Our Beliefs
- We believe in one God, who was, and is, and will always be. He is the Creator and Master of everything, and He exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (1 Chronicles 29:12, Psalm 135:6, Acts 2:32-33, Mark 12:29-30)
- We believe that Jesus Christ is God the Son. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, died as a substitute for us, and rose from the dead. He’s still alive and changing lives today! (Colossians 2:9, Luke 1:30-35, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
- We believe in the Holy Spirit, who lives within each believer. He is our Comforter and our Guide. He equips and empowers us to grow and to serve Jesus. (John 16:8, Acts 2:38, Ephesians 1:13-14)
- We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It’s true, it’s accurate, it’s applicable, and it’s the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- We believe that all people are created by God in His image, but because we willfully sinned, we destroyed the relationship we were created to have with God. The only way to restore that relationship with God is through Jesus. Without Jesus, we are lost and without hope. (Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23, 6:23, Acts 4:12)
- We believe that Jesus Christ’s death on the cross allows all our sins to be forgiven and makes us God’s own children. In other words, we are saved. Salvation is a free gift of God available to everyone who receives Christ as his or her Lord and Savior. Salvation is based in God’s grace, not our own good works. (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Colossians 2:6, 1 John 3:1)
- We believe that we receive God’s grace by putting our faith in Jesus. He calls us to repent (turn away from sin and to make God the Lord of our lives), and to be baptized (dunked in water). We begin a new life, following Jesus all the way to Heaven. (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-7, 10:9)
- We believe in heaven and hell. When we die, our eternal destiny is sealed. Jesus will someday return, and the saved will enter eternal life in heaven with Him. The unsaved will be separated from God forever in hell. That’s why it’s so important that we share the Good News about Jesus. (Acts 1:10-11, John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:14)
- We believe God’s church is all Christ-followers, everywhere. The church is people, not primarily a building or an institution. The church exists to bring glory to God, and to make new and better disciples (Christ-followers). Jesus is the head of the church, and each local congregation is to be led by elders. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 20:28, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9)
What kind of church is this?
Renaissance Church is non-denominational, autonomous, and locally governed by a group of elders. We are affiliated with a loose group of churches known as independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ (our full name is Renaissance Christian Church). Historically, our group of churches originated in what’s called the Restoration Movement, which began in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in an attempt to promote unity among Christians by emphasizing the Bible over denominational attachments. We are Christ-centered and Bible-believing, and we believe the church should operate according to New Testament patterns and principles. Other churches sharing this background were instrumental in starting Renaissance Church, including:
— Westside Christian Church, Bradenton, FL
— Heath Church of Christ, Heath, OH
— New Day Christian Church, Port Charlotte, FL
— Thrive Church, Orlando, FL