We have the privilege of knowing John Allen from "way back when". John's family had a farm just down the road and he grew up coming to Peoples Church. In the past 20 years John has reached college students by helping to build a campus church at the University of Michigan, which grew to almost 1000 students. He then helped plant five other campus churches, which have discipled thousands of students and sent hundreds of missionaries to over ten nations around the world. 

God then called him to church planting on the EMU campus. His current mission field is the U of M Dearborn Campus where he is reaching a diverse population of students and raising up more missionaries to take the good news of Jesus to the world. 

This season of life is when many choose what they will believe. The Barna Group found that the vast majority (77 percent) of professions of faith happen before or during the college years. Yet according to Thom Rainer, only 15% of the current college student population identify themselves as Christians. Close to 70 million people in this generation are not Christians; they make up the largest mission field we’ve ever seen in North America. There are many schools out there with very little ministry or shepherding. Crowds of students go through the motions during those formative years, and no one is there to reach them. John Allen has a huge heart for this issue and is passionate about being one of the few that steps out into this mission field, loving students and showing them Jesus.