Parish Church

questions . . . Jan 14, 2007

Beginning with our next gathering, we will explore questions about life, meaning, spirituality, God, humans, evil, race, patriarchy, classism, or whatever! We’ll begin by voicing some of the questions we can – acknowledging some seem almost too deep for words

Dwight J. Friesen January 7, 2007September 23, 2022

Quest’s Rhythm of Gathering

Quest exists to connect people.  More accurately, we exist to help each other awaken to the reality of our already interconnectedness. We life and move in an ecosystem of relations. Each relationship invites our faithful presence. You might say that

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006November 30, 2020

Expression Gathering

Our “expression gathering” is a vital part of the life of our community… in fact they often feel a bit like family gatherings. On the second Sunday of each month we gather to encounter the mystery and story of God.

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006November 30, 2020

The Meal

On the first (1st) Sunday of each month Quest piles into someone’s home to celebrate communion while sharing a meal.  In the Christian tradition we refer this table as the Lord’s. God sets a place at the table for everyone, and

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006November 30, 2020

Connecting Weekend

We have no gathering this weekend but next Sunday (1/14/2007) we will join together again. Quest highly values the need for rest. It is not our intention to fill each moment with “church gatherings.” Just as a reminder we have

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006January 13, 2021

Community Groups . . . A Friend or Two

Jesus once taught that wherever and whenever two or three people gather in the Way of Christ, God is among them. Jesus’s words make sense to most people, because most of us have had the experience of deep meeting and

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006September 23, 2022

Journey . . . quest exists to assist in the process

We have always been focused on serving people in their unique faith journeys.  We believe that every person is in process of becoming.  So we seek to be an aid in that journey; to be a friend to walk with,

Dwight J. Friesen December 27, 2006May 5, 2022

thanksgiving eve . . . together

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice. – Meister Eckhart Lynette, Pascal and I will be joining together in a Thanksgiving Eve Community Worship service tomorrow night. Wednesday, 7:30 pm at

Dwight J. Friesen November 22, 2006October 16, 2020

Quest’s Open Mic

This coming Sunday is Quest’s “Open Mic.” As you may know, we gather on the third Sunday of each month to offer an expression of the work of our hearts, hands, minds, and voices. We seek to offer these expressions

Dwight J. Friesen November 13, 2006January 13, 2021

emergent village & full communion

Samir Selmanovic, Andrew Seely (See Andrew’s blog post about the experience) and I participated in the National Council of churches Faith & Order Commission a couple of weeks ago. The three of us participated in the dialogues as representatives of

Dwight J. Friesen October 25, 2006September 29, 2022

Loving God as Neighbor

Since this month has a fifth Sunday we will engage our collective practice of c celebrating with a neighborhood organization to practice loving God by loving our neighbor. We like to say that one of the most practical ways to

Dwight J. Friesen October 16, 2006January 13, 2021

lausanne . . . what’s next?

I recently returned from the Lausanne’s 2006 Younger Leaders Gathering which was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. To be in one place with followers of Christ from 110 nations, was a privilege. Rarely have I had the opportunity to meet,

Dwight J. Friesen October 6, 2006January 14, 2021

Contextuals . . . Beyond Liberal & Conservative Labels

Few terms polarize a conversation between Christ-followers like the L-word and the C-word: Liberal & Conservative. Both terms (liberal & conservative) have long and important histories in political and religious life; even if the terms have become one of the

Dwight J. Friesen June 7, 2006January 14, 2021

da vinci code . . . picking up where luther left off?

The wait is over. The movie opens today. Here is a link to a very brief article I wrote about the public response to The DaVinci Code for a great film site; The Conversation. The site features reviewers & film

Dwight J. Friesen May 19, 2006November 15, 2020

reflection on emergent

Here are just a few of the growing assessments of, or engagements with the emergent church: International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church (Volume 6, Number 1 / March 2006) “Emerging Church.” Criswell Theological Review (Volume 3, Issue

Dwight J. Friesen May 18, 2006September 21, 2022

seeking emerging educational systems

I was really lucky to be able to spend a few hours imagining educational programs with David Male over coffee this morning. David was the founder and pastor of the NetChurch in Huddersfield, UK until accepting the call to a

Dwight J. Friesen May 18, 2006September 23, 2022

international reflection on emerging church life

The latest issue of the International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church (Volume 6, Number 1 / March 2006) is focused entirely on the “Emerging Church.” Online access to the issue will run you close to $80, so

Dwight J. Friesen May 16, 2006September 21, 2022

emergent & the way of Christ

O the beauty of the dialogue sparked by LaRon Shults’ Emergent/C post (for more comments, links and conversation visit emergent blog and generous orthodoxy think tank). The action/belief dance has been a difficult one for modern Westerners. The tune keeps

Dwight J. Friesen May 8, 2006September 22, 2022

in the service of inquiry

The following was written by theologian LeRon Shults, and was sent out in today’s Emergent/C (the newsletter of emergent). “The coordinators of Emergent have often been asked (usually by their critics) to proffer a doctrinal statement that lays out clearly

Dwight J. Friesen May 4, 2006May 8, 2022

holy saturday

This morning the thought struck me afresh that Holy Saturday is the Sabbath; Christ’s day in the tomb was the day of rest. The thought took me back to the late Alan Lewis’ wonderful book, Between Cross & Resurrection: A

Dwight J. Friesen April 15, 2006May 8, 2022

lausanne movement

I just received word that I’ll have the privilege and responsibility being one of the North American representatives at the Younger Leaders Gathering ’06 (mid 30’s and younger) sponsored by the Lausanne Movement. This gathering of 550 emerging leaderes from

Dwight J. Friesen April 13, 2006January 14, 2021

we know more than our pastors

“We Know More Than Our Pastors” by Tim Bedner. peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen January 13, 2006May 10, 2022

Some of Quest’s Questions

How will we be now? How can we better meet the needs of those in our community? Where is our passion and life? Where is God in this community and in myself?  Gifts, hearts… How do we become more connected

Dwight J. Friesen November 27, 2005September 29, 2022

some themes from our questions

Common themes: Community – longing for and desire to extend it How questions? …More active than reflective Living Christ in Relationship Grow Outward Desire: reveal our hearts , to know and be known, for more Not looking for this community

Dwight J. Friesen November 27, 2005January 14, 2021

what might be God’s wisdom for us?

What is the God’s Wisdom for us? Where are the passions and life . . .   A heartbeat, coming together Reminder and helping each other remember that God loves us People who are questing Tangents Seeing where God is moving

Dwight J. Friesen November 27, 2005May 9, 2022

Extra Notes from Discernment Day

The other day our Quest community invested some imaginational energy exploring possible pathways to even richer communal expression, even more faithful presence with the Divine, one another, our neighbors, creation, and ourselves. The following are just some of the thoughts.

Dwight J. Friesen November 27, 2005June 9, 2022

Summarizing Our Questions

As part of our recent retreat a group of us explored some questions that may help us discover our future. Here are a few of them: How could we experiment in using our gifts and passions to more fully live

Dwight J. Friesen November 27, 2005September 29, 2022

Seed Story @ the Ooze

Duncan Macleod of Postkiwi.com re-posted a short excerpt from a “Seed Story” conversation I had with Spencer Burke of The Ooze. In the interview I offer a glimpse into my leadership struggle of dying to my “vision,” in hope of

Dwight J. Friesen November 18, 2005January 18, 2021

Dancing to a New Rhythm

Dear friends, I am writing this as I reflect back on our gathering this past Sunday night.  It was a “family time” for thoughtful consideration of how we might morph our structured times together to continue to be more and

Dwight J. Friesen October 14, 2005October 3, 2022

playing tag

I’ve been picturing a group of neighborhood kids playing tag in the backyard when all of a sudden one of the kids sees something in a tree. She stops playing the game as it has been played and goes over

Dwight J. Friesen September 18, 2005May 10, 2022