Questioning “who owns Quest” in not a question we actually ask very often, at least not very often in a clear and concise way, but subtly I think we all wonder who is ‘large and in charge’???
Like many of us who own homes, the property that houses the Quest ‘family’ is still largely owned by the bank 🙂 And just to mention briefly here in this letter, we are doing very well with our payments, and we are even making extra payments every month to knock down our debt sooner than we are scheduled.
But more importantly, let’s ask, “who owns the ministry, the people and the community of Quest?” I think the answer has three elements:
1. First and foremost, the owner of Quest is Christ. He is the Lord of the church. He is the Head of the body. He is the rock on which the church is built. He has all authority in heaven and on earth, and therefore, He has total authority in the church.
2. Second, Quest is owned by the servant leadership of the Elders. This may surprise you that I list them second rather than third, but the New Testament paints a picture of elders having the responsibility to seek the mind of Christ with a humble unanimity and a clarity of direction, that comes from spending time in prayer and in His Word, that allows them to serve the congregation effectively. Elders are never to lord their leadership over anybody, but to seek the best for everyone in the congregation.
3. Third, Quest is owned by the people of Quest. Jesus is described as the head of the body and therefore the rightful owner of church. The church therefore is made up of all the individual people who create unity from their diversity. I Corinthians describes the incredible importance of each and every individual member of the body. No one is more important than another. Everyone is needed and all are welcome. Church is a team sport and every team member needs to be on the field playing their position.
As Quest continues the adventure of being the people of God, we all need to embrace the roles that He has for us. We have things that need to be done and hopefully they fit some of your desires and interests. There are other things that need to be done that we have not thought of yet, but you have a heart for. Therefore, let us know what is on your mind and let’s see if we can support you.
It is exciting to think about what the Lord would like to accomplish in us and through us if we will surrender all that we are and all that we have to His plan. So let me encourage you to take seriously what this year could look like as you take ownership of the ministry of Quest.
Yours,
Kevin