Derek Baerenwald

Derek and his wife have lived in the Twin Cities since 2012 and love all things Minnesota with their three kids!

Derek’s personal faith began in middle school, where he accepted Jesus and began to walk with Him. Unfortunately, Derek walked away from a youth group in high school to find a community that wasn’t full of broken people (spoiler alert: that doesn’t exist!). Years of seeking community and chasing satisfaction led to many nights feeling empty and lost. Derek still remembers opening his Bible and knowing there was more to life, but he didn’t know how to go deeper or who could help him.

In early college, Derek’s worldly pursuits led to guilt, conviction, and a genuine need to apologize to a friend. He fully expected his choices would end that relationship, but he was shocked to receive forgiveness and restoration. The gospel suddenly became clear as he felt the impact of Romans 5:8 in relationship, and God’s redeeming love leapt out of the pages of his Bible in a new way. Derek continues to grow in his faith through his relationship with God and others, regardless of the brokenness he experiences in his own life and the lives of those around him.

After graduating with degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry, Derek spent almost a decade in Research, Development & Engineering, as well as Project and Change Management at a large corporation, where he shepherded individuals and teams through change while being a light in the workplace. Derek and his wife continued to say yes to doors God opened through their church, joining a new campus launch in Downtown Minneapolis, where Derek completed a Master’s in Theological Studies. Derek later joined staff as a Campus Pastor in Edina, where he shepherded the campus through a season of growth before welcoming a new campus pastor to lead the congregation (Derek and his family still attend the campus as members). Derek feels called to partnering across churches by creating common, missional movements for Jesus throughout the Twin Cities.

Derek is passionate about activating every generation to follow Jesus, especially the next generation as they face foundational and transformative experiences in middle school and high school. He believes that when the gospel is lived out in each generation (parents and grandparents included), God’s faithfulness will be seen and experienced across generations, and gospel transformation will impact our community for generations to come.