Madison, WI
Mike Chen
My teen years were aimless and meandering, but I was surrounded by uncles and aunties at church who cared for me and took me to youth retreats and mission trips. The love of God I experienced as a youth ultimately drew me to Jesus after I exhausted all my newfound freedoms as a college freshman and realized that I was a degenerate sinner. Convicted by God’s word and desperate for his mercy, I confessed my sin and put my trust in Jesus as Lord over my life.
After graduating from UC Berkeley in 2011, I started out in covocational ministry–working in the film industry as an animator and commuting back to campus to meet students. In 2013, as God’s Word continued to convict and shape me, I shifted careers into web development and volunteered more time to serve in youth ministry for six years where God profoundly changed my heart.
In 2019, my wife Winnie and I took a step of faith to move to Minnesota where our two daughters were born. After serving in the Twin Cities for six years, we moved again in 2025 to Elgin, enrolling in our network’s Bible Leadership Institute for ministerial training where we decided to go full-time into ministry and were launched out in 2026 to lead our church in Madison Wisconsin.
I testify that as Jesus took His rightful place as King in my life, I not only experienced transformation and healing, but I found my place of belonging as his beloved son and kingdom worker.
Winnie Chen
As a first gen American, I was full of ambition to improve my family’s economic status. Throughout high school I aimed to do well academically and didn’t give Christianity much thought.
It wasn’t until my HS senior year when my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer that caused me to question my purpose and explore Christianity. In college at UC Berkeley I came across a church that strived to live like the early Acts 2 church. Through investigating, I was convinced by the credibility of Christianity. And being moved by the love I experienced within the church community, I gave my life to Christ.
Fast forward, I have been with the same church community since and it has been an amazing journey learning to follow God and submit to His leading at each new juncture. Youth ministry was where God transformed my heart from an ambitious, career-driven person; to one seeking to raise up the next generation of kingdom workers. College ministry was where I experienced the joy of discipling students at a formative time in their lives. Through each season and ministry, I praise God for using someone like me and leading me to experience His bigger vision for my life.