Archive
Subscribe
Weather
 |
|
 |
Soul Survivor will wrap up its national tour in
Newberg
|
Creativity within the congregation |
Jesus Quest church will begin in February and meet
at the community center in downtown Newberg |
By Schellene Clendenin, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
An acoustic church – a bit like
MTV Unplugged – with painting during the sermons and a band playing
in the background.
The Jesus Quest is Scott Stoutenberg’s vision of the direction
churches should be going. Jesus Quest will be a Christ-focused,
community outreach-based evangelical church. Beginning at 6 p.m., on
the first Saturday in February the church will feature a live band,
as well.
Stoutenberg, currently a youth pastor at the Chehalem Valley
Baptist Church, said he’d like a church for people who think church
is boring, a church in which the congregation may feel secure in
dressing in shirts and shorts. Visitors will be welcome to get up
during service and walk to prayer stations, he said.
He also wants to establish Alzheimer’s, homeless and AIDS
ministries.
“They will be more like support groups for people who are suffering
or have family members who are,” he said. “We’d like to provide
respite care (as well).”
He’s already begun homeless and Alzheimer’s groups.
“A lot of these kinds of churches are started by youth pastors,” he
said, adding that the choice was to either start another youth group
or begin another church entirely. After recognizing a sermon that
discussed making decisions and following as a sign, preparations for
a new church began.
“We wanted people to have a church home, not just church services,”
he said. “Basically, it’s going to be a postmodern type of church –
very experiential. People don’t want to hear about Jesus, they want
to experience what Jesus is all about.”
Stoutenberg wants to make that experience happen.
“A year ago if you’d asked me what a postmodern church was I would
have had no idea,” he said. “(Methods used) by the church that used
to work don’t work any more. We’re looking for people who are
disfranchised and want to go (to church), but don’t feel welcome.
We’re targeting people most uncomfortable at church.”
Jesus Quest will begin the second Saturday in February and will be
held in the community center next to the fire station on Second
Street.
Although he was a member of a Southern Baptist church,
Stoutenberg’s will emphasize Jesus instead of the church or
denomination.
“We wanted to call it Jesus Quest because we wanted to be up front
about what about we believe,” he said. “A lot of people out there
are searching. We are the church that is not just a place to go. We
feel called out to be a part of community.”
All the members of the church are volunteers. So far the group has
raised start-up funds from the Baptist church and solicited funds
from churches nationally.
“We’re trying to raise $4,000 to buy a video projector, lap top
(computer) and screen,” he said.
Musicians and artists are being sought for the church. For
more information contact Stoutenberg at 503-864-9224. |
|
From
Nov. 27, 2004,
Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
|
 |
|
