01.04.07 thequest UPdate

thequest family,

Welcome to the Two Thousand and Seventh Year of our Lord. As you can see we even orient our calendars around Jesus. It is all about Jesus!

Well that was our theme for last year and as we step in to 2007 our theme is:

Branching Out

You probably already noticed it in the picture header for the email. This theme comes from this picture of our connection to the Vine--Jesus. Check out the picture Jesus paints here:

"I [Jesus] am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:1-8 NLT


We want to be those true disciples of Jesus. Not half-hearted followers, or part-timers, but those who are truly devoted to Him. Our connection with Him gives us the power, energy and strength to produce any fruit at all. Our sap has to be exchanged with His to bring about the fruit He desires.

To be honest this will take a lot more than a year for us to do! But we can make it an emphasis for the whole year! And that's the plan, to connect to the Vine and see what He does in and through us!

Press on,
Mike

To see the rest of thequest UPdate click HERE

Our new blog starting January 2006

Well, we started a new blog in January of 2006. You can find it here:

www.thequestcolumbus.blogspot.com

LIFE BOX Project a Success

In partnership with the Powell Grace Brethren Church we provided a LIFEBOX for every student at the Second Avenue Elementary School--. It's our goal to share "stuff for life"--learning, healthy and fun stuff and the stuff of LIFE in Jesus.

It was awesome to watch kids go crazy opening their boxes. Enjoy the pics and the precious thank you notes below.

it was a blur

more happy faces

fast and furious

tearing the LIFE BOX open

happy LIFE BOX openers!

excited

Terrence's letter


the Translation:

Dear The Quest Church,

Thank you for making us boxs and thank you for all the hard work that your church did. Thank you for custom making our boxs. I appreciate how much time you spent on our boxs. Thank you for all the stuff you got me. Thank you for getting our school those boxes and thank you for getting me the buckeye colored gloves.

Thank you,
Terrence

A thank you letter

A thank you letter

Shanique's thank you click on it to see it


Here's the translation:

Dr. Mr. Mike,

Thank You for that pink purse with my lotion in it. how did you no that Pink is my favorite color. Hey, maybe I can make you sumthing speshol (special). I wish you can be my dad can you do that next year

Love,
Shanique

11.02.05 thequest email UPdate

thequest family,

This week I want to introduce you to a year long emphasis we are going to have looking forward--our HARVEST PRAYER Project.

What is the Harvest Prayer Project?

An organized effort by thequest family to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to see people come to know Jesus personally and become workers cast out into the harvest fields.

How do I become a part of the Harvest Prayer Project?

Identify 3 households that you will regularly pray for over the next year that they will become followers of Jesus and workers in the harvest fields. [Target3]

Pray at least 5 times per week to the Lord of the Harvest begging for workers (including your Target3 and others from your house church). [Ten2b virus]

Let us know the names of the three households you will be praying for. The first collection of those names will be at our Thanksgiving Brunch Assembly on Sun. Nov. 20.

Why households and not just individuals?
Because we want to see whole families/households be reached for Jesus and become workers in His fields. The Early church has several example of this: Lydia and the Phillippian jailer and their households became the start of the church in Philippi (Acts 16). We want to pray that God will reach and release a whole “oikos.” We also understand that some households are individuals.

Where will the names of my 3 households go?
We will form a list as house churches and as a network of house churches to pray as a community for these as well. We will be discreet with these names to respect privacy, but be assured we will pray for them and for you as God leads you in relating to these people!

Why is the commitment for a year?
Next Thanksgiving we will have a Harvest Party to celebrate how God has answered our prayers. We normally have Harvest Parties in the fall…we are just going to pray and work toward next year’s party!

Why pray for workers, not just to get them saved?
Because Jesus said to beg Him for workers, not just converts. We are praying for people to be good soil that will produce a crop 30-fold, 60-fold or 100-fold as Jesus talked about in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13).

Why is it a project?
Because of the definitions of the word:
proj·ect n.
1. A plan or proposal;
2. An undertaking requiring concerted effort.

This is an undertaking requiring a plan and concerted effort. That’s why it’s a project. The people aren’t projects. The Harvest is the goal. The work is done through prayer. The plan is a project.

~~~

That is an introduction to the HARVEST PRAYER Project. I trust that you and Jesus will begin to discuss who the 3 households He wants you to pray for will be. I wanted to give you a few weeks to think and pray about it before we get together on the 20th to begin putting our list together.

Press on,
Mike

10.26.05 thequest email UPdate

thequest family,

11,708 days.

That's a long time.

That's a long time to do something.

In fact, that is my whole life...including today.

I was struck in my personal time with the Lord last week about God being the Great Provider. As I was musing, I remembered the Psalms as I was reflecting. Often the Psalmist looked backward to count God's faithfulness.

It hit me that my birthday was in the recent past...so even my marginal math ability might allow me to figure out how many days I had been alive. So I figured it out.

I was blown away. I wrote in HUGE letters in my journal-- WOW THANK YOU!

Every single one of those days, the Lord has done something for me. He has provided. To my knowledge, I have never been without food or shelter or clothes any of those days. WOW. What an amazing privilege and amazing work of God.

Certainly my parents would know better about those first several years. We never had a lot, but the things I needed, the Lord has always provided--as an infant, child and as an adult. I guess as I have seen pictures and video of the victims of hurricanes, earthquakes, poverty and more around our globe...I'm warmed with a deep sense of gratitude.

I know it's still a month till Thanksgiving, but I'm very thankful already! Besides this verse rings true:

No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT


Press on,
Mike