I thought I’d take a few minutes to share a little something about my personal life with you guys today. Let me preface this by saying – Ryan and I were both raised Catholic and are absolutely Christian and we do have strong beliefs. But we both also believe that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. We won’t shove ours on others or disrespect anyone for what they believe and we hope that they will treat us with the same respect. We have friends who are atheists, agnostic, Christian and everything in between. I don’t believe you have to go to church every Sunday to be a believer, to be Christian or to go to heaven. I believe that the way we live our life – the way we treat others – showing others love and compassion – that is far more important than sitting in church every Sunday or belonging to a particular religious group.

That being said – I had been wanting to find a church to call home for a while. Being raised Catholic we tried our local Catholic church but were met with a less than welcoming vibe. We were the outsiders and it was quite clear that we were viewed that way by the parishioners and even the priest. It’s hard to want to attend a church where you don’t feel welcome to come in and worship. So needless to say – it wasn’t the right fit for us. We tried a few other churches here and there – but they never felt quite right.

And then I attended Renaissance. It was a Mother’s Day service and my brother, Richard was singing – my family decided to go and listen to him sing as a surprise since he wasn’t going to get to spend Mother’s Day with his mom. That one experience. That one Sunday service – and I knew this was some place special. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. The music was amazing – you could feel the praise oozing out of those playing/singing/etc. This is Ryan’s favorite part of services at Renaissance. After his first service there – he told me he never realized how important music was to him. And music – praising God – is a huge part of Renaissance’s services. The selling point for me is the sermons. I feel like I’ve gleaned more insight from the past couple months of services at Renaissance than I have in a really long time. Pastor Jeff has this way of taking biblical messages and making them incredibly relate-able and relevant to present day life. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself and been reminded of ways to be better every Sunday I attend service here.

After several weeks attending services, taking part in the church cookout and getting to know the other members of Renaissance, Ryan and I officially decided to call Renaissance home. We have met so many amazing and wonderful people and we feel completely comfortable and at home in our new church family. I’m excited to be helping Renaissance with some graphic and photographic needs… my way of giving back to what this church has given me. If you are looking for a new church to call home – definitely check us out! Our services are on Sunday at 10:30 am and 6:00 pm in Downtown Decatur (just two doors down from the Avon Theater).

Here’s just a little glimpse at the Renaissance experience!