15 Marks or Practices of Renaissance Church
Intro – The Gospel as our Motivating Principle
Jesus’ way of life, his teaching, his death and his resurrection are the center of everything we do. If we could sum this up in a word it would be gospel.
The gospel is what motivates us and compels us to action. Every other practice that follows if not motivated by the gospel is merely another weight on our backs. At the center of the gospel is the idea of grace. Grace is the unique shining star of the Christian faith. By grace God awakens in us a desire to follow in the way of Jesus, and live lives of loving service toward himself and toward one another. This is what James calls “true religion” (James1:26-27) and it is the foundation of everything we are and everything thing we do.
Institutional religion stands in contrast to grace. It is a system of rituals; a list of dos and don’ts; an oppressive force rather than a motivating one.
Finally we believe in a holistic gospel. That means that it speaks not only to the salvation of souls, but to the whole man. Because of this we believe that God is concerned with the social, cultural and spiritual well being of all humanity. We believe the gospel has the power to change the whole person: body, mind, heart and soul.
The Practice of Hospitality
We believe in the practice of hospitality. Hospitality welcomes strangers and opens up its home. It serves, but also says “what’s mine is yours, so make yourself at home.” Hospitality is commanded for church leaders, and they must be the first to set the example for the rest of the church.
Justice for the Oppressed
We believe in taking on the plight of the oppressed. We are called to show them mercy in Jesus’ name. We recognize that inequality, homelessness, poverty, and disease are complex issues but the gospel compels us to ease these burdens wherever and whenever possible.
Excessive Generosity
We believe the love of God was lavishly and excessively poured out on us when he gave us his Son. We recognize that everything was made by God and for God, and all that we have is a gift. Therefore we hold what we have with open hands giving lavishly and excessively to one another, the causes of the kingdom of God, and to those in need.
Cultural Engagement
When Jesus came into the world he did not enter in a cultural vacuum. He spoke a certain language, ate certain food, learned certain songs, and told certain stories. He participated fully in the culture into which he came, although at times he spoke prophetically to it. To follow in the way of Jesus means then to participate fully in the culture into which God has placed us. We must speak its language, eat its food, learn its songs and stories, and speak correctively to it where we must.
Truth heard in Community
We believe the best way for unbelievers to experience truth is in the context of the body of Christ as it loves and ministers to one another. As people grow in community they are able to hear and receive truth that would have otherwise been ignored. We commit therefore to the sharing of truth in love.
The Practice of Discipleship
Discipleship begins the moment we meet someone. What they hear us talk about and see us do will become their conception of what it means to be a Christ follower, and it will be what they imitate if they come to faith. We commit therefore to demonstrating the essentials of the Christian life without the additional trappings of the American Christian sub-culture.
Process
We commit to allowing unbelievers the freedom to be in process, and to join along side us as they undertake their spiritual journey. They are free to question, doubt and wrestle with truth without feeling harassed, pressured or that they are someone’s spiritual project. In this way we are doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.
The Arts as Cultural Communicator
We believe the arts are a gift from God and are a uniquely effective communicator and transmitter of culture. Therefore we will promote the arts in both our church and community. As a church we refuse to make unthinking blanket critiques of any work of art but commit to thoughtfully and carefully identifying both its excellence and worldview. We commit to creating a safe place for artists where they are validated, supported and inspired to create. We do not believe that all “good” art must be explicitly “Christian” in its content. Finally, we recognize that the artist is to be understood by the complete body of his work rather than by the merits of one piece.
*We use the word, “arts” in its broadest sense, including visual art, music, dance, theater, writing, poetry and all other forms of creative artistic expression.
Integration of Faith and Work
Because we believe the gospel is holistic, we do not believe in the division of secular and sacred. We do not have a God of home, a God of church and a God of work. There is one God, who is Lord over all and has purchased us wholly and completely through the work of his Son on the cross. Recognizing this and the fact that we will spend the majority of our waking hours at work, we commit to working with excellence and integrity at our jobs, seeking the good of our companies and coworkers. We will build genuine relationships based on trust and respect, which we pray will lead to conversations about life and faith.
Worship as Life
Worship is more than singing songs to Jesus. It encompasses an entire life lived with passion for God. Worship is primarily a life style, where we live for the glory of Jesus in our everyday lives. Musical expressions of worship are times for believers to express through song the worship that has been taking place all week long. We commit therefore to living lives of worship to God, pursuing Christ-likeness in every area of our lives.
Finding God at Work in the Third Places
We believe that God is at work in our world, and many times this is taking place outside of the church. We are committed therefore to the engaging in and creating of what we what we call Third Places. Third Places are neutral places we’re believers and non-believers can share life together through common interests and passions. In these places we will look to see God at work and build genuine relationships with the people he brings into our lives.
Sharing Our Hope Through Relationships
We live in a post Christian context, where most people either have no knowledge of Christian faith or an open hostility towards it. In this context we believe that evangelism (that is simply sharing the hope we have in Christ with others) should be done in the context of relationships, and only after mutual respect and trust has been built. We believe this rather than confrontational evangelism is the normative practice in the life of the believer. Finally, because of the dynamic nature of relationships, and innate individuality of every person, we do not prescribe to any plans or programs for the sharing of faith, but rather trust the Holy Spirit to lead us in every situation.
Being the Church Rather than Going to Church
We believe that the church is an organic entity. Its life is not in its structure but in its dynamic relationship with God and with others. In other words, it is something you “are” rather than something you “go to.” We commit therefore, to sharing life together, regularly meeting for the purposes of worship, prayer, community and mission.
The Practice of Presence
We believe that we are to serve the good of the community into which God has placed us. Therefore we commit to participating in its institutions, serving it’s underprivileged, pouring into its economy, and laboring for its health and beauty.
Prayer and Reliance on the Holy Spirit
We admit that it is not we who build the church, but God. We may plant and water, but God causes all things to grow. Therefore we will trust the Holy Spirit to grow his church, change hearts and draw people to Jesus. We commit to praying with all our might that these things take place, because we believe our prayers demonstrate our faith and reliance on God, and so he is honored to grant them, as any good Father would be.
