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Quest’s 2023/24 Foci – Maturity, Mission & Faith

Maturity

Investing in the sanctification process of helping every person become more and more conformed to the image of Christ.

Maturity in the Christian life is rooted in a personal relationship with God, supplied knowing Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In addition to that Ephesians 4:12-16 instructs us that we are to:

To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Therefore we need one another, to live in community and to be connected. Please seriously consider joining one of our groups: BLT’s, Men’s, Women’s, Young Adult’s, Legends, etc. You need people and people need you!

BLTs are Quest’s main small groups with 6 different groups meeting on various days and times throughout the week. Please check the website for the current groups and contact information.

We also have more life season specific ministries that offer opportunities for connection and growth. There are various men’s and women’s Bible study groups, periodic social events and more:

  • Quest Men
  • Quest Women
  • Young Adults (20/30 somethings)
  • Young Families (Fams with elementary aged kiddos)
  • The Legends (65+)
  • Friday Nights at the Fight (a periodic marriage/relationship series)

For more information on these Quest ministries/connection groups and to find upcoming events, please check out our website event page:

You can also reach out to Johnathan Walker and he can get you the information you’re looking for.

Mission

Practically advancing a missional mindset of touching the world with both the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel as God gives us opportunity and organic connection.

There are ten places or areas where we would like to challenge you, encourage you, and mobilize you to be connected this coming year. Pray, consider, commit to one of these ten areas.

  • Haiti (WISH)
  • Bulgaria
  • Cedars Network
  • Workday: New City Fellowship
  • Mountains of Asia
  • Local Schools
  • First Responders
  • Quest Kids
  • Quest Students
  • Sanctity of Life (the unborn, the elderly, the sexually broken, and the exploited)

Haiti

Haiti is the 2nd oldest democratic country in the western hemisphere and yet remains the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Current conditions include, a failing government, food crisis including starving children, gang violence in 80% of the country, and various natural disasters.

We are privileged to partner with W.I.S.H. ministering to the people of Haiti. West Indies Self Help is an all-volunteer Christian mission serving the people of Anse-A-Galet for 54 years. Their mission is to serve the people by raising up local leadership for the mission and pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities to provide employment and sustain the mission.Some of their services include providing fresh water for 40,000 people and, selling ice for refrigeration which is produced using solar power and provides jobs and income for their Haitian partners.They provide safe spaces for youth activities, education, women’s programs, and meetings with our Youth Center and Resource Center. They also support a local feeding program for children, and we provide opportunity for enterprise growth with the WISH Mall.

Ways that you can get involved to help:

  1. Pray for a peaceful resolution to the current unrest in Haiti.
  2. Pray for WISH to continue ministering where others have closed their doors. Succession plan including a new Exec Secretary for the Board of Directors.
  3. Support the only Women’s and Girls program in Haiti.
  4. Support for the ongoing Feeding Program for the poorest of the poor.
  5. Support ongoing upgrades to the water line.
  6. Support for WISH General Fund (Employee Salaries, Equipment Maintenance, Facility Upkeep)

Please reach out to Steve Haenchen with any questions you have about this ministry and he can get you the information or links you need.

Bulgaria

Shawn and Natalie Key are missionaries living in Sofia, Bulgaria. With God’s directive, they have created a space in the heart of Sofia called the BigHouse. This is a hub where community members can come and partake in International Bible studies, receive clothes and food, participate in fellowship over sports, and facilitate adoption and orphan care for those who need it most. In fact, it is an orphanage that the Lord has put front and center in the eyes of the Keys and Quest. These vulnerable children, and the orphanage that they live at, have increasing needs due to the influx of refugees from the Ukrainian war. This influx has increased costs of running the orphanage in recent years. Through this avenue, we will have a call to action to coordinate with the Keys to embed ourselves in the lives of those they assist and spread the word of God through their community.

Ways that you can get involved to help:

  1. Quarterly Zoom calls with the Keys to pray, encourage and cultivate a relationship.
  2. Subscribe to their newsletter to keep up with the happenings of an ever evolving post-Christian country.
  3. Purchase a calendar with Natalie’s photography of wonderful Bulgarian scenery as a fundraiser.

Please reach out to Danny Moncheski with any questions you have about this ministry and he can get you the information or links you need.

Cedars Network

Come join the vision and ask God for a passion of winning the nations to Christ in Syria and Lebanon. We have people on the ground who are asking us to pray specifically for 10 days in November that Christ’s Kingdom will be made known in both of these countries (also if you are lead to join in running a 10K locally while praying). This will be the starting point for the year because we will learning about the history and culture of these countries. We will have four meetings throughout the year, two Zoom Calls with our local missionaries and brainstorm together how we can be on Mission with Cedars Network. Are you ready to “Stand in the Gap?” Join the Cedars of Lebanon Team.

  1. Come to four meetings throughout the year (once every three months)
  2. Read and join in Prayer from a monthly newsletter
  3. Join two Zoom calls within the year to get to know our missionaries
  4. Brainstorm together on how to be more effective

Please reach out to Mark Patterson for more information on getting involved with this team.

Mountains of Asia

God’s Word is a light for our path (Psalm 119:105). But if we don’t have God’s Word in a language and form that we can understand, we don’t have a useable light. We are just walking around in the dark!

D and C are working with Wycliffe Bible Translators to see the light of God’s Word shine brightly in the mountains of Asia. Over their 17 years living in Asia, they had the opportunity to partner with local believers and various mission organizations to implement Bible translation projects and share the Gospel in mountain communities where there has been very little Christian influence. We praise God that at least some Scripture resources are now available in about 75% of the languages in the mountain region of Asia. But the work is not done. They are continuing to minister to Asian communities while based in the US. D is supervising staff and managing Bible translation projects, assisting with planning, tracking progress and reporting on the use of funds. C is supporting missionary families that serve Asia, with a focus on the educational and emotional needs of missionary kids.

Ways to get involved in their ministry:

  1. Sign-up to receive D & C’s prayer update emails (sent every 2-3 weeks).
  2. Commit to pray regularly for the mountains of Asia.
  3. Attend quarterly prayer gatherings and hear reports from colleagues in Asia.
  4. Assist D & C to develop their detached garage into a missionary guest house.

Please reach out to Mark Patterson for more information on getting involved with this team.

Workday: New City Fellowship

God has called us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

By walking alongside people from different racial, ethnic, geographic and socio-economic backgrounds, we help bridge the gaps that seem to divide us. Workday volunteers, in partnership with New City Fellowship, seek to express the love of Christ to seniors, widows and others in the community by supporting spiritual and physical needs. Workday takes time to visit and pray together as well as facilitate life-changing projects like making homes handicapped accessible by building wheelchair ramps, doing yard work as well as minor home repairs. Contact Mel Brown for more information or to learn how to get connected.

  1. Pray! Commit to meeting for prayer once a quarter (either in person or via Zoom).
  2. Volunteer! We are looking for at least 25 people to commit to two Workdays per year. There are projects for all (or no) skill levels.
  3. Give financially! For more information on how to donate, visit the New City Fellowship Restore St. Louis website
  4. Keep informed by signing up to receive the quarterly newsletter from the Workday Director

Local Schools

Our local schools are an incredible opportunity that God has placed in our laps. He’s opened the door for us to love, support and pray for staff and students at Pond Elementary, Babler Elementary and Wildwood Middle School.

We’ve been growing our relationship with these local schools since moving into our current building in 2016. Through consistent and reliable help, support and zero expectations on return of our “investment,” the administrators and teachers are now ASKING for us to come be a part of the life of the schools! It is an honor and a privilege to be a trusted entity in the community. Here are some ways to get involved:

  1. 12 Volunteers for each event: August Ice Cream socials, October Goodies with Grandparents and Trunk or Treat, November Family luncheon and March Pond School Carnival.
  2. 10 people to shop for Thanksgiving dinners at the Wildwood Schnucks and 10 people to deliver the dinners to Babler Elementary in November.
  3. At least 50 people to donate gifts and gift cards for families in need at Christmas-time.
  4. 10 people to write a note and give a treat/gift to one staff member at Wildwood Middle School four times a year.
  5. 10 people to deliver 60-90 snacks one time to our schools.
  6. 10 people to pray for specific school needs that will be emailed to you once a month.

Please contact Kelly Moore for information on how to get involved.

First Responders

Being a police officer or a firefighter/EMS are some of the most important public service roles in our community. We are privileged to be able to support and encourage these very special men and women as they serve all of us. Frankly, the opportunities to volunteer with them are limited, but there are a few ways to get involved. Please reach out to Kevin Gleason.

  1. Take the personal initiative to write a note of encouragement, bake a batch of cookies and drop it by the fire house or police headquarters in your local community.
  2. Pray for their safety and in their roles of helping our communities to thrive.
  3. Become trained at the upcoming CERT class in January 2024 – offered through St. Louis Community College in Wildwood. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. This eight week course, taught by local emergency first responders, prepares volunteers to help the community in the event of a crisis. Topics include fire safety, search and rescue, team dynamics and disaster medical operations. Training is free with a $9 registration fee.

Sanctity of Life

We live in a world where the lives of many people are being ravaged by a culture that increasingly devalues human life and innocence. It is challenging retain our convictions concerning what it means that we are made in the image of God (Imago Dei) when everything around us screams the opposite.Francis Schaeffer addressed this issue in book He Is There And He Is Not Silent when he wrote, “There is something great about mankind, and we have lost perhaps our greatest opportunity of evangelism in our generation by not insisting that it is the Bible which explains why man is great”.

There are four areas that Quest is either currently partnering with another ministry or aspire to develop a partnership in our efforts to care for the traumatized and / or exploited populations who live in our community.

  1. The Unborn: we are privileged to partner with Thrive in coming along side women who are deciding whether or not to terminate an unexpected pregnancy. Many of those who decide to birth their babies face challenges of motherhood. We will be focusing our efforts in supporting the Thrive ministry in North County.
  2. The Elderly (aspirational): We live in an aging culture where many people are growing old in isolation and loneliness. We think this unfortunate reality is a place where many of us could make a difference. If you have availability or interest, please contact us and let’s discover how you might Quest be a part.
  3. The Trafficked (aspirational): Statistics tell us that there are more people living in some sort of slavery today than anytime in history. They are trafficked as workers in all sorts of industries including the sex industry. Tragically St. Louis is a major hub in the mid-west for sex trafficking, many times young people in their early teens. If you have availability or interest in helping us join forces with organizations who are making a difference in this area, contact us and let’s discover how you might help Quest be a part.
  4. The Addicted (aspirational): Pornography has exploded into an epidemic that is destroying the lives of millions of men and women. We have an opportunity to partner with a ministry here in St. Louis that is doing a great job of helping those addicted and the spouses of those impacted by this. If you are interested in becoming a help both to this ministry or for Quest being an effective partner with them please contact us so we can pursue developing this work.

Please reach out to Kevin Hughes for more information on getting involved with this team.

Quest Kids

Quest Kids mission is to help children find direction for life by introducing and pointing them to Jesus Christ and His Word. Christian education and growth is a process and not an event. We desire to provide a worship and learning environment where children can begin to know God personally and where they can learn how to apply His Word in their everyday lives.

At the end of the day, the goal is to see children begin to grow into mature disciples, with an authentic walk, who desire to serve and share their faith with others.

  1. One teacher needed for the Kindergarten – 1st grade class for the months of November, January, March and May. Curriculum is provided.
  2. Team members who have a heart for, experience with or who are willing to learn to work with special needs children to ensure our classes include everyone.
  3. Team members who love to sort and organize to keep our resource room in order.
  4. Team members who would like to do “deep cleans” in our classrooms on a rotating schedule.
  5. Team members who have a heart to help with events and projects outside of Sunday mornings.

Please reach out to Karen Robertson for more information on getting involved with this team.

Quest Students

The teenage years are a time of forming your identity, finding where you belong, and asking questions about the purpose and meaning of life. It is also a season where students face incredible challenges and pressure from the world that will lead them away from Jesus. The church is always one generation away from non-existence. The call to raise up a new generation of believers is our mission and we have the opportunity to invest in the spiritual life of teenagers.

In Wildwood, we are surrounded by 15,000 students in middle and high school and Quest is uniquely positioned to be a part of reaching the students in our area. Our youth group for 6th-12th graders meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm for games, worship, messages and small group discussions. Our mission is to help teenagers follow Jesus and we want you to join in!

  1. The ministry needs two female adult youth leaders to shepherd students each Wednesday.
  2. Join the prayer team by signing up for the weekly email to pray for our specific student ministry needs.
  3. The ministry could use a worship leader who can play guitar and lead regularly on Wednesday nights.
  4. A volunteer or group of volunteers to prepare dinner for the youth group once a month.
  5. Summer camp:
    • We will need volunteers to come and serve as counselors during camp week.
    • Camp scholarships to make camp more accessible for students with financial needs. We will talk more about opportunities to serve and give in the spring and summer.
  6. Support local Young Life ministry. Talk to Tom Pruden to learn about specific opportunities to support through volunteering, prayer, and getting connected to the groups in our area.

Email Johnathan Walker if you would like to talk about ministry opportunities with Quest Students and to sign up for the prayer newsletter.

Contact Tom Pruden if you are interested in ministry opportunities with Young Life.

Faith

Entrusting ourselves to God in His immutable character while investing ourselves in how He wants to use us for His purposes.

As much as we wish that the Christian life was easy and obvious we face the reality that it is many times challenging and opaque. We are squeezed into living out our daily lives by exercising faith; obedient faith in the things that God has already shown us and given us to do, and faith that anticipates the new things He may have for us to pursue. Either way we live each of these dimensions by faith…..

…so what do you need to be faithful to?

…and what do you need to be full of faith for as God directs your path?