Our History
In the early 1990s, Pete Hise was a student at Asbury Theological Seminary. He took a job at a local Applebee’s restaurant, with a desire to build relationships with unchurched people. A group of Applebee’s employees soon began meeting with Pete for Bible study, and a number of them made life-changing decisions to follow Jesus. Pete became a staff member at First Alliance Church in Lexington, and there his heart expanded still more for those without a relationship with Jesus.
Pete attended a conference at Willow Creek Community Church in 1996, where God instilled a vision of a church designed for people who don’t like church. Beginning in March 1997, a Saturday night service called Quest began at First Alliance. As it grew over the next two years, it became apparent that God was creating a new separate church. In January, 1999, First Alliance Church commissioned 80 people to come plant a new church with the mission of “transforming unconvinced people into wholehearted followers of Jesus.”
This group of pioneers started out without a building, and met at The Springs Inn. Within a few weeks, a building that housed a batting cage business called “The Ball Diamond” became available, and was quickly renovated for Quest services. The first service at Quest was held at the new home at 150 Dennis Drive on May 2, 1999, and 201 people.
Word spread quickly about this “come as you are” body. Just over two months later, a young couple named Scott & Traci Tomlin became the first people to find Jesus at Quest Community Church. Several years later, Scott is now the Facilities Director at Quest, and the Tomlins are vitally involved in helping people discover new life in Jesus.
Quest began to grow quickly. Weekly Midweek Celebration worship services began in January of 2000. Worship & Arts Pastor Sharon Clements became QCC’s second full-time staff member in February of that year. Billy Fray came on staff in 2001 as Youth Pastor. Later that year, QCC acquired an adjacent portion of the building on Dennis Drive and expanded to include a new café and children’s wing. By January of 2002, attendance at Q.C.C. had grown to the point that a second Sunday service was added. In July 2002, Jim Marshall joined the staff as Children’s Pastor. A third Sunday service was added, and by the end of 2002, Sunday services were attended by as many as 550 people.
The reason for all this expansion is that people were becoming Christ followers at an exponential rate. Still more room was needed. A 40 acre piece of property that was not for sale, centrally located in southwest Lexington, became available. God raised over 1.9 million in pledges to obtain this land (Imagine). In the meantime a major renovation to the Dennis Drive facility began, and the Making Room for More project allowed for another 250 people to attend services.
More key staff were added. Scott Tomlim (the first person to receive Christ at Quest) became Facilities Director in 2003. Rob Docherty was added as Technical Director in 2004, and Helen Musick, a regular speaker at Quest, joined the ministry staff as Transformation Pastor in 2005. In addition, hundreds of volunteers were involved in all aspects of QCC every week, making worship experiences happen, running life groups, staffing KidsQuest, helping with the facilitities, and so much more.
Programs were added to meet specific needs. Marriage Matters and Family Matters, programs to meet the challenges of families, began in 2004. QuestSports began in the summer of 2005. The MAT, a weekly worship experience for anyone needing freedom and recovery, began in June, 2005. Mosaic, for 20s and 30s singles, began September, 2005. CRASH, for junior high students, and Access (high school students) became separate programs in September, 2005.
But Quest’s story isn’t about buildings and staff and programs – it’s about the changed hearts and eternities of hundreds of people. Children, teens and adults found Jesus. People of different ethnic groups, nationalities and languages all worshipped God together. Addicts and alcoholics found new hope, and people found freedom. Marriages were restored, families reunited. Conversations can be heard daily as unconvinced people examine the unique claims of Christ and give their lives to Him. This culminated in an outdoor baptism of over 100 people in the summer of 2005. We moved into a new facility at 410 Sporting Court (which formerly housed an entertainment complex called The Stadium) on Sept. 11, 2005, that allowed hundreds more people to attend at optimal weekend times. A year long leadership development course called Accelerate, led by lead pastor Pete Hise, catapulted emerging leaders into men and women equipped for the entrustment God would give Quest in coming years.
2006 was a pivitol year in the life of Quest. The Imagine campaign finished strong as we watched God provide in amazing ways. One of the highlights of the year was Questapalooza, a party thrown by Quest for the city of Lexington. . Thousands of people came to this one day event that combined a food drive for God’s Pantry with music from Tait and Crystal Lewis. Worship Experiences became crowded and a 3rd Sunday service was added. Podcasts of all our services allowed people from all over the world to hear our speakers.
2007 was again an unparalleled year as God continued to bless us. Over 1200 people gave their lives to Christ in 2007. Questapalooza happened for the second year, highlighted by appearances by tobyMac, . New ministry staff positions were added and Justin McCarty joined the pastoral ministry team as Assistant Pastor. A video venue was added at 10:22, the first of its kind in Kentucky. An internet campus was established, allowing all services to be broadcast. live over streaming video.
By early 2008, nearly nine years after Quest first opened its doors, over twenty seven hundred people have become Christ followers, and QCC continues to grow as an Acts 2 church by “transforming unconvinced people into wholehearted followers of Jesus.”
