Five Years Young

A reflection from Rebecca Shasberger, Renovare’s Founder/Director and Cellist, on the occasion of Renovare Music’s Fifth Birthday

Six years ago last weekend I attended a conference in Pittsburgh that became the tipping point for me to finally pursue turning Renovare from a dream into a reality. Ideas had been floating around my head for most of my life in one form or another, some of which had been on paper since 2013.

At one point I told a couple close friends about my idea for a chamber ensemble (at that time, a string quartet) that would be motivated by the love of Jesus and work full-time with a focus on marginalized communities. Their response? “That’s impossible. It will never happen.” And so those ideas stayed on paper a while longer, until that conference in Pittsburgh. There I heard from speakers and a visual artist whose stories God used to prompt me to try. To take a step, or maybe two, to see if dreams could become reality.

Had I known then how hard it would be, I don’t know if I would have had the courage or energy to try.

For the remainder of 2018 I began to take steps, and to find others to take steps with me. Together we began to birth Renovare - building a board of directors, picking a name, refining the mission statement, designing a logo, and more. Notice of our official 501(c)3 nonprofit status came early the next year, effective February 28, 2019.

It’s a bit surreal to think that we’re five years old. Some of our programming is even a bit older than that (I started teaching at Grafton Correctional in September 2018, while we were still under the fiscal sponsorship of Credo Music.) As I reflect on our five (plus) years today, I’m also musing about the next five years. And the years after that. What might Renovare look like in 2029? In 2034? How will God continue to shape and refine this organization and the ways we pursue Renovare’s mission? Who else will He bring to be part of the Renovare community?

It’s exciting to ponder these things. And so to everyone in Renovare’s community, let me wish us a happy birthday. We’re five years young! And just getting started. I can’t wait to discover together what the future holds.