The Beginning:
 In August 2008, a core team of 12 student leaders and recent graduates held a productive retreat outside of St. Paul, MN. The purpose of the meeting was to plan and launch a student-led creation care network. And so Renewal was born. This team formed an interim Student Leadership Team (SLT) and successfully hired a network coordinator – Anna Jane Joyner - to further lay the foundations for Renewal.

In October 2008, Renewal and its website were launched at the network’s first event, the “Renewal Summit,” a student leaders' training summit hosted by Eastern University. Multiplying from 12 to 50 participants, Renewal’s first event was a groundbreaking success with participants from 23 campuses from around North America.  The purpose of this summit was to equip student leaders with needed skill-sets for creation care organizing, as well as to connect and inspire campus leaders- thereby building the capacity of the larger movement.

First Day of Prayer:
Following the summit, Renewal sponsored the first ever “National Day of Prayer for God’s Creation” on October 29th, 2008. For this event, Renewal’s student leaders called on Christians across the United States and Canada to collectively pray for the renewal of Creation. While the effort focused on engaging students, Renewal also reached out to and welcomed participation by churches and other ministries.

Launch of Student Leadership Team:
In January 2009, Renewal’s first Student Leadership Team (SLT) was inaugurated to replace the interim launch team.  The 2009 SLT consisted of 15 capable student leaders from 14 different campuses across North America.  In addition, Renewal brought on a second Coordinator, Ben Lowe, in order to help expand Renewal’s capacity in the new year. This passionate group of student leaders met with Renewal’s coordinators in January 2009 for an intense planning retreat.  Not only did the SLT bond as a cohesive and effective team, but they successfully developed Renewal’s 2009 Strategic Plan. The SLT divided up into task forces and worked together throughout the year to enact Renewal’s 2009 strategy.