About the Trellis

Our governing documents

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

-John 15:5

The governing documents of Renewal Church, our bylaws and our policies, are a trellis for our community. They give structure to the environment in which the Spirit’s work takes root, and sustain the disciplined practices that anchor our life together, so that we might bear a credible witness of love for God and neighbour.

What is a “trellis”?

A trellis is a simple frame of wood or wire set up in a garden or vineyard. Climbing plants such as grapevines, roses, and beans cannot hold themselves up. Left on the ground, they sprawl and tangle, get too little light and air, and their fruit spoils in the dirt. Tied to a trellis, the same plant is lifted toward the sun and trained to grow in good directions, until it bears fruit. A trellis does not make the plant grow; only the life within the vine can do that. But it gives that life something steady to grow along.

Where does the image come from?

Jesus described himself as the vine and his followers as the branches, with his Father as the gardener who tends them so they bear fruit (John 15:1–5). The rule of life is an ancient practice, and in recent decades many Christian teachers have come to picture it as a trellis on which that fruitful life can grow.

How communities walk together

A rule of life is a shared rhythm of practices that helps a community grow in Christ together. The best known is the Rule of St. Benedict, written around the year 530 for a community of monks in Italy, and still kept by communities around the world today.

The idea is simple. Whether we notice it or not, we are always being shaped by our habits, and our habits shape what we love. A good rule makes room to meet God in every part of life: in work and rest, at home and with others, not only in formal prayer and worship. It begins with a few rooted practices, such as prayer, Scripture, Sabbath, and a shared table. Some of these practices help us embrace the good gifts of God, while others help us resist the forces that would pull us apart, and all of them are best kept in common, as a community. The right limits do not confine us; they free us to love God and neighbour well.

The ancient meaning of "rule" 

The word rule itself has a long history. In Greek it is kanōn: a straight reed or rod used as a measuring line, the builder’s tool for keeping a wall true. The Latin regula, from which we get “rule,” means much the same: a straight stick. Paul uses kanōn when he blesses “all who follow this rule” of new creation in Christ (Galatians 6:16), and the church later used the same word for the canon of Scripture, the measure of its faith, and for the canons that ordered its common life. 

Supporting the life God is growing among us

Our governing documents are meant in that spirit. They are not rules for their own sake, but a kanōn: a straight and steady structure that supports the life God is growing among us.

All Documents and Policies 

All official policies and procedures are kept in the Life Together handbook and the version published there is the approved, authoritative version of every policy, so that our shared life remains consistent. Editorial changes and amendments require the approval of both the Stewardship Collective and the Board of Directors.

Suites

Our policies are organized into suites:

• Community: policies on the ministry and structure of the church

• Kids and Vulnerable Persons: the protection and safeguarding of people

• Stewardship: the use of funds.

Good News for the Common Good

As a people of the risen Jesus Christ, we believe that concern for the well-being of all people is inseparable both from the way Jesus leads us to live and from the good news and love of Jesus Christ itself. From its very beginning, the church has lived this way:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need (Acts 2:42, 44-45)

Our policies are one way we live this out together: in how we care for and protect one another, how we steward the resources entrusted to us, and how we order our shared life for the good of our neighbours.

This is also why Renewal Church of Ottawa is a charitable organization registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (registration number 752063685 RR 0001): it is part of our public witness and devotion to the love of the living God. You can view our registration on the Government of Canada website.

For Further Reading

• Benedict of Nursia, The Rule of St. Benedict

• Justin Whitmel Earley, The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction (InterVarsity Press, 2019)

• Ken Shigematsu, God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God (Zondervan, 2013)

• James K. A. Smith, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit (Brazos Press, 2016)

On "About the Trellis"

Curated by the Stewardship Collective. For updates, questions or shared discernment, contact connect@renewalchurch.ca