History
Renaissance began as a dream of a few families from Summit and Short Hills who envisioned a church that would help people take spiritual principles from the Bible, and put them to work in their marriages, families, careers, schools, and with their friends and neighbors! The church would be a comfortable place for people of all religious backgrounds to explore and experience a deepening relationship with God. The sermons would be relevant and engaging. The children’s programs would be dynamic and fun. The programs for youth would be something high school students would actually want to attend. These things along with a strong commitment to the arts would make Renaissance a great place to grow spiritually.
We began assembling a staff team in late 2000 beginning with our first Pastor, David Cobia. In early 2001, we added our Director of Creative Arts, Steve Young. By mid-2001, we began informal weekly worship services, first at the Summit YMCA, and then at Millburn High School. While we were small, and just learning how to “do church”, many of our friends and neighbors found our approach refreshing and real.
In 2002, David Cobia was called to another ministry in California. While this created a significant gap in our leadership, God provided for us in a big way when Rich Teeters joined us as our new Pastor. 2003 was a big year for us as we expanded our programs to include a full-scale youth program and an awesome children’s ministry. We also created additional opportunities to serve our friends and neighbors, including group and individual Bible studies, discussion groups, special events and community service projects.
2004 marked a huge milestone in the life of our young church as we moved into the renovated Summit Opera House. We’ve added to our staff as well and now have a full-time Director of Children’s Ministries, a full-time Director of Student Ministries to work with our youth, a full-time Ministry Coordinator to assist people in getting plugged-in to our various programs, studies and events, and an Executive Pastor to provide organizational leadership.
With a congregation that now numbers over 400 and growing, we’re enthusiastic about the opportunities we continue to have to better serve Summit, Short Hills and surrounding communities. With a vibrant, positive atmosphere and deep interest in exploring and experiencing our faith, we are excited about what lies ahead for Renaissance!
Mission and Vision Statements
