Is the Quest Christian? Yes, the Quest is “Christian” in the classic sense of the word. It is hard to use words that have such a wide range of meaning. When we use the word “Christian” we mean that we follow the teachings of Jesus that are recorded in the Bible. We are trying to live by the great commandment to love God with all our hearts and love each other in the same way. We don’t like to use the word “Christian” because it carries so much baggage in our culture.
When and where do you meet? Our main gatherings are Saturday evenings, from 5-6 pm, and Sunday mornings, from 10-11 am, at 1461 S. Novato Blvd. (corner of S. Novato Blvd. and Arthur St, in Novato). The teaching and what we do at both gatherings is the same. After our gatherings we have some food together, and, if you have time, we would love to have you join us.
Why do you meet on Saturday evening and Sunday morning? We are trying to connect with people who are not connected to a church. We have found that for many families, Saturday evening is a better time to meet than Sunday. Our meeting time and day has no reflection on our beliefs, except that we believe what we do together is more important than when we meet.
Do you have anything for my children? We have nursery staff who will care for your baby, if you would rather not keep your little one with you during the gathering. We also have a full slate of children’s activities and classes for kids from three years old all the way though high school. Some of our children’s and youth programs run concurrently at only one gathering time (see our Programs page for further details). Your kids will enjoy the hour a great deal.
Is the Quest associated with a denomination? Yes and no. When we started the Quest, we looked around for a denomination to help us with start-up costs. A group called Growing Healthy Churches, which is the church planting ministry of the American Baptist Churches of the West, stepped up and provided some much needed capital. We are connected to these other churches in a network for mutual benefit, but there are no “strings” attached to the relationship. We are also aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention so that we can receive help from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley and so that when students attend our church, they can satisfy some of their educational requirements at the Quest.
Why do we need another church in Novato? There are some very good churches in Novato already. In fact, the leaders of the Quest are friends with many of the pastors in our community, and they often eat and pray together. When we started the Quest, we wanted to create a place that was a reflection of our personalities and our own faith journeys. The Quest is simply a spiritual community of a different flavor, and we think choices are good.
How can I learn more about the Quest? Our weekend gatherings (on Saturdays from 5-6pm or on Sundays from 10-11am) are a great way to check things out. You won’t be asked to do anything or be the center of attention. You can feel free to come in, sit in the back (if you want) and investigate.
Also, feel free to ask questions via email in the Contact page of our website or give us a call at (415) 892-3670.
