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.