Update and Prayer Request

As you may know, this website and its associated social media accounts are not my goal in and of themselves. They are an extension of, and a bridge to, face-to-face forums. Eventually, I hope they will lead to a church I am working to start.

In line with that, I have been thinking of making a few tweaks to what I am doing online. It is a small thing, but I am planning on changing the name and adjusting the look. It might not be a permanent change, but I have been dwelling on it for a while and I am going to give it a try.

I am doing this for a few reasons. I hope it’s something a little easier to remember and search for. I want a name that can be shared across the ministries. And I would like a name that goes to the point of all of this.

So for now, I am going with “Quest.” I will be working “Quest” into the website name, the Twitter, and the Facebook page. In fact, that change will have already been made by the time I post this. Also, if I stick with what I am thinking right now, the church name will be “Quest: A Christian Church.”

I think the name works on multiple levels. For one, as I have been saying so far this year, the idea is to look for answers in the Bible. And answers require the willingness to ask questions. Questions are what these Quest ministries are all about.

Second, it coincides with the idea of the Christian life as a journey (Hebrews 11:16). We are on a quest to draw near to God and leave behind the darkness of this present world. We have to know how to do that, and we ought to help each other along because we are all on this road together. It also inspired my choice of a new profile picture. A key part of my goal is to gear this to college students, and they know the language of a quest. It is a major element of the video game lexicon, involving people working together to accomplish greatness. That imagery is powerful. And it seems like a good idea to have the ministries’ mission right in the name.

Lastly, and admittedly more pragmatic, I believe “Quest” is more inviting than “Biblical Answers.” The latter has some baggage with it I would like to avoid. For some people, just seeing “biblical” is enough to drive them away, and I want to at least get them beyond the name. Also, I need to steer clear of the implication that I have all the answers. I don’t, and my word is not the last word. The point is to look for the answers, not say I emphatically have them all. I think “Quest” helps soften the inference of arrogance.

This is a little change, obviously. But little changes can lead to big things, and that is what I am praying for. I hope you will pray for me, as well. I need it. I am currently in Atlanta, observing some ministries down here for the next few months in the hope of gaining some perspective on what I am trying to do. Then I will be returning to Pittsburgh to begin the church planting process.

So please, pray for me. Pray that I remember that this idea came to me, not from me, so I should not be either proud or defensive of it. Pray that it will be successful, but according to God’s standard rather than human ones. Pray that I have the energy, skill, and courage to do the task to which the Lord has called me. And pray I find the teammates I will need to do all the things I cannot on my own. Believe me, there are many such things, and I need party members for this quest. If you pray, you are part of it. If you ask questions, share posts, and send family and friends my way, you are in this with me. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Stanley