Membership at Quest
why membership?
We live in a society where commitment to local church has lost its relevance. In the past several years of ministry in Seattle, one can easily notice a lack of commitment to their church amongst believers and churchgoers. It is not our intention to build a boastful membership count. It's ridiculous that some churches have a substantially higher membership roll than their average Sunday attendance. It just doesn't make sense.
We're not interested in raising Quest's membership. However, we are interested and committed to helping people be encouraged and accountable to a responsible, nurturing, serving, and committed relationship with a local church. If that happens to be this church, we welcome you dearly into our family, and if it's not, we would be more than happy and excited to help you find the "right" church for you. The bottom line is simple: we believe that God desires each one of us to be committed to a local church while committed to the Kingdom of God. It's not an issue of establishing "˜organized religion' as it is nurturing an organic faith community.
Within the Quest community, we have three groups of people that make up our community; they are all integral to our community. People who come may be visitors, attendees or members. We will always welcome visitors as they come and go. Attendees are those who are investigating Quest and begin to attend regularly. Members are those who want to move ahead toward a deeper commitment. The difference between "attendees" and "members" can be summed up in one word: commitment. We commit ourselves to a lease or mortgage. We commit to complete a training program. We commit to a lifelong partner. We commit to a contract. Membership is commitment to God's local church. In this case " to Quest. Having said that, we also know people go through different processes and journeys in their relationship with a church. Simply, we are a "grace" church " we don't look down upon people because they're not believers, that they don't have their own bible, that they don't know the songs or creeds, and in this case, whether they choose to be a member or not. And yet, at Quest, it is the members that help move the church in faith. Membership is our imperfect way of being both ORGANIC and ORGANIZATIONAL. Developing some structure in an increasing "˜postmodern' society allows us to better enhance our relationships and our freedom in Christ and community.
who are we?
We are a new faith community for the greater Seattle area. We desire to become a multiethnic church, without any trace of guilt, fear, manipulation or deception, that is committed to conveying an accurate portrait of Christ, engaging our culture, building healthy and authentic relationships and communities, helping people discover cause and purpose, reaching inward and outward to seek justice and embody compassion, and to experience and express our spirituality through creativity and authenticity.
our vision and mission:
To be honest, you have to wonder why every church feels like they need to have their ownOur vision " simply, profoundly, mysteriously and plainly " is to be the church. mission statement. In essence, our vision and mission, simply, is to what Christ calls us to do: Love God and Love People and to make disciples of all people. We have come to realize that in our short history as a community that we're not called necessarily to create anything new for there is nothing new under the sun.
Quest cares about being catalytically significant in the KingdomWorks. As we deconstruct our initial perceptions of success, we hope to not be so immersed in growing big or build large cathedrals. Rather, to be prayerful how we can catalyze others significant works for the glory of God. It is in that spirit that we hope to move forward with our vision to initially help plant a church in the major cities of the Northwest: Bellevue, Tacoma, Portland, and Vancouver, BC as well as establish other CDC (community development corporations) such as Q Café and Community Center.
the privileges and burdens of partnership
Again, at Quest, we don't want to force anyone to do something that they don't want to do but we acknowledge that fact that "commitment" is something that might be a bit uncomfortable. And at Quest, we like to encourage people to be a little uncomfortable because it pushes us to grow and to mature. We remind people that they don't have to be part of Quest at all. We are very secure in knowing that God is doing something good here and so we simply remind people that "they get to" be a living stone by which God will build the walls of this church and His Kingdom.
The Body of Christ at Quest is a family. We don't boast to be people or a group comprised of saints. We are all individuals with blemish. However, that is not our common ground. We are a group of people"”a family"”who believe in God the Father, His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We are a group of people who long to be loved by God and by the body of Christ. Furthermore, we are a group of believers who heed the command to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbors. This is the fabric that weaves us into a family.
As you explore the foundations of our church and ministry, you will learn that with a church, as with a family, is to give and receive. It is a vibrant experience of being loved and loving, learning and teaching, receiving and giving, dying to self and living to God. These are some core privileges of being part of Q:
a | Community - Being part of the Q family, journey, and ministry.
Make worshipping together a priority
Helping leadership make decisions through prayer, input, and votes
b | Receiving and Giving " To be nurtured, encouraged and empowered and to give (time, energy,
gifts, finances)
Become part of a community group
To hold and be held accountable in a spirit of compassion and love
To share creativity, gifts, and talents to the work of the church
To tithe (10%) and/or give faithfully, generously, and regularly
c | Hosting - To understand that the church exists not purely for believers but to the world.
Embracing the concept of being a "host" on behalf of God through the church.
If you're a member, this is your house and no longer a guest, but rather, a host.
Seeking the welfare of others.
d | Living Stones - To know that God will use each of us to build the walls of the church and His
Kingdom. Every member is considered a staff member of the church and is invited to attend, serve,
and give regularly, faithfully, and joyfully. Dream and vision along with what God is doing at
Quest and beyond.
If you're interested and compelled in being a host|member at Quest, contact the church office to inquire when the quarterly iQ classes (information Quest) are being held.