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The Bridge

College students from South Carolina help build a Bridge to Northern Utah

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Students from Charleston Southern University in South Carolina are helping church planters in Northern Utah through a ministry called The Bridge

By UI Connections Staff

Ogden, UT – In January 2025, Redemption Family of Churches began a national partnership with South Carolina Baptists to explore and begin a student internship program where students from NAMB’s GenSend Summer will extend their mission and stay for an entire semester to help church planters sow seeds of the gospel in communities where college students and young adults live, work, and play. In order to make this happen, leaders from the church reached out to Utah Idaho Southern Baptists and we partnered with Redemption to help launch “The Bridge” ministry utilizing State Missions Offering/Mission >>>UI dollars to pilot this project, in partnership with the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Below are two of the stories from student missionaries who have come from Charleston Southern University and planted their lives in Northern Utah to plant seeds of the gospel.

Stories from The Bridge

The month of February has started to pick up with some normal ministry rhythms and the students have already plugged into some great ministry activity. By now, most have found jobs and are starting to build relationships in those jobs. They have also connected to their local churches with half of them connected to Redemption Ogden and the other half at Redemption North Davis in Kaysville. They’ve been given leadership opportunities in a young adult ministry in Ogden. This is where they are connecting many of those they are sharing the Gospel with.

This path month these students have connected with five different individuals that are leaving or have recently left the LDS church and are not yet believers. Leadership school has been an effective way to equip the students for how theology, ecclesiology, hermeneutics, and understanding the Bible affect real life ministry. Redemption Church leader, Casey Swails, has been teaching an evangelism class on Tuesdays and Thursdays which also gives real course credit with Charleston Southern University. The guys have been going through “What It Means to Be Protestant” with Gavin Ortlund working through the distinctive of our faith from a polemic perspective.

Below, the students have written up their reports for the month of February. Thank you all for contributing to this program. Already God has brought fruitfulness to this program. Several current CSU students have reached out asking how they can participate in this program in the future. Please be praying for how we can continue to offer this in 2026. Thank you Utah Idaho Baptists for your giving and care for these students.

COREY WADE

Ministry here has been difficult in a number of ways but so worth it. I’ve been working as a pharmacy technician and only 2 out of 10 of my coworkers aren’t LDS. Of these two, one is less resistant to thinking about religion than another. She told me early on when I was explaining why I moved that Utah doesn’t have enough religious options in her opinion. Her openness to something else being true has been encouraging and my hope is to continue to scatter gospel seeds that land when these kind of conversations come up.

While her openness is encouraging, I’ve also gotten to see the brokenness and anger that the LDS Church causes toward religion in general. A pharmacist from another store filled in at my store one day a few weeks ago, and upon finding out from me why I moved and what my Christian Studies program was like, decided to press in to see why I thought my faith was right and everyone else’s was wrong. He expressed to me why it bothered him that even more kinds of churches were coming to Utah and that he thought religion was for the weak.

Despite the challenge of some discouraging conversations, many relationships being built are great encouragements for us. Our friend, Porter, has been seeking help for how to challenge his girlfriend of 3 years and her family on their LDS beliefs. A few Sundays ago, his girlfriend visited our church for our young adult gathering with him and got to hear the gospel and discuss some implications of it with other young adults in our discussion groups.

A new friend of mine named Nicholas who cheers for the college in town has been sitting down with one of our pastors and I to continue his search for fulfillment after an injury ended his season. We’ve had the opportunity to share with him the kind fulfillment that will only come from Jesus and he’s continuing to press in to hear and understand more about Jesus because of it. Please continue to lift up these relationships in your prayers, as well as the Young Adult ministry at Redemption as a whole. We have a good group of people coming who genuinely need community. Pray that they would find it in the true community of Christ’s church.

KATE SAUNDERS

It’s been roughly 7 weeks since we made the trek from South Carolina to Utah and life here is finally finding a consistent rhythm. I can’t begin to talk about the last month without rejoicing in how kind the Lord has been to provide for me. He has put so many people and ministries in my path that I have grown to love and take such joy in. The church family at Redemption has welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to be involved in so many ministries. These have included weekly young adult meetings and events, Sunday morning serving the church, Weber State campus outreach, and helping with mission teams that come to visit.

Outside of official ministry, Leadership School and Evangelism classes through Redemption Ogden have constituted a continuous pour of information and learning. Please be praying for the churches ministries as we see new ones take shape and existing ones continue to grow. Three weeks ago, I began working part time and have been stewarding relationships and foundations for gospel conversations while trying to be aware of HR rules and limitations. The Lord has been kind to put many questions in people’s minds so that I can directly answer things without getting in trouble.

Please be in prayer as I continue in this workplace that I would have opportunities to share the gospel and love my co-workers well. I am grateful for the several warm and sunny days we have seen recently that show spring is on its way. However, I am thankful for winter sports like snowboarding and indoor pickleball which have consistently provided means to great conversations with people.

Please be in prayer as we stay consistent with our weekly activities and share the gospel with our new friends. I am so thankful to live in Utah and be supported by so many amazing people and organizations! Thank you!

These are just two of the stories shared by students serving GenSend Semester in Northern Utah. They are joined by many more students that are investing their lives to reach college students and young adults in Utah with the gospel. By your gifts to the Mission >>> UI/State Missions Offering, college ministry can be funded now and into the future. Thank you for giving to help reach this important generation. https://uisbc.org/smo

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Ogden church gives a fresh perspective to university students

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RCM Student Bible Study
Redemption College Ministry students share Bible study on the grounds of Weber State University in Ogden

Ogden, UT – In the foothills of Mt. Ogden lies a beautiful college campus east of downtown Ogden that is home to purple-wearing Wildcats fans and commuter students from all over the Wasatch front mountain range. This campus has been host to Saturday game-day celebrations for their winning football program that has produced NFL greats. In the winter and spring, basketball season starts a whole new wave of excitement and anticipation to another winning season hoping for another NBA star to come out of their ranks. Amid all that is Weber State University’s college ministry, Semper Veritas, that has reached Weber State students for many years with a clear gospel message and a truth-filled perspective of Christianity to the predominant faith that many of the students are held captive.  This year, Semper Veritas is experiencing change, but it is a good change.

Redemption Church in Ogden has spent the past several years overseeing the ministry at Weber State under the name Semper Veritas. Now, the decision has been made to transition to the name Redemption College Ministry. Their leader, Casey Swails, explains, “We are off to an awesome start to the school year. We started off the school year with a rebrand of our ministry from Semper Veritas to Redemption College Ministry. The goal of this name change is to help with the goal of connecting students to the local church and for a clearer representation of who we are.” 

RCM Students Tabling
Former GenSend Missionaries have partnered with Redemption College Ministry for tabling opportunities

Swails continues, “Our leaders are doing an awesome job connecting with students. We have been averaging 10-12 people at our weekly Bible studies. A few of these students are not believers. One non-believing student actually joined us at Redemption Church this past Sunday with her boyfriend. Our leaders are leading discussions through the book of Philippians. This has prompted much discussion, questions, and deeper relationships among students. It has been incredibly encouraging to see this kind of attendance and fruit so quickly in the semester.“

Students have also been engaged consistently in tabling on campus. Tabling is when ministry leading students stand by a table in a public setting, more often in high traffic area on campus, and post large banners or a white board with a probing spiritual conversation on the board/banner. Then, the question sparks continuing conversations that lead to gospel appointment and opportunities to share the truth of God’s word.  “We are using the tabling opportunities to invite students to the Perspectives Conversations event. Our student leaders have said that lots of students are excited about the conversation coming up on October 12th. We are praying that this conversation will promote healthy relationships with non-believers so that we can get to know them and show them that Jesus has met them where they are.”, Swails added. The tabling alone has prompted several gospel conversations that has contributed to the increase in Bible study attendance. 

Redemption College Ministry is asking Utah and Idaho Baptists to pray for their ministry on Weber State’s campus. Here are some prayer prompts you can use in your personal and community prayer gatherings:

  • We would greatly appreciate prayers for the coming Bible studies and Perspectives Conversations on October 12.
  • Pray for non-believers to be interested in having these discussions with us.
  • Pray for open hearts to the gospel.
  • Pray for relationships to be formed between the believers and non-believers on campus.

Redemption College Ministry leaders are doing great work engaging the campus of Weber State for the glory of God and the advancement of the Gospel. They value your continued prayerful support. 

This story was adapted from one of the many stories we hear from campus ministries across Idaho and Utah. Please support the Utah-Idaho State Missions Offering because 100% of our college ministry budget comes from a portion of your SMO dollars given.

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Seminary President to speak at Weber State University

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Ogden, UT – “What happens after we die?” “Is there life after death?” “Are heaven and hell real?” These and many other questions will be answered by Dr. Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Dew will be coming to the Shephard Union on the campus of Weber State University, on Monday, March 27 at 6:30 PM. The public is welcome to attend, but priority seating will be given to Weber State students in attendance to hear Dr. Dew’s perspective on this important topic. 

Dr Jamie Dew, President of NOBTS and his wife, Tara

Casey Swails, Family Pastor at Redemption Church in Ogden had a vision to invite President Dew to give a new and eternal perspective on life after death that goes counter culture to the predominant perspective found on this northern Utah campus. Swails, who oversees the Redemption Church college ministry at Weber State shared that the vision for this event grew out of a relationship the church built with Dr. Dew, his family, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Swails said “While connecting with Jamie and his wife, Tara, last year at a ministry event at hosted at our church, he expressed his interests to aid in the continued ministry of Redemption Church. Considering his expertise in philosophy and theology, we concluded that inviting Jamie to speak on life after death would be an excellent opportunity to reach the campus with a gospel perspective and he gladly accepted our invitation.”

Every student that attends will receive a Gospel conversation guide, a follow-up card with links to continue the conversation with students through gospel appointments. They will also be entered into a drawing for additional prizes to be given away at the event. The first 40 students in attendance will get a free Bible. Following the presentation, students will have the opportunity to have a question and answer moment with Dr. Dew. Please pray for students that will respond to the invitations and attend this event with an open heart to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel and for them to consider the biblical truth of what happens after this life is over and what they can do now to be prepared of that moment.    

This event is made possible through the cooperative efforts of many organizations and groups that seek to reach and minister to the students at WSU. The leadership and volunteers have expressed gratitude for the generosity of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Evangelism Department of North American Mission Board, as well as funding through the State Missions offering of the UISBC and direct sponsorship by Semper Veritas at Weber State, the college ministry of Redemption Church in Ogden.