Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers!)

You Are Here » Home \ ABOUT US \ Frequently Asked Questions
[View Printable Page]

General

Q.	What is the vision of CCR?
A.	To facilitate the Spirit's work in bringing renewal to pastors, leaders and churches - especially those from backgrounds that have traditionally taken a more "closed" view of the Holy Spirit.

Q.

What is the purpose of CCR?

A.

We have a fourfold purpose.   1)  To facilitate the networking together of pastors, leaders and churches who are interested in spiritual renewal, 2)  To provide training and resourcing to churches, church leaders, and missionaries in the area of spiritual renewal. 3)  To serve as a voice for spiritual renewal in the American Restoration Movement and beyond. 4)  To plant churches committed to spiritual renewal.

Q.

What led you to start The Center for Church Renewal?

A.

Two things really.  First, God was growing us in our own personal lives and in our local ministry in ways that were outside of our traditional box - and we wanted to share it.  Second, as we began to share, we ran into scores of people from similar backgrounds who were on a similar journey, yet none of us knew where to turn - or who we could trust.  The Center for Church Renewal was the natural outgrowth of these two things.

Q.

How would you frame CCR's perspective on the Spirit's Ministry within the church?

A.

In a nutshell, we believe God's church thrives when grounded in the Spirit AND the Word.  Today many churches won't allow any fresh breath of the Spirit.  Other churches seem to remove all Biblical boundaries and discernment, chasing after the latest "experience."  Neither perspective captures the Biblical picture.  We believe a Biblically rooted and balanced approach which embraces the full work of the Spirit is what releases the full life God desires his people to experience.

Q.	When and how did CCR start?
A.	We started CCR in 2004 after surveying over 5000 independent Christian churches and churches of Christ.  These churches have traditionally taken a closed view of the Holy Spirit.  We found an amazing openness to, and even an embracing of, the things of the Spirit.  On July 21, 2004 we held the first Renewal Summit down in Chicago and founded the Center later that year.

Q.

Is The Center for Church Renewal interdenominational?

A.

Yes!  The nature of CCR's ministry is interdenominational.   It is as broad as the work of God's Spirit in His church. Historically, because our ministry began simply through networking, it initially largely focused on pastors and leaders from independent Christian Churches with whom we already had connections.  However we are excited to see God beginning to open doors within other streams of the body of Christ as well.

---