5
THE CALL
There’s so much more to ministry and leadership...
STUDENT LAB CHURCH by Kent Glazier (2012)
In 2012, the article below went to print in our New Hope Ignite magazine. Now, ten years later, we saw this vision come to fruition as New Hope West had its Grand Opening on Easter 2021.
“YES!” was Chancellor Wayne Cordeiro’s emphatic response to the Stanford Medical Center when they asked if he would allow medical students from Stanford University to observe and assist with the major heart surgery he was about to undergo. Naturally, his response came after assurance that the actual procedure would be performed by an experienced and well-qualified surgeon! It was from this experience that Cordeiro developed the idea of a lab church for college students. There are great college and university programs in other fields, so why shouldn’t Bible colleges offer students the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real-world environment, under the supervision and guidance of seasoned leaders?
And so, the student lab church concept was born. Two of the first people to hear from him regarding the implementation of a hands-on ministry training program for students were long-time ministry partners, Steve and Cindy Kenny. After a season of prayer and consideration, the Kennys felt that the Lord was “inviting our family to write a new chapter here in Eugene.”
