Waxahachie, TX
March 4, 2020 | Gabriel Carrasco
Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) had the opportunity to host the Church Multiplication Network (CMN) START conference on February 25 and 26.
CMN Start is specifically designed to empower college students, regardless of major, to administer their unique gifts and callings to serve a new church. It is an initiative from CMN, the official church planting arm of the U.S. Assemblies of God.
Dr. Mike Clarensau, Dean of Bible and Church Ministries, shared that this year’s conference was especially impactful for SAGU students because conference speakers prioritized connecting with students.
“Many conversations took place during the two days as students discovered how their own paths could connect with church planting opportunities,” says Dr. Clarensau. “Students seemed especially interested in the personal journeys of the church planters they met.”
Following chapel services, students spoke one-on-one with church planters to learn more about the process and find out ways they can get involved. The CMN team also introduced CMNU , a training opportunity for students to further explore their interest in church planting.
The speakers for this conference included Allen Kendrick and Lindsay Petri. Kendrick, a SAGU alumnus, and a church planter, previously served as the Young Adults Pastor at Visalia First in the Central Valley of Southern California. Lindsay Petri and her husband, John, co-pastor at Reclaim Church in Peoria, Arizona, and she serves as the Arizona Ministry Network Women’s Director.
Dr. Clarensau shared that both Kendrick and Petri delivered powerful and transparent messages of their experiences of church planting that spoke to the hearts of students.
“The authentic way our guests opened their own stories with fears and uncertainties helped encourage students to believe they too could engage such a path,” he said.
According to Dr. Clarensau, many SAGU students have expressed interest in church planting. Because of this, Bible and Church Ministries decided to include a specialization in church planting for our Church Leadership majors this last spring in addition to a regularly offered course in church planting taught by a current church planter. “Interest is definitely growing,” said Dr. Clarensau.
This year’s START Conference provided SAGU students with the opportunity to attend the CMN Conference for a discounted rate. The CMN Conference took place in Red Oak, Texas, from March 2nd through March 4th.
As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community.
We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service.
