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Our Mission

To support the socioeconomic empowerment, civic engagement, and holistic wellness of urban children, youth, and families.

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Our Purpose

To develop, foster, and administer strategic social services to residents of the Civic Park neighborhood and surrounding communities that empower individuals, strengthen families, and secure communities.

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He drew a circle that shut me out -
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him in!

Edwin Markham

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About Us

The Urban Renaissance Center is a faith based nonprofit established by Joy Tabernacle Church to provide social and community development services specifically designed and administered as a direct response to the high level of need within the Civic Park Community. Our primary activities include the development, implementation, and facilitation of proactive methodological initiatives that provide holistic empowerment supports to individuals and families of the Civic Park and surrounding Flint neighborhoods.

Watch the short film "Noah" to learn more about the work of Urban Renaissance Center and to experience some of our many stories of hope, healing, and success!

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Our Philosophy of Community Development
The Little Boy Who Put the World Together

​There was a man who had a little boy that he loved very much. Everyday after work the man would come home and play with the little boy. He would always spend all of his extra time playing with the little boy.

One night, while the man was at work, he realized that he had extra work to do for the evening, and that he wouldn’t be able to play with his little boy. But, he wanted to be able to give the boy something to keep him busy. So, looking around his office, he saw a magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. He got an idea. He removed the map, and then patiently tore it up into small pieces. Then he put all the pieces in his coat pocket.

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When he got home, the little boy came running to him and was ready to play. The man explained that he had extra work to do and couldn’t play just now, but he led the little boy into the dining room, and taking out all the pieces of the map, he spread them on the table, together with some scotch-tape.

He explained that it was a map of the world, and that by the time he could put it back together, his extra work would be finished, and they could both play. Surely this would keep the child busy for hours, he thought.

About half an hour later the boy came to the man and said, “Okay, it’s finished. Can we play now?”

The man was surprised, saying, “That’s impossible. Let’s go see.”

And sure enough, there was the picture of the world, all put together, every piece in its place.

The man said, “That’s amazing! How did you do that?” The boy said, “It was simple. On the back of the page was a picture of a man. When I put the man together the whole world fell into place.”

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