GenSend Summer: Salt Lake City

GenSend Summer is designed to be one of the most exciting, intense and unique student missionary experiences in North America. It immerses young adults into a context where they gain practical knowledge of the realities of missions and leadership. Participants will spend their time learning to live life on mission under the guidance of local practitioners, compassion ministry leaders and church planters in a major city, on a college campus or at a Send Relief Ministry Center. While reinforcing gospel foundations and simple outreach practices, the intention of summers is to be an extension of the local church’s planting and mercy and compassion efforts.

The current marketing campaign for Salt Lake City, Utah, is “different by nature.” A play on the natural beauty of world-class ski slopes and national parks, it also speaks to the city’s past and present. Founded in 1847 by Brigham Young, a leader in the Latter-day Saints movement, Salt Lake City is the world headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In recent years, it has also become a major metropolitan area and home to a growing population with a diverse range of beliefs. 

“Though it is hard for many people to believe there is a place in the United States that is, basically, unreached, Salt Lake City fits that description,” said Salt Lake Send City missionary Travis Kerns. “Although The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints controls much of the region, God has continually worked throughout the history of redemption through a small remnant.”

Salt Lake has only one Southern Baptist church to every 40,460 people. And the number of evangelical Christians in the metro area is estimated to be 2.2 percent. 

The hope is to change those statistics, because as Kerns explains, “those numbers represent people who need to know Jesus.” 

Already, we have planted Christian churches, the first of their kind, in Morgan, Utah and Herriman, Utah. And additional church plants in places such as Logan, Ogden, Provo-Orem and St. George are becoming active and relevant in their respective communities. Still, this is only the beginning of a much bigger plan and help is greatly needed.

From planting a church to partnering with those already on mission in Salt Lake City, you and your church can make a difference; connect with us to learn how.