About Us

Renewed Spiritual Vitality

Renewal Ministries Northwest was established by a small group of people on Camano Island, Washington who had a vision for a ministry that would provide time and space set apart with God for deepening intimacy with God, renewal, and healing. The ministry moved to the greater Seattle area in the fall of 2005 and since has provided ministry for individuals, congregations, Christian organizations, and pastors throughout the Puget Sound Region, Central Washington, Alaska, and Southwest British Columbia, Canada.

Our History

Since 2003, Renewal Ministries Northwest has helped bring renewed spiritual vitality to thousands of Christians resulting in clarity of calling, missional impact, and deeper devotion to Jesus Christ.

Having been impacted by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through Elaine and Dottie, Denise Easter and Dianna Kunce were inspired to be mentored and equipped by them to carry on this ministry. Renewal Ministries Northwest has its roots in Elaine and Dottie’s Prayer Ministry and seeks to faithfully honor and carry on their legacy. 

During their time of mentoring, Denise and Dianna each discerned a call from God to ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Upon completion of the Master of Divinity degree and certification for ordination, the Northwest Coast Presbytery validated their call and ordained them in July of 2007 to this ministry of prayer and renewal for the Church.

In 1970 the vision for this type of ministry was instilled in the hearts Elaine Seppa and Dottie Dale, who were compelled to offer Inner Healing Prayer Ministry. They prayed that God would raise up others who would carry on the ministry entrusted to them. God answered their prayer and Renewal Ministries was birthed.

Our Values

A Christ-Centered Ministry

Entering into the life-transforming grace of God’s personal and attentive love, mercy, forgiveness and healing. As the Gospel of John puts it: “out of his fullness we have all received grace” (Jn 1:16a).

Being formed, by the Spirit, in the image of Christ—a transformation rooted in both the mind and the heart. As Paul wrote, “…in Christ you have been brought to fullness” (Colossians 1:10a).

Experiencing the healing power of the Spirit. The love and grace of Jesus brings resolution and healing for unresolved emotional, spiritual, and relational hurts. As the Psalmist wrote, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

Cultivating and practicing the art of discernment allows us to hear and recognize the voice of Jesus through Scripture and prayer. This provides clarity and focus for life and ministry, along with boldness and confidence to act with God’s leading. As scripture says, “…so you may be able to discern what is best…” (Phil 1:9-10; Luke 24:13-32).

Discerning God’s will together, as a community. We guide discernment processes with leaders of faith communities, churches, and other organizations who share in the life and mission of Jesus. As it was written of the early church, “…it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 14: 28; 13:1-3).

Helping people discover their defining purpose: a vocation or calling as it intersects with God’s story; by listening to God and responding as God leads. “…those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires…” (Romans 8:5).

Learning to be attentive to the ways God is present and active in everyday life. “…where can I go from your Spirit, where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). And to discern the way in which we are called to engage in the mission of Christ in the world “…As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

Behind the vision and value statements is our commitment to the Scriptures, the historic Christian faith in the ancient creeds, and our triune God, as well as an unwavering reliance upon God’s Spirit and fervent prayer!

Our beliefs

What We Believe

…is rooted in Biblical Theology and the Historical Confessions of the Christian Faith (the Apostles and Nicene Creeds)

Jesus is the Son of God

Through Christ we are restored in relationship with God and are compelled to invite others to receive God’s healing and restoration.

Scripture is Authoritative

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, God’s Word to us and the unique and powerful witness to Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit in Us

God the Holy Spirit forms the life of Christ in us, transforming us day by day by His presence and power.

Gift of Discernment

God has instilled in every heart the capacity to distinguish the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd.

Engaging People in Spiritual Practices

Our Vision & Mission

Renewal Ministries Northwest engages people in spiritual practices leading to deeper relationships with Jesus that refresh their souls, renew their spiritual vitality, and inspire them to participate with Jesus in transforming the world. Through meditation on scripture and guided prayer, followers of Christ are equipped to be attentive to listen for God’s guidance for their lives and ministries resulting in transformed lives and communities.

Refresh

  • Lead people in prayer through meditation on Scripture.
  • Assist people in deepening their relationship with God through prayer.
  • Assist people in deepening their relationship with God through prayer.
  • Offer healing prayer.
  • Teach people to discern the will of God – Spiritual discernment.
  • Guide through one-on-one, couples, and group Spiritual Direction.

Renew

  • Assist pastors and church leaders to experience renewed vitality for their respective missions.
  • Encourage and inspire people to be more devoted to Jesus by listening and following His lead
  • Provide resources to encourage people in their prayer lives.
  • Teach spiritual practices that can be applied in daily living.
  • Grow from knowing about God to knowing God.

Inspire

  • Equipping program to assist individuals, couples, and groups in listening to God through prayer.
  • Support and guide people to live faithfully into God’s call for their lives.
  • Help churches thrive and grow by discerning and agreeing on the call God has for them in the world.
  • Provide renewal retreats for pastors that foster wholeness and creativity.

Rules for Discernment

There are many approaches in Christian spirituality that help us nurture our relationship with God. At Renewal Ministries we define spirituality as “a way to holiness” through Jesus Christ. There are many spiritual paths from religious communities in the Catholic tradition, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, and Benedictines. While we are a ministry based in the Reformed tradition, we draw wisdom from all of these, particularly from one the most widely practiced spiritual path of modern times. It is Ignatian Spirituality—articulated by Saint Ignatius of Loyola who founded the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1540.

St. Ignatius outlined this spirituality in his Spiritual Exercises which includes guidelines for Spiritual Discernment – called “Rules for Discernment.” Renewal Ministries offers guided retreats and classes based on the teachings of St Ignatius. Ignatian spirituality encourages us to:

1. Recognize God in all things.
2. Develop a personal relationship with Christ and love for the Church (bruised and broken as it often is).
3. Live a life of reflection (self-awareness/discernment) leading to gratitude and a life of service for others.
4. Live a life of contemplation in action. It is not a monastic existence but an active one that is infused with prayer.
5. Live with inner freedom (the fruit of self-awareness and discernment).
6. Translate our faith into working for justice—the realization that there can be no true expression of faith where concerns for justice and human dignity are lacking.
7. Live according to the maxim “For the Greater Glory of God” – praising God and dedicating oneself to participate in God’s healing work in the world.
8. Seek the union of minds and hearts. As brothers and sisters, we listen for God who is present among us, admitting no division based on ethnicity, nationality, background, age or gender.

Stories of Renewal

Experiences and Testamonials

Rev. Frank Baresel

Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church, Lake Forest Park, WA

On behalf of the session at Lake Forest Park Presbyterian Church, it is my joy to endorse and recommend the ministry that Renewal Ministries Northwest provides to churches who are engaged in a process of discernment.

Rev. Kunce and Rev. Easter provided a comprehensive foundation that outlined the goal for our time together and the method that would guide our discernment.

In the spirit of appreciative inquiry, Rev(s) Kunce and Easter fostered an environment of gracious listening to one another and for the leading of Christ.

During our time together, session members were able to speak and to hear one another shed light on various aspects of our topic, and while the topic itself had the potential to raise the emotional temperature of the room, we never experienced discomfort in our candid dialogue. In fact, instead of “heat,” we experienced warmth in terms of commitment to one another and in maintaining the unity of the Spirit we believed paramount to any way forward.

Though there were clearly different viewpoints that surfaced over the course of our process, once we came to the moment of decision, the direction of our conversation and agreement can only be attributed to the leading of Christ.

As pastor, I was profoundly moved by the elegance of this process and its outcome. My sense of our experience is to say, “this is how it ought to be when followers of Christ discern His leading.” We are grateful for the direction we received from RMNW; I believe that any church earnestly seeking a way forward through challenging circumstances will find their leadership beneficial.

Renewal Ministries Northwest came alongside our elders and staff, to assist us in a discernment process which brought healing and renewal to our congregation. It was incredibly helpful to have skilled people (like Rev. Dianna Kunce and Rev. Denise Easter) who are not a part of the church’s “system” and who had no vested interest or agenda–other than helping us listen for and hear God’s voice–to lead us in this process. We are so grateful for our partnership with RMNW!

Rev. Lynell Caudillo

Calvary Presbyterian Church, Enumclaw WA

Rev. Will Mason

Steel Lake Presbyterian Church, Federal Way WA

Steel Lake Presbyterian Church is living a new life as the direct result of our partnership with Renewal Ministries.

Our church leadership participated in the leadership formation and discernment program: “Praying the Jesus Way: Seeking God in the Midst of Ministry.” We are a typical church in that we are older and are stuck in our ways. Instead of coming with a preconceived idea, Rev. Denise Easter and Rev. Dianna Kunce encouraged our elders to ask God what question God wanted us to ask about our mission as a congregation.

After a time of discernment, and once we had the right question we were guided to ask the Holy Spirit for the answer; and the answer radically changed the direction of our church’s long range planning!