//About How It Started

In late August of 2008 Shawn & Michelle decided to lock into Dominion Outreach Centre as their local church in Ottawa, ON, Canada.  Through much prayer they decided to start a Young Adult group within the church beginning in September of that year only as a trial for 3 months. At first they couldn't see how it would all work with the busyness of the schedule with Kingdom Culture Ministries, their personal itinerate ministry.  Because it was only a part-time commitment, we suggested to the leadership of DOC to bring another person along to help. This was an individual that we had already been working with and mentoring for the last 3 years or so, named Joe Mebrahtu. There are different gift mixes in the Body of Christ and we knew that Joe would be great to take on the Pastoral side of the ministry, while Shawn & Michelle took on the building, vision, mentoring leaders, and teaching side of the ministry.  It was like putting a hand in a glove; it was a perfect fit.

When the group first started in September there were only 4 people and within about 5-6 months we hit a 100 - it was exploding.  The Tuesday night meetings began as just raw HOLY GHOST meetings with a bunch of crazy intoxicated Young Adults prophesying into the foundations of where the ministry would go with prayer and intercession.  Healings, miracles, signs, and wonders began to happen and people started to get saved weekly.  Drug addicts, drug dealers, and so many others were being touched and transformed by the power of Christ weekly.  Nothing of any aesthetic nature was drawing the people, just the reality of the kingdom that was evident in the meetings and presence of Christ.

In April of 2009 God began to speak to Shawn about a renaissance that was emerging and that worship and music would be one of the main tipping points for the next great move of the Spirit.  Since the beginning, the leaders had been asking what God’s name/brand was for the young adult culture that was growing so quickly.  God spoke to Shawn in April that He would confirm the name in the summer months, and in the same month Shawn kept getting this word in his spirit, "New Renaissance."  He didn't tell anyone but Michelle, and just put in on the spiritual shelf.  Between the 14th - 16th century there was a renaissance and one of the parts that was really highlighted during this time was the arts movement that arose out of it.   God began to speak about the release of creativity and the expression of heaven coming back into the church and how God was going to release a NEW RENAISSANCE that was not only going to be marked with immense kingdom advancement but also a revival of the creative expression of heaven that’s inside every believer.  In August of 2009 young adults still hadn't been branded with a name that God had promised would happen in the summer months.

The second week of August the leaders were praying before the Tuesday night meeting and Shawn went into a vision.  He saw himself in the vision saying to Joe, "what do you think of the name new renaissance?" When Shawn came out of the vision he was immediately reminded about the fact that God had spoken to him many months earlier that he would know the name and brand of the ministry within the summer months.  He began to pray to himself that God would confirm the D.N.A and name immediately as God had promised.  About 15 minutes later someone came into church with some homemade curry for Shawn & Michelle and it was all in a fabric bag. As Shawn looked at the bag he noticed something that absolutely blew his mind and spirit. On the bag it said, "New Renaissance"  WOW!!!! At that point they knew this is what it was to be called.