User:Ourquest

 The “church” as a whole is often criticized for placing too much emphasis on sin and guilt. At The Quest, they believe that relationships - not guilt trips - change and transform lives and they place value on the unique perspectives that each person brings. The Quest church is known for welcoming you as you are with a “but, don’t stay that way” attitude and encourages you to share as they worship and continue to grow together. The Quest is a church that is based in Clovis, CA. It began in May of 2004 as a church plant off of Northpark Church which is in Fresno, CA. The goal of The Quest is to provide people, that have minimal to no church experience, with a place to approach God and church in a way that is both easily identifiable and relevant to their culture and lifestyle. Everything about The Quest church experience has been designed in a way that is non-threatening, easily understandable, readily approachable by today’s culture, and enjoyable while still being Biblically and theologically sound, and without contradicting who God says he is. In this short time many have come to faith and now call The Quest home. At the time of this publication, 43% of the those at The Quest, were not involved in church prior to coming to The Quest. The long-term goal at this church is for this percentage to remain the same if not increase. Everything about The Quest is designed from a different approach. From the music to the structure to the food to the “come as you are” attitude. A person who has never had a relationship with God or experience with church is met in a way that allows them to relate the topics of the gathering to their lives and have a safe friendly atmosphere to discover God. Here is a what you would experience, as described by attendees, if you showed up Sunday morning: “As you approach the courtyard area you will see signs that give directions for Baby Quest and Kiddy Quest, as well as Kid’s Quest. If you have kids, these are great forums, with caring people to make your experience as well as your kid’s encounter a great one. As you walk in the lobby area you will notice an area with self serve coffee and a continental breakfast available for you. On any given week it might include danishes, fresh fruits, cookies, sandwiches, sometimes there are egg dishes and sausage. This is kind of a way of saying Thank you for being there. Serve up what you like and you can bring it with you into the gathering. As you walk through the doors into the area where the gathering is you will notice a couple of things: -You will be given a program. This is information about us and some of the activities we have going on. -You will also be given a “connection card”. They respect your privacy so there is no pressure here. They would like to get to know you better, and this card facilitates them in that area. But what is cool is that they stress that there is no pressure. You don’t have to fill any of this out but if you want to get more involved this gives them a way to reach you. Inside the gathering there are screens that will have various videos playing during the gathering time. The music you will hear, sing along with, and worship with, will be a similar style to something you might hear at a moderate to hard rock concert. Although the music is undoubtedly relatable and appropriate for today’s culture the words of the songs are written for God with the goal of having relationship and connecting with Jesus Christ one on one. There are times during the gathering when offering your praise, needs, or questions to God can be done in a safe and accepting environment along with people that are going through the same tough times in life." As opposed to many typical church gatherings today, there is a variety of seating options at The Quest gathering . You are free to choose what suits you best. There is traditional seating in rows or there are round tables and chairs on the sides. Many people sit at the tables. In the future, the side and even the center seating options, will include couches, pub-style tables and chairs, and perhaps just rugs to sit on. You will meet many friendly people, this may freak you out a little, they just want you to know that they enjoy having you there at the gathering.  The gathering lasts for about one hour. There is a half hour break in between the gathering. During this time many hang out and catch up on each others lives, enjoy being together, drinking coffee, eating good food, and meeting new people.