meet on the third monday of every month.

if you have questions please feel free to contact pastor deanza at deanza@seattlequest.org

 

Passover Class Coming Up

Quest will be offering a class on passover as part of our preparation for Easter and as a way to participate in Lent. The class will be from 7-9pm on Feb 28th, Mar 6th, Mar 13th, and culminate in a Seder dinner on the 20th of March.  Taught by Jeff Roach & Rebecca Garrett you can RSVP by emailing jeff [at] jnjroach.com

Some more info:
We celebrate The Eucharist (The Lord’s Table) every Sunday, but do we realize that on the night in which Jesus was betrayed, that last supper he was celebrating was the Passover and that he used elements of this event to show fulfilled prophecy and redemption? In this depth class we explore the meaning of Passover, both the historical Jewish symbolism and the prophetic nature of Passover that points to Messiah. We will dive into the culture and language of Passover to discover the rich symbolism for both Jew and Christian in this meal by studying and by doing (you will have an opportunity to prepare traditional food for our Seder). We end this depth class on Maundy Thursday with a Messianic Passover for the entire church.

 

lauren winner @ quest

Quest is very excited to host a “learning conference” with Lauren Winner on October 10-11, 2008. The previous two learning conferences we hosted were with Tony Campolo and John Perkins.

Details are still coming together but we’d figure we’d have some good conversations surround faith, sexuality, chastity, and gender issues. But, who knows. But mark those dates [and forward this link to others] if you are interested in joining us. Our hope and commitment with our learning conferences is to make them financially accessible and a venue for community building.

 

q cafe open house and new website

Q Cafe is hosting an OPEN HOUSE on Thursday, February 7 from 7-10pm to show off our new space and give folks a chance to check out our new coffee [Stumptown Coffee] and tea [Tea Cup].  Because we’re currently only open from 8-5pm, some folks have been unable to visit.  Our hope is to eventually be opened late on Thursday nights and then expand our hours from 7am – 9pm beginning in the Fall.

Also, we’ve put together a new website for Q Cafe

 

the lent season

We begin the Lent season this Wednesday.  Lent signifies the 40 days (not counting Sundays) that begin on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, or the day before Easter Sunday.  The forty days are significant because the Israelites journeyed through the desert for 40 years and Jesus himself fasted in the desert for 40 days.

Historically, early Christians also adopted this rhythm of ‘giving up’ something during this Lenten season.  The purpose isn’t simply to give something up but in doing so, it helps us to focus on Jesus Christ – his suffering, sacrifice, and resurrection. 

 

quest outdoors

Beginning next month – February - Quest is has launched a new ministry simply called ‘Quest Outdoors.’  As the name implies, it’s focusing on People, Nature & Outdoors, and enjoy’s God’s beautiful creation.  As it gears up for its first excursion [snowshoeing @ Snoqualmie Pass] on Saturday, February 9, we thought it would be good to interview the ministry leaders Eric and Carina Long.  Along with their love for the outdoors, Eric is a professor at Seattle Pacific University and Carina is a full time artist.  We asked them a few questions to share their personal love for the outdoors and their hope for the ministry.

What is ‘Quest Outdoors? 

 

q cafe 2.0 – now open

After a month of closing the Q Cafe to rest and re-examine our identity and purpose, we are very excited to re-open our doors today [redeem your coupon]. As we marked our 5 year anniversary recently, I am thankful for the many things we’ve accomplished over those years. But, I’ve also learned how unsustainable it was to pursue all that we initially wanted to do. In a sense, we wanted to change the world. Now, we’re rebooting with the hope of simply being a great neighborhood cafe. As I work with our newly forming Advisory Board, I’ve been trying to explain to our potential new customers that our identity is:

“Q Cafe is a neighborhood non-profit cafe featuring espresso and tea, art, live music, and community events.”

 

Old Testament Depth Class

Is the Old Testament Greek (er, Hebrew) to you? Do you desire a deeper appreciation for the Jewish roots of your Christian faith?

WHAT: Jan. 28, J. P. Kang will offer an overview of the major historical periods and cultural contexts of the Old Testament, and illustrate with examples how such knowledge is essential to responsible interpretation. On Feb. 4, J. P. will cover electronic and print tools (concentrating on visual resources, rather than primarily textual ones) that can enliven Bible study. All questions welcome!

(J. P. holds a Ph.D. in Bible from Union-PSCE)

WHEN & WHERE: Jan. 28th and Feb. 4th from 7-9pm @ the qCafe.

RSVP: jason [at] seattlequest.org

 

Keep the Dream Alive…

As we’re approaching Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in a few weeks, it’s important to reflect on his significant legacy as an African American Baptist Preacher, Civil Rights activist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.  I think if we’re honest, for many of us, remembering MLK is little more than a few memorable soundbites and maybe a day off from work if we’re lucky.  But today, more than ever, it’s crucial that we learn to listen more closely to the prophetic voice of MLK as we confront the ongoing struggle for peace, justice, and equality in the face of war, racism, and exploitation.

 

qcafe turns five

This Saturday, Q Cafe is celebrating its 5 year anniversary. Please join us if you’re able from 6-8pm for some random entertainment, great coffee, and free dessert.

In our first year as a churchplant, we decided to do what no sensible group of people would do: embark on a building project and birthing another organization. We raised funds to help start a non-profit and non-religious cafe in our hopes of blessing our neighborhood and our city.

When we opened our doors in November 2002, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. We asked ourselves these questions:

 

prayer for craig

Update 11/12:  An Update from Craig’s wife, Betty:

Craig and I are tremendously grateful for all your calls and emails, and for covering us in prayer these past two weeks.  I know many of you have been receiving little bits of news here and there – I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to fully update you until now.   

Craig had his surgery on Oct. 29 and the doctor was able to remove all of his tumor.  Unfortunately, the tumor was not benign as originally hoped.  Craig has been diagnosed with glioblastoma which is a grade IV brain cancer – the most aggressive form of brain cancer. 

 

our favorite principal

The best thing about ministry involves the people I meet. The most difficult thing about ministry involves the people I meet as well but that’s another post. Let me focus on the former. Becky was one of the first people that my wife and I met over 10 years ago in Seattle – through one of my former youth group students in New Jersey. We had dinner once and didn’t see her for years. She then strolled into Quest Church about 5+ years ago. When we first met her, she was a student at the University of Washington. Couple years ago, she became the FIRST female Korean-American principal in the state of Washington.

I remember her speaking of her dreams of being an educator and someday, a principal. She first wanted to be a news anchor but had a change of heart or a “calling” if you will. I remember her volunteering her time as our church’s first children’s ministry director – even when we had only couple kids – my kids! And this is why it’s so cool to be involved in community: you get to do life with folks and see, even in the midst of our imperfections, people live out their dreams and calling. I even got to officiate her marriage to her husband, Charles Kim and recently dedicated their baby daughter to the Lord.

 

LUMO film at Q

Quest Global Presence and Q Cafe invite you to join us for a special film screening of LUMO on Thursday, October 25. LUMO is an award winning documentary about a young Congolese woman named LUMO that aired on PBS just last month. Doors open at 6.30pm and film begins at 7pm. Conversation and discussion will take place after the film. Donations will also be received and ALL proceeds will go directly to the work at Heal Africa – the hospital and community development ministry where Lumo received medical treatment. Last year, I wrote a post on the Cooper Anderson’s heart wrenching report about what he witnessed in Congo and the work at Heal Africa. Couple of our church friends, Dick and Judy, are deeply invested with Heal Africa. Here’s the latest from their blog:

Goma, DR Congo….estimated to be at the center of the most violent war since WWII. The local population and the international community are at a loss to explain the brutal nature of this war….especially toward women! During the 6 weeks I was there (July -September) the UNFPA reported that the numbers of rape in North Kivu were up 60% over the past 8 months….351 cases in Aug. Everyone acknowledges that this is only the tip of the iceberg. When I arrived the UN briefing paper stated that there were approx. 370,000 internally displaced people in the region this year (over 700,000 in total)….and during the time I was there, another 30,000 were estimated to have fled due to the war. Goma is one of the major safe sanctuaries (surrounded by the UN Peacekeeping force) but has also become the home of thousands of militias and armies. The UN now says that approximately 150,000 people have been cut off from food aid…

Back to the film…Who is Lumo?

 

an invitation to quest

Join us on Sundays at our newly renovated sanctuary for Worship, Teaching, Community, and Communion.  Services take place at 9.15am, 11am, and 5pm.  Details about location, parking, children’s ministry, and everything else except the full answers to life can be found here.

 

To the Streets UPDATE

Hello!  I wanted to send you an update regarding our last distribution and some current needs that we have for the ministry of QJC.  This past weekend we had 57 men and women (47 men and 10 women) come out to “To the Streets”.  It is one of the larger distributions we’ve had since the summer started and although we were short handed (4 volunteers) we were able to meet the needs of each person and we got a chance to connect with each person that came through.  We also provided a memorial space for Ronnie Robinson who died at the beginning of September. 

 

church renovation

Quest is currently undergoing some renovation to help update the building.  It’s been great to see people working together.  If you’re wanting to get involved, there are plenty of opportunities to help out.  Contact our volunteer coordinator, Pastor Leah Klug at leah@seattlequest.org. Here are some pics [courtesy of Leo Chen]:

 

quest justice compassion & refugee hosting

We have several opportunities that are available for you to get involved in with the Justice and Compassion Ministry at Quest.  I know that the summer is always a busy time of the year for us (individually and as a church)—then fall comes and back to regular schedules and then regular patterns set in which take up our time—then Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years and so on and so on…  (you get my drift) and when we stop to survey we notice that time has passed and it is too difficult to cram in even one more commitment.  I understand the cycle—I’m right there with you. 

But as a Pastor at Quest I’d like to ask you to consider how you might be involved in these very important opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ to our surrounding community.  I know there are pressing things in all of our lives and commitments and demands and values that are important to all of us and I understand that very fine balance of life, but I really challenge all of us to make our care for the homeless a priority—whether the homeless are our neighbors right here in our back yards or the refugees we will be hosting in the next few months—we must ask ourselves if we can make the much needed sacrifice of sharing the gospel not just with our words but with our very actions.  The opportunities below are just a few important ways in which you can get involved.  Will you consider the cost of what it means if we abandon our neighbors’ needs because of busyness?  It is far too great a cost.  Please consider joining your church in action.

REFUGEE HOSTING:  Last night we welcomed a family of 5 from Burundi!   We will be partnering with World Relief to host and provide care for this refugee family.  We need your help in order to accomplish that!  Please consider getting involved in one of the following ways:

 

hope in cancer

With permission, I am sharing this email I got received from one of our church folks who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. We’ve had several folks [and many with parents and siblings] with life altering illnesses. It’s been difficult but incredibly inspirational to see people cling to hope and faith in the midst of these incredibly difficult circumstances.

Kay is also a thespian and is teaching an acting class for those who are interested. Thank you Kay for sharing your candid, humorous and vulnerable story. May you continue to cling on to the hope that is given to all of us through Christ.

___________________________________

July 15th 2007.

Everyone and everything shows up today. 10 wingless tinker-bell angels with their shimmer stitched nets, two hands that cradle my tired breast, magic umbrellas and marshmallows, and mario empty of gun and holster but sporting a bandana that is soft as a shammy.

Today is my last of the 32 days, 890 miles of driving and 4 tubes of Calendula Plus. I say goodbye to my people helpers, Diane and Angela and Seth and…

February 9th seems an eon past when Dr Watt’s called me with the news “It’s cancer”.

 

a fierce kind of beautiful

Sometimes as pastors we write about what’s happening at Quest, what’s going on in ministry, or current theological issues. Tonight, I wanted to share a bit about my family, my upbringing, and most of all, to ask you to pray for a family.

I often share that I represent the fourth generation in a timber family. Born in Forks, Washington, I think I was born with the ability to tell a pine from a spruce. My father is still a hand-faller out in Forks, the man with the chainsaw out in the woods cutting down trees. To give those of you urbanites an idea, if my father worked at a software company, he’d be an expert programmer, highly specialized, and able to do work very few people possess the skills for. If you have ventured out to the Olympic Peninsula, you may have gained a sense of the cultural differences between ‘city’ people and ‘logging’ people. There’s another vocabulary: rigging slingers, choker setters, hand fallers, block and tackle, yarders, cats (short for caterpillar, a big bulldozer), stihl, husquvarna, carhartt, caulk books, and everything in between. Loggers wake at dawn, grab their hickory shirts, suspenders, and hard hats and head for the forest to provide for their families. Even now, I associate my dad with the smell of sawdust mixed with chain grease and sweat. To me, it smells like home.

There’s a sense of pride in what my family does, but also a sense of danger. Two years ago this past October, my brother and dad were working together on a logging job. My brother used to be a ‘rigging crew boss’, the guy who told all the other guys who were helping move the logs from the forest to the logging trucks what to do. Again, to contextualize it for the city-dwellers out there, he was like a project manager or division director. One morning, something went wrong. Mistakes don’t happen often in logging, but when they do, someone gets hurt. A log moving through the air swayed a little too far out of line, and hit a standing tree, which fell on my brother, crushing his face, skull, wrist, and a few vertebrae in his upper back. My dad helped pack him the mile or so to the road, and stayed with him through the ambulance ride to the hospital. Despite the doctor’s initial diagnosis, he could move his legs. In the weeks that followed, our family held a continuing vigil on the waiting room floor of Harborview’s neurosurgery wing. Before he left the hospital almost a month later, seven surgical teams had reparied his brain, face, hand, jaw, teeth, nose, and stablized his back injuries. Today, he continues to have good spirits despite the fact he has been told he may never work again. He continues physical therapy, holds his two children, can walk and move around alright most of the time, and continues to heal. Hopefully, he will be cleared to work part-time soon. The funny thing? He wants to go back to logging.

It’s hard to overstate how much a draw the forest is to those who work there. My dad, his dad, his dad’s dad, my brother, they all share a common culture, a common language, a common love of being outside working at a way of life that is fast disappearing. Yesterday, I received an all too familiar phone call: someone, a logger’s son, someone I grew up with, whose sister I went to school with and whose dad worked with my dad, was working in the woods with his dad, cutting timber. Again, something went wrong, and a tree unexpectedly jumped from it’s stump and hit 23 year old Shane in the head. His dad performed CPR for 45 minutes, but the injuries were too great. Shane died doing what he loved, growing up with tragic stories like his own, knowing full well the reality of the risk involved. And yet he did it anyway, because he loved it that much. Because working with his father meant that much. Because family and forest is life to loggers, because the trees, and the men you work with, and the smell of sawdust and chain grease and sweat are your world. And for that, I weep for Shane and his family today.

Shane’s mom went to his house today, to pick up some of his personal effects and his sketchbooks. As she picked up a sketchbook, a letter that Shane had written to his girlfriend fell out. Not knowing what it was, she read through it. In the letter, Shane shared with his girlfriend his belief in happiness in heaven, that despite whatever difficulties life might hold, he knew they would find happiness in heaven, whether together or apart. They were going through a rough patch, but he believed God had a bigger plan. As the potato salad and pies, the prayers and hugs, the stream of loggers and logger’s families flood Shane’s parent’s home, I pray that hope would flood their hearts. For his parents, his sister, his niece, his girlfriend, I pray for comfort. And for them, I grieve, knowing it just as easily could happen to my family, or others.

This life, the life of a logger, just as much as the life of a police officer, a lawyer, a computer programmer, is unique, and somehow, a fierce kind of beautiful.

For Shane’s story in the Port Angeles newspaper:
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/NEWS/707110307

A second story about the accident, and the logging industry.

Pastor Leah

 

a conversation: church and homosexuality

Most of you know that the editor of The Stranger newspaper stopped by Quest several weeks ago to write a funny but not the most complimentary review of our church.  Through that, he and I exchanged couple pleasant emails.  In one of those emails, he asked about our church’s position on homosexuality.  My email and answer led to an intense but thoughtful conversation [nearly 300 comments on my blog] about Christianity and homosexuality.  I would encourage you to take some time to read some of the stories that several from the gay community shared in vulnerability.

But I’m not writing this to merely state a position but to invite you for thoughtful and respectful conversation [and to LISTEN] around the “gay conversation.”  This is obviously a relevant and sensitive issue.  There are numerous at Quest that wrestle with the Christian response to homosexuality as I do.  Some have siblings, parents, and friends that are gay; some wrestle with the Bible’s context and commentary about homosexuality and have differing views about the issue; some wrestle with their personal sexual orientation; and some have no clue what I’m talking about. 

I don’t have all the answers but this is a good opportunity to learn, chat, discuss, engage, and listen.  Join me on July 25 and August 1 [Wednesdays] at QCafe from 7-9pm.  While there are many things that we can and probably will speak about, my hope and prayer is that we can all walk away wanting to grow more  in the grace of Jesus Christ. 

Also, our denomination recently distributed a document entitled, “Human Sexuality and the Marriage Ethic,” for discussion.  I’d encourage you to read that if you have the time.

Eugene

 

A Living Legacy: Quest at the Annual Meeting

Last week, a few folks from Quest trekked down to Portland for the Evangelical Covenant Church Annual Meeting. This year marked the 122nd Annual Meeting, and this year’s Portland location versus holding it at the denomination headquarters in Chicago meant Pastor Ray, Elder Board member Barb Lundquist, Caniesha Warren, Pastor DeAnza and Pastor Leah were all able to attend. Quest and Interbay were also part of the meeting agenda on Friday morning, as Interbay was honored among the churches that closed within the past year as a “Living Legacy” church. Interbay’s example was seen as such an inspiration to others within the denomination, that the ECC as a whole made the decision to honor the church with this award for the first time, with the intent of honoring one such congregation every year. As Pastor Ray and Barb shared a snippet of the history, and how God had compelled the hearts of those at Interbay to be so incredibly “Kingdom minded”, people in the audience and on the podium were moved. The story begins here, with us, but God continues to use this example in ways that we cannot imagine. May He be glorified.

 

CPLAY is here

COMMUNITY PLAY: It’s finally here.

C.PLAY which stands for “Community PLAY” has begun. CPLAY is a time for recreation, connnection, and fellowship over the summer while “CGROUPS” usually takes some rest before it relaunches in the FALL. If you haven’t received a copy yet, download the SUMMER and CPLAY guide. It’ll give you all the information about the various groups that are meeting throughout the week and throughout the city.

Did you know that the following groups exist? FILM [Ecclesiastes Through the Lens of Film] – every other Thursday beginning this week hosted by Jason/Nancy Rust. Showtime at 6 followed by dinner. Email jrust[at]rustyparts.com for more info.

PHILOSOPHY – Discussion of religion, proofs, evil, postmodernism, Jeff Weaver, etc. This group meets on Wed. at 7pm at QCafe. Email frankdionduran@yahoo.com to signup.

 

Mystery of Hope: A new focus group for those struggling with depression

Depressive disorders affect approximately 18.8 million American adults or about 9.5% of the US population age 18 and older in any given year.  This includes major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.  In fact, depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020.  The following contains some details on depression in the US:

·         15% of the population of most developed countries suffers severe depression.

·         54%of people believe depression is a personal weakness.

·         41% of women are too embarrassed to seek help.

·         15% of depressed people will commit suicide.

·         30% of women are depressed. Men’s figures were previously thought to be half that of women, but new estimates are higher. 

Depression and other emotional/mental health problems are a growing issue in the US.  As the statistics grow in our society we must remember that they are also increasingly growing in the church.  Historically the church hasn’t done that great of a job supporting people who struggle with mental health problems and that has contributed to a negative impact on how individuals see themselves in light of their mental health.  In addition, men and women have been stigmatized within the church and have internalized the pain of these problems.  Most people separate their mental health issues in the life of the church and seek outside support for their mental health problems from outside sources: counselors, therapists, doctors, support groups, etc. due to the fear of experiencing shame and guilt within the church.  All that to say, we seek to provide a space where men and women experiencing issues of depression and anxiety can come and find support and care in their journey towards wholeness and health.   

We believe that the call to come alongside people is encapsulated best in Romans 12:15 as it states to, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”.  The call of Romans is a foundational component to building relationships with each other.  Regardless of our stereotypes, our inexperience, or our fears with mental health issues the church must come alongside men and women in this walk of life to aid in the healing and restorative process.   

This fall, Quest church will be starting a new group called: Mystery of Hope for men and women who are experiencing difficulty with depression, anxiety, stress disorders and other mental health related issues.  As a group we’ll be studying the book, “The Cry of the Soul” by Dan Allendar & Tremper Longman III, praying for each other and the struggles we face as we seek God’s face, learning how to speak into each others lives with hope and compassion and learning to express our feelings in a safe and confidential group setting.  This upcoming Sunday, June 24^th at 1:30 pm we will be having a luncheon at Laurie Crafts home (where the group will be held over the year) to get to know each other a little and to give more information about the group starting in the fall.  If you are interested in hearing more please join us on Sunday or contact Pastor DeAnza at deanza@seattlequest.org.  The group will be co-led by DeAnza Spaulding and Laurie Craft.