We frequently get asked the question, “where does Renovation Church meet?” Followed by, “Aren’t you looking for a church building?"
Renovation Church is purposefully not looking for a church building. We’ve strategically chosen to have Sunday gatherings in a middle school. By doing so, we’ve created great conversation in the community and initiated opportunities to highlight our vision. So here’s how utilizing a middle school enhances our efforts as a church:
The Great Commission | Jesus’ last message was, “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28). With 22,000 locals and a population steadily on the rise, we intentionally chose a location that was in the epicenter of our community. We firmly believe that there is no better way to reach a community than by utilizing a familiar, common space to make Jesus known. By partnering with Topsail Middle School, we’ve been given access to loving and serving some of the greatest heroes in our community: teachers and administrators.
The Great Commandment | In Matthew 22, Jesus says the greatest commandments are to love God and love others. He says, “All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.” People matter to God therefore God's people must matter to us. No matter what their past or current struggles, divorced or married, young or old, searching or found; we desire that every person who lives in our community knows that we love and care for them, no matter what their need.
The Great Compassion | God’s greatest expression of compassion was through his son Jesus. Brought to break stereotypical norms and save humanity, Jesus said, “Whatever you’ve done for the least of these, you’ve done for me” (Matthew 25:40). Topsail Middle School houses nearly 1,000 middle school students—all connected to families within our community. It’s a direct lifeline for investing in school programs that benefit impoverished, broken families. Doing so multiplies our impact. The strength of our community will be empowered by the health of our families.
Great Creativity | Our God is innovative and boundless in creativity. Consider the creative environments and methods He chose to make himself known: a burning bush (Exodus 3), talking through a donkey (Numbers 22), birth by a virgin (Luke 2), a wedding feast (John 2), feeding 5,000 (Mark 6) and there’s so much more (just read the Gospels). Our location and approach will be unique. Our radically transformed spaces will insight wonder, discovery, and passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, when people ask us, “why meet in a middle school?” Our response is, “why not?” Topsail Middle School is our dream facility.
Renovating a community takes time, ingenuity, and heart for the people. Our prayer is that we ensure every person in our community has repeated opportunities to engage in a growing relationship with their loving savior.
Join us for our 3rd Sunday Gathering at Topsail Middle School on Sunday, March 8th at 10am. We’d like to say, no matter what your circumstances, you belong here.
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