Here's a glimpse into what happens at Renaissance Church on a Sunday. Easter 2015 was our first day opening the doors of our newly-renovated home at 184 Broad St, Providence.
Here's the exterior of our building, 184 Broad St in Providence, Rhode Island. On Sundays, plenty of parking is available in the lot to the left of the building; parking attendants are always on hand to assist.
Our first floor Cafe is a great gathering space for before and after services. Here you can talk to someone at the info table, grab a cup of hot coffee at the coffee bar, and peruse our curated book table. This is also the home of our Kids Area, where childcare is available for ages 0 - 5th grade.
Our building was originally built in 1926, but many of the original details had since been covered up. Our renovation included ripping up carpet and pulling thousands of staples out of the wood floors, and removing drop-ceilings and restoring the original tin ceilings. Other small details have been added throughout the space to tie into the vintage industrial aesthetic.
From the first floor, this large staircase leads upstairs into the Sanctuary.
Our second-floor Sanctuary is flooded in light with windows around three sides of the building.
To maximize space, a bar-height surface was built around the staircase to provide extra seating. This is a great space to sit with a cup of coffee and your journal and Bible.
On most Sundays, our services begin with a time of music when we pray and sing songs together to worship God.
Childcare is available for kids ages 0 - 5th grade.
Pastor Scott or Pastor Nate give a sermon each week, teaching directly from the Bible and sharing what God has been speaking to them throughout the week. Sermons are usually grouped into series so that we can dive deeper into each topic; audio versions of past sermons are available on our website if you ever miss any and want to catch up.
The REN community is made up of lots of families, many local college students, homeless, refugees from Burma, college professors and young professionals, retired folks and lots of babies.
At the end of service, a team of volunteers is available to pray with anyone. There is a small prayer room to the side of the sanctuary that is available for this purpose. Additionally, any nursing moms are welcome to use another small room off the sanctuary (pictured here) to have some privacy while still listening to the sermon.
Our building is located right at the intersection of many different communities. We are within walking-distance from Downtown, as well as vibrant artist communities on the West Wide, across the street from several high schools, next door to Crossroads (the largest homeless shelter in RI), and surrounded by neighborhoods that hold every demographic imaginable. God has positioned us to be a house of prayer for all nations!
Usually towards the end of our gatherings, any relevant announcements are shared to update us on what is happening at REN. Each week may be a little different, but often we close the sermon in a couple more songs of worship or a time of prayer.
After the service ends, the sanctuary is available for anyone to remain and have their own private time of prayer and reflection. This is also a great time to pray together with others, either in the prayer room or right where you're sitting. In order to preserve an atmosphere of prayer upstairs, we ask that conversations happen in our downstairs cafe space.
After service is a great time to connect with others, meet new people, or ask any questions. You'll see that all our volunteers wear badges marked "Staff", and they are always available to help answer your questions or introduce you to someone who can.
We exist to give great glory to Jesus!