The VEF's newest church plant launched in Harrisonburg on March 1st. Renaissance Church takes its name from the city's downtown revitalization campaign transforming this once sleepy college town into an exciting place to live and work.

Harrinsonburg, the home of James Madison University, has doubled in size over the past 30 years, now to over 50,000 residents. Downtown Harrisonburg is a dramatically different place today than it was just a decade ago. In 2004 downtown Harrisonburg was designated an official "Virginia Main Street" community to promote the revitalization of one of the best small towns across the United States. When you drive around you can practically feel the excitement and momentum. In 2014 alone Harrisonburg has received numerous awards that hint at the Renaissance taking place: the Fastest Growing City in Virginia, the Best Place to Be a Millennial, the #7 Most Caring Small City in America, the 8th Most Exciting Place in Virginia and curiously the Top U.S. Town for Romance!

Renaissance Church is led by Jonathan Goss and the team he has gathered to launch this new work. Jonathan is a graduate of Johnson University and comes to Virginia after serving at the Maple View Church of Christ in Bluefield, WV. Jonathan also helped to start two new works during his 8 years with the Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, MO. Jonathan and his wife, Susan, a nurse, have been married for 20 years and have three great kids, Meredith (14), Caleb (12), and Jenna (8). Jonathan and Susan attended an intensive church planting assessment center in Atlanta in October and received a glowing report from the assessment team about their readiness to plant a new church.

 

For more information on Renaissance Church, visit www.therenchurch.com

 

Stay tuned for more upcoming church plants to be announced in the near future!