Our Pillars
We live in a time that feels incredibly fragmented and chaotic; where beauty can be hard to find in the midst of all the noise. Yet, the arts have always been a beacon of light; a way to convey hope, beauty, truth, and goodness. Why does art move us so deeply? Why does it stop us in our tracks and evoke emotions we can't easily express? Humanity has an innate longing for beauty and meaning, and art has the unique power to meet us in this place, saying what words sometimes cannot.
Artists possess an extraordinary gift: the ability to confront brokenness and injustice through their work and to inspire change without uttering a single word. Art can act as both a mirror and a balm, reflecting what is true while offering a vision of what could be. But for the arts to continue as a source of hope and light, we must support artists and nurture the creative spirit.
Renaissance Canada is inspired by the powerful call in Isaiah 61: to bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for captives, and shine light in dark places. We believe that artists play a vital role in this vision. Artisans, creators, and builders have always been set apart to bring beauty into the world. By partnering with this creative calling, we can contribute to restoring and uplifting our culture.
Our mission is clear: to redeem, rebuild, and restore. To help usher in a new renaissance of beauty and hope that speaks to our shared humanity.
Let’s get to work.
Pillar One
Outreach & Missions: Reaching Artists, Restoring Culture
This is the heartbeat of Renaissance Canada. We exist to reach artists across the nation; churched and unchurched, emerging and established, with the hope of the gospel and the welcome of community. Through partnerships with local churches, nonprofits, community centers, and creative hubs, we create environments where artists can belong, be seen, and encounter transformative love.
Our outreach initiatives span provinces and territories, forming a national network that crosses denominational lines and cultural divides. From creative pop-ups and workshops, to community meals, to mission trips and collaborative projects in underserved regions, our mission is simple: go where the artists are, build relationships, and create spaces where beauty, truth, and Christ-centered hope can take root.
We recognize that many creatives feel unseen, misunderstood, or spiritually homeless. Renaissance seeks to bridge that gap; of meeting artists where they are at and walking with them toward healing, belonging, and purpose. Outreach & Missions is not a program; it is our posture. A movement across Canada to reawaken beauty, invite encounter, and cultivate renewal through the arts.
Pillar Two
Artist Care & Advocacy: Nurturing the Artist, Championing the Calling
Artists are often the ones carrying the emotional, spiritual, and cultural weight of a generation. Many create from places of longing, loss, beauty, and hope. Yet they frequently go unseen, unsupported, or misunderstood. Renaissance exists to care for the whole artist: their craft, their calling, and their soul.
Our mandate for this pillar is rooted in Isaiah 61, the prophetic vision Jesus Himself claimed:
“to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom, comfort those who mourn, and rebuild ancient ruins.”
We believe this passage speaks profoundly to the vocation of the artist. Creatives are often the wounded healers, the prophetic voices, the rebuilders of culture and they deserve a community that walks with them as they carry out the work of renewal. Through one-on-one support, pastoral accompaniment, creative cohorts, and environments of belonging, we seek to embody the Isaiah 61 vision by:
Binding up the brokenhearted: offering spaces of care, prayer, pastoral presence, and emotional support for artists navigating the complexities of creative life.
Proclaiming freedom: advocating for artists whose voices have been silenced, overlooked, or undervalued in their communities, churches, or industries.
Comforting those who mourn: holding space for the real struggles that accompany artistic vocation: burnout, rejection, spiritual dryness, and disappointment.
Rebuilding ruins and restoring places long devastated: championing artists and their work as agents of cultural renewal within the Church and society.
Advocacy means more than encouragement. It means standing with artists and speaking on their behalf. We partner with church leaders and organizations to elevate the role of creatives, provide opportunities for meaningful contribution, and restore dignity to the artistic calling. Artist Care & Advocacy is where we honour the person behind the practice. It is where the Isaiah 61 mandate becomes lived reality: healing wounds, igniting hope, and empowering artists to embody the beauty and restoration of the Kingdom of God.
Pillar Three
Renaissance Arts Institute
Renaissance is more than a creative collective; it’s a formative institution committed to cultivating, training, and sustaining the next generation of artists and creative leaders. We believe that the Church needs a renewed ecosystem where creatives are not only inspired but equipped; not only gathered but developed; not only encouraged but commissioned.
Through the Renaissance Arts Institute, we invest deeply in emerging and established artists by providing:
Artist Residency Programs that create space, time, and mentorship for creatives to explore their craft, grow in spiritual depth, and build meaningful portfolios and projects.
Artist & Project Sponsorships that resource creators with financial, educational, and relational support so their work can flourish and impact the broader culture.
Creative Director & Creative Pastor Training, partnering with local churches to raise up leaders who carry both artistic excellence and pastoral sensitivity. We help develop creatives who can shepherd teams, nurture beauty in their communities, and serve the church with vision and theological grounding.
This pillar reflects our conviction that artistry is not (and should not) be an afterthought but a vocation worth building pathways for. Institution is where we take the calling seriously enough to structure for it, invest in it, and ensure it thrives for generations to come.
Pillar Four
Theological Conversation: Beauty, Scripture, and the Imagination of God
At Renaissance, we believe that creativity and theology are not separate streams: they flow from the same source, the Creator. This pillar creates space for conversations where Scripture, culture, beauty, and the arts intersect. We aim to recover a theology of creativity that is robust, biblical, and deeply hopeful.
Through teaching, dialogue, and curated resources, we explore questions such as:
What does Scripture reveal about the nature of beauty, imagination, and creative vocation?
How do artists participate in the prophetic, pastoral, and missional life of the Church?
How can the arts help us see God, people, and the world more truthfully?
Where does culture-making meet discipleship, formation, and mission?
This pillar includes podcasts, workshops, public forums, creative cohorts, and written resources that equip both artists and church leaders with a richer understanding of the theological significance of art.
Theological Conversation is where we anchor our creativity in the story of God: of recognizing that the arts are not merely expressive, but sacred; not merely cultural, but spiritually formative; not merely imaginative, but deeply prophetic.
