Origin

When Renaissance Church (Ren) launched in 2003, it was in our hearts to create something especially for artists, progressive thinkers and young adults, because we saw ways in which they could often be marginalized in the church world. 

We did all sorts of things to take the love of Jesus we experienced inside the church and spread Jesus’ love throughout the city in tangible ways and in nonconventional spaces. One way we did this was through establishing a small nonprofit called westsideARTS. We mostly used the Columbus Theatre and eventually rented a small storefront (next to the Grange). We became a venue for local visual and musical artists to display their work and to connect with one another. We got to know hundreds of beautiful artists in the city and listen to their stories.  

We also invested in local organizations like the Rhode Island Film Fest, West Broadway Neighborhood Association, Elmwood Community Center, Davey Lopes Center, several public schools, Crossroads and many others. Our partnering has been as simple as volunteering to help one of their events or to spend time in weekly ongoing involvement. We believe these organizations are doing important things in the city. The roots of CityLove are in this kind of partnering and creative work done over the years.

The Beginning of CityLove

In 2018, Ren Church dreamed big and launched CityLove, an internship of full-time urban missionaries to devote a year serving Providence. One fold of the internship was to live in the neighborhood and support its well-being, such as urban farming at Southside Community Land Trust, organizing a block party with Trinity Square Together, sipping coffee with the homeless community, or English tutoring at the Refugee Dream Center. The second fold was to develop creative projects that unpacked various aspects of the Judeo-Christian faith, like the CityLove blog or the Light Project, a walkthrough art installation exploring Jesus as light. CityLove workers spent their mornings in solitude with God; prayer and Bible study would fuel their dedication to the city.

CityLove has since evolved into a collective of people from Ren and the community who find creative ways to bless Upper South and Westside Providence. While it is tempting to pitch CityLove as an initiative for social justice and urban beautification, we most of all want to help people who have perhaps never felt the love of God to experience it for themselves. Our hope is to paint an accurate and beautiful portrait of Christ. It’s our passion to gently and creatively let the city know that Christ is real, good and beautiful.