QuestDG: Preview of this Sunday's Class (9/9)

This Sunday it's Quest's preseason coverage: Who is John, and what got him going? What did Jesus mean to him? Why did he write the Gospel of John, and what's so special about this book? What can we expect in the rest of the fall season? All this and more at Quest on Sunday, 9/9. Hope to see you there!

Pictures from the ACC Picnic

Great to see some of you Quest'ers at the picnic! Here's a link to some pictures from the picnic: "http://public.fotki.com/andyedlee/2007/acc-english-congregation/".

"ACC Quest" Facebook Group

If you're on Facebook, please check out our ACC Quest group. We'll do much of our communication through the group.

Tina's Description of this Semester's Topic

"Who is Jesus?: Metaphors from the Gospel of John"

Throughout the ages theologians, scholars, and ordinary people alike have sought to answer the question, "Who Is Jesus?" Some said he was a prophet, some a good teacher, others God Himself. This semester we'll dig together into the Gospel of John to learn how Jesus answered that question. Come join us as we study the metaphors Jesus used to describe himself and as we consider how His identity affects ours.

Fall Quest Discovery Group Starting 8/26!

This semester we have the privilege of Tina Tsuei leading our Discovery Group as we study the topic "Who is Jesus?: Metaphors from the Gospel of John". We'll be holding our first meeting this Sunday, 8/26, from 11:15am-12:15pm in the John Sung building (the same room where we have our worship service). We're looking forward to seeing you all there!

Quest Discovery Group Restarting! (7/1)

Hi Students, this Sunday we'll be restarting our summer study on Spiritual Formation. After a few weeks off hearing some inspiring testimonies, this Sunday we'll be looking more deeply into what it means to be "formed" as a follower of Christ. Hope to see you there!

Sunday, 6/24, Ivan Lui Sharing

This Sunday, Ivan Lui who worked for a Christian relief organization will share his experiences of helping the people of Darfur and Iraq. It should be an amazing time of hearing how God is working in and through His people to help those living in the direst of circumstances. We encourage all of you to join us from 11:15am-12:15pm in John Sung right after the morning worship service.

Sunday, 6/17, Pastor Samuel Sharing

This Sunday during the 2nd hour we had the privilege of hearing from Pastor Samuel who was visiting us from Chennai, India. The ministries he's involved with sharing the Gospel, caring for the poor, and providing training programs are so inspiring. It's a blessing for ACC to be able to partner with him to reach the people of South India.

Sunday, 6/10, Elder Candidate Interviews

Though we didn't have our Quest Discovery Group this Sunday, we did have the opportunity to hear from our three elder candidates: Phil Chang, May-Seng Feng, and Leo Yeung. It was great hearing their vision and passion for God, for ACC, and for the world.

Summer QuestDG: Spiritual Formation

This summer, we'll be investigating the critical, yet challenging topic of "Spiritual Formation" (below is a quote from Dallas Willard giving a brief description of it's importance and meaning). If you'd like to further your understanding and experience of a transformed heart -- the very wellspring of life (Prov. 4:23) -- then I believe this series will be quite valuable.

We'd love to have you join us, so feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Quest or about our summer Discovery Group. Just a quick reminder that we'll be meeting in the West Hall of the Morrison Building from 11:15am-12:15pm (right after the English worship service).

Grace and peace,
Andy

***** Quote from Dallas Willard *****

In Luke 6, Jesus points out that "there is no good tree which produces bad fruit.... Men do not gather figs from thorn bushes...." (vss. 43-44) It is the inner nature of the tree that determines its outward product. Likewise, "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (vs. 45)

Spiritual formation in the tradition of Jesus Christ is the process of transformation of the inmost dimension of the human being, the heart, which is the same as the spirit or will. It is being formed (really, transformed) in such a way that its natural expression comes to be the deeds of Christ done in the power of Christ.

First Quest Discovery Group of the Summer

Hi Students, I'm looking forward to kicking off our summer QuestDG this Sunday, 6/3. We'll be meeting in the West Hall of the Morrison Building after the English Worship Service and go from 11:15am-12:15pm. Hope to see you there! More info to come...

Such a Blessing!

I just wanted to let you know how all of you have been an incredible blessing to me over these past two semesters. I've been challenged to grow in the Lord by our times of discussion, fellowship, and service.

For those who will be in Austin over the summer, it'll be great to have you here. I'm looking forward to the fun we'll have this summer. For those who'll be leaving Austin, you'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Looking forward to seeing you again next semester... :-)

Grace and peace,
Andy

Our Final QuestDG for the Semester

Because this Sunday (5/6) will be our last Quest Discovery Group class of the semester, we'll be having some special refreshments and extended time of fellowship. We'll also get the opportunity to reflect on and share about what God has shown us these past few weeks regarding living grace-filled lives. Lastly, we'll have some time to pray for each other.

Tina and I think this will be a special time for our Quest community as we look back at the year and then look forward to how God can use us during the summer months, so we hope you can join us!

Sunday, 4/29, QuestDG Recap: "How Legalism Corrupts Grace"

This Sunday we discussed what was legalism, why it is so appealing, and how dangerous it can be in corrupting our lives of grace. To gain insight about this, we examined why Jesus was so angry with the great legalists of His time (the Pharisees) in our study of Matthew 23.

Yancey sums up this week's theme well when he writes on page 210 of What's So Amazing About Grace:

"Jesus proclaimed unmistakable that God's law is so perfect and absolute that no one can achieve righteousness. Yet God's law is so great that we do not have to. By striving to prove how much they deserve God's love, legalists miss the whole point of the gospel, that it is a gift from God to people who don't deserve it. The solution to sin is not to impose an ever-stricter code of behavior. It is to know God."

Sunday, 4/22, QuestDG Recap: "Grace Abuse"

This Sunday, Tina lead us in a challenging investigation on how we relate the concepts of grace and sin -- specifically living in disobedience while being children of grace. We discussed how we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness, and how our obedience motivated by faith that God's will is good is an act of worship.

We also looked into the Scriptural principle that continual, deliberate sin can lead to our falling away from the faith. "Our assurance of salvation increases as we walk in obedience. The corollary is that we cannot feel secure about our salvation if we continually choose to live in disobedience."

Her encouragement for us was that we should not be careless in our walk with God and that we should pray for our friends who are falling into disobedience.

Sunday, 4/15, Joint Baptism Service

Though we didn't have the opportunity to continue in our study of grace, we did have the opportunity to join together with the others at our church to celebrate and witness the baptisms of various members of ACC ranging from children up to parents. It was wonderful hearing their testimonies and sharing this joyful experience with them, their families, and friends.

Easter Sunday, 4/8, QuestDG Recap

Though we had a smaller group, it was fun getting to eat great food and fellowshipping with the rest of the ACC English Congregations after the Easter worship service (good skit too, eh?). I also appreciated the sharing that we had about Kevin's experiences from the New Orleans missions trip he took over Spring Break. Cool to hear how God's grace was shown both to him and through him (and the rest of his team).

Also, we had the opportunity to hear from those who went to serve at Church Under the Bridge with the Bags of Grace of ministry the previous Sunday. Sounds like this time really touched those who participated. Thanks to Abba for allowing us to interact with and serve those for whom His heart so longs. Oh may our hearts be turned even more towards them as well.

Good Friday & Easter Sunday

Here's a quick reminder of this weekend's special events:

1. ACC's Good Friday Service will be this Friday, 4/6, from 7:30-8:30pm in Taylor Hall (the gym). There will be some important time of reflection as we remember Jesus' death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

2. Our Sunday's Easter Service will be held at the same time and place as our regular worship services (in John Sung starting at 9:30am). Afterwards there will be an extended time for fellowship and food. This will be a great opportunity to invite our friends who may not usually attend a church.

3. Our QuestDG will meet for a shortened session after the fellowship and food time (11:30am-12:15pm) in our regular meeting place in the West Hall of the Morrison building. We'll have some special time of sharing to hear how God has been using Quest members to share God's grace with others. In addition, Tina will give us an introduction to Session #7 "Grace Abuse: Cheapening Grace and Robbing Its Power".

Hope to see you there!

Church Under the Bridge & Bags of Grace

It was great being able to serve alongside the Bags of Grace crew this past Sunday to minister to the Church Under the Bridge attendees by serving them, having meaningful conversations with them, and praying with them. There were 16 of us from Quest able to help out by extending grace. I can't wait until the next opportunity to do this again! If you'd like to see more pictures of our time down there, you can go to: "http://andyedlee.fotki.com/2007/quest/".

Bags of Grace this Sunday, 4/1

Hi Quest Folk, sorry for the late announcement,
but we were waiting to hear back from the AIDS
hospice representative before we were able to
make a decision what grace service we would do
this Sunday.  Turns out that Project Transistions
cannot do this Sunday, so we switched it up with
our "Bags of Grace" service project.  Therefore,
we'll be helping distribute food and fellowshipping
with those that worship at Church Under the Bridge
(CUB) this Sunday.  Below are some important details
from Tina.  I'm really looking forward to serving
and extending grace with you!

Grace and peace,
Andy

P.S.  Please pass the word along to those who might
not see this message before Sunday.. thanks!

******************** Tina's Note **********************

I talked to Rita, and she is excited that we can
help out this Sunday.  They were going to be short
of help this week, as far as they knew, so we are
an answer to their prayers.  We need to be at Church
Under the Bridge by 11:30, if at all possible, 11:45
at the latest.  CUB meets on the southbound access
road of 35, between 5th and 6th streets.  We can park
wherever we can find a spot, being aware that we could
get boxed in if people park behind us.  Distribution
of the Bags of Grace will begin around 12 noon, although
the schedule can vary, depending on what time the
homeless congregate, what the weather is like, etc.
Here are some tips from Rita:

1)  Begin praying even now.  Pray for good weather.
Pray for Brother Dwayne as he preaches the gospel.
Pray for spiritual protection as well as safety; some
of the coordinators have already been experiencing some
spiritual attack.

2)  Be prepared to share whatever you might bring.  If
you can bring a new pair of socks, you will be able to
give it to someone who needs it.  The homeless always
need new socks.  Do not bring any cash unless you
specifically feel led by God to do so, b/c you can't
have enough for everybody, and if you give to some and
not others, it might cause trouble.  Do not wear cologne,
jewelry, fancy/expensive clothes, or anything that might
cause a poor person to be jealous.  We do not want to
cause someone else to sin.  Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty.

3) Don't point at anyone or make any comments.  There
will be some "colorful" characters.

4) You may bring your Bible (someone might ask for it).
We should all be prepared to answer questions about the
Bible, God, Jesus, and Christianity, as best we're able.

5) Our primary job will be to distribute the Bags of
Grace and other items in an orderly fashion.  We will get
more specific directions/assignments when we arrive.

Rita said there were 300-400 people attending each of the
last 2 times they went to CUB.  The weather certainly
affects attendance, so there could be more or less this
Sunday.

I think this will be a fantastic experience for all of
us.  I know I'm excited, as well as a little bit nervous
about what it will look like.  It's good for us to be
outside our comfort zones.

I suggest we send an email to Questers letting them know
the plan this Sunday and sending them these tips from
Rita.  We can encourage the students to head over to West
Hall as soon as service ends.  After a quick orientation/
review and some time for prayer, we can head out to CUB.

It's amazing how God worked it out for this week!

Praising Him,
Tina

Sunday, 3/25, QuestDG Recap

This week we discussed how as followers of Christ we should respond to those with whom we disagree. Philip Yancey summed up the lesson very well in his quote, “Ask for a new set of eyes – what I call grace-healed eyes. So that we see even people who offend us not just as immoral people but as thirsty people, like the Samaritan woman at the well.”

We also discussed how we can see people with a new set of eyes (seeing them as God sees them):

• By remembering that despite our own sinfulness, we are completely loved by God;
• By realizing that we are called to love those who are unlovable even more;
• By understanding that though we can share God’s truths, it is God who changes hearts.

"Amazing Grace" an Amazing Movie!

Fourteen of us from Quest watched "Amazing Grace" this past Sunday at the Arbor Theaters. I thought it was one of the best movies (on many different levels) that I've seen in a long time. It was a well written, well acted film that was very inspiring, yet not overly preachy.

It communicated universal themes of extending grace to those in need, standing up for what is right, and the power of redemption to change lives and change the world. The movie challenged me to reevaluate my life and life's impact more than any movie in recent memory.

If you haven't seen it yet, I'd highly recommend watching it before it leaves the theaters!

Watching "Amazing Grace" this Sunday (3/25) @ 12:40pm

This Sunday after church, we'd like to offer you the opportunity to watch a movie with us that embodies much of what we've been discussing this semester about being shining examples of God's grace to a world full of ungrace and what a difference that can make.

The Arbor Cinema is showing "Amazing Grace" which chronicles the lives of two men in the 18th century, William Wilberforce and his confidant John Newton (the author of the hymn). William, as a Member of Parliament, worked for two decades to end the slave trade in the British Empire. This movie looks really good (see its website www.amazinggracemovie.com) and has gotten good reviews on rottentomatoes.

We're going to watch the 12:40pm showing on Sunday, so we'll have to leave ACC at 12:10pm (we'll be paying for the movie). The movie runs just under 2hrs, so we should get you back to campus around 3pm.

Please let me know by this Friday, 3/23, if you'll be joining us (we'd love for your friends to join us as well). We'll make sure you have rides back to campus just in case your ride to church won't be able to make the show. Thanks!

Sunday, 3/18, QuestDG Recap

The Power of the Cross to Penetrate Racism
Tina led us through a look at how the power of Jesus' death on the cross enables us to live lives of grace that overcomes racism and prejudice. We studied Ephesians 2:11-22 to see how Christ went to the cross not only to reconcile us to God, but each of us to one another in celebration of our differences.

If you'd like to do more reading on this subject, check out the link to the InterVarsity website for some relevant articles (www.intervarsity.org/slj/topics/racial). Tina particularly liked 2 articles, one by Alec Hill entitled "Our Core Commitments: Ethnic Reconciliation and Justice", and the other by Rachel Lei, "No Longer Color Blind."

Sunday, 2/18, QuestDG Recap

Indebtedness or Increased Faith?
Tina led us through a study and discussion of how God's grace demonstrated through Jesus' death on our behalf can lead us to an unhealthy attitude of indebtedness, rather than increasing our faith in His goodness. Feeling as if we live to repay His Gift, detracts from our appreciation of His unmerited favor towards us. Instead, our gratitude should inspire us to realize more fully how our Father who did not spare His own Son, will continue to shower His grace upon us in the present and future. To read more about this, you can check out John Piper's Future Grace.

Sundays, 2/11,25 & 3/4, QuestDG Recap

The Transforming Power of Forgivness
Marie and Andy led us through a discussion on how grace and forgiveness go hand-in-hand in restoring both the injured and offending parties. Forgiveness, though completely unnatural, allows the supernatural power of Jesus to free and to heal. We had a really good discussion on what this world would look like if we were able to break the cycle of hate leading to more hate, by following Jesus' revolutionary example of returning hatred with forgiveness and love.

Tour of ACC this Sunday, 2/4

Come meet Pastor Gaylord, and join him on a walking tour of the ACC campus. Learn the church's story, hear an overview of its ministries, and consider where you might plug in and serve. Should be informative and fun!

Sunday, 1/28, QuestDG Recap

This past week in our study of grace, we unpacked the Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32). We saw how neither the younger nor the elder son could receive grace from the father when they thought they deserved something from him. We talked about the heart of the father--his great joy in welcoming the younger son home, and his pleading with the elder son to come and join in the feast. This is our God, who lavishes grace on us, though we don't deserve it, and who wants us to extend that grace to others.

********************************

For those of you who were able to attend the get-together at the Lin's home, it was great getting to fellowship with you and getting to know you better. Thanks to Marian and Scott for opening their home to us and providing the yummy banana splits. Thanks also to Sharon for leading us in the fun games. Pictures to come...

Quest Get-Together: More Details!

Just a reminder of our Quest social being held right after the Discover Group hour this Sunday, 1/28. We'll head over to Scott & Marian's home (2509 Avenue N, Austin, TX, 78727) for some pizza, fun & games, and banana splits. Yumm!

The get-together will run from 12:30-3:30pm so that you can back to campus by 4pm. If you'd like to come, please check with your usual driver to see if they'll be coming too. If your driver is not coming to the party, then please let us know as soon as possible (acc_quest@yahoo.com), and we'll make alternate arrangements for you.

Hope you and your friends can make it!

Notes on QuestDG Session #1 (1/21)

This past Sunday we heard Phillip Yancey, author of What's So Amazing About Grace?, explain: "I wrote this book because grace is not the first word that comes to mind when people think of Christians." We talked about what grace is and looked at John 8:1-11 to see how Jesus demonstrated grace. Some questions to think about this week:

• When have I experienced grace, or the opposite of grace, in my life?
• Who has modeled a grace-filled life for me?
• To whom do I need to extend more grace?

Join us next week as we consider the extravagant grace of God and the people who need to experience it.

First Get-Together This Semester

Next Sunday, 1/28, after the Quest Discovery Group hour, we'll have our first get-together for the spring semester. The details are still being firmed-up, but it will include such yummy things as pizza and banana splits! We'll take care of transportation and will make sure to get you back to campus no later than 4pm.

This will be a great time to invite your friends who might be interested in finding out more about ACC and Quest. It'll also be a good opportunity to catch up with each other. And, of course, the food and drinks will be on us. :-)

More details to come...

What's So Amazing About Grace?

In "What’s So Amazing About Grace?" award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God’s love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?

This study should give us both the Biblical understanding of grace and the platform to turn that understanding/appreciation into action as grace-givers. Along with the book and participant's guide comes a 10-week video series that has interviews relating to that week's particular study on grace. Tina Tsuei and Andy Lee will co-teach this semester and will supplement the study with group opportunites to put these concepts of grace into practice.

Longhorn Families

If you'd like a home-away-from-home, the opportunity to interact with ACC families, and the chance to eat some good food, we'd love to invite you to be a part of our Longhorn Family ministry. This ministry has a wonderful history of developing some long-lasting friendships between the students and their Longhorn Family members that continue long after graduation.

We'll begin the process of assigning interested students to their families in mid-February, so please email us as soon as possible if you are interested in being adopted into a family or have any questions about this ministry. You can contact us at: acc_quest@yahoo.com.

Mentoring/Discipleship Opportunities

We are coming alongside AACM and EPIC to provide opportunities to be mentored and/or discipled by an older adult from our English Congregation. This is especially targeted towards upperclassmen who are interested in what the next phase of life holds and how to approach it with a Godly perspective. This is also valuable for those who aren't currently involved in an on-campus Christian organization and would like to be mentored/discipled.

If you are interested in this or would like more information, please contact us at: acc_quest@yahoo.com.