Our Story
|
InterVarsity was established in Utah in the 1960’s and had staff and students on several campuses into the early 1980’s. IVCF had no influence on the campuses of Utah and Idaho from 1985 till 1995. Cynthia Boline and her family moved from Fresno, CA to Boise, Idaho. They left behind family and a strong ministry at Fresno State, but quickly started an IV chapter at Boise State in 1995. That chapter has been ministering to students at BSU since 1995. Then, in 2003, God called 2 young IV staff workers to move to Salt Lake City to start a chapter at the University of Utah. Dave & Keri Brown, from Boise, and Seth and Jill Neal from Montana, left their friends and families and moved to Utah to replant a work that had been absent for 18 years. A year later God called Brad and Shelley Bertelsen of El Paso, TX to leave behind the latino ministry at UTEP to move to Utah to help lead the planting work that needed to be done on all the other Utah and S. Idaho campuses.
In 2007 God called Mac and Amy Smith from Reno, NV to leave a thriving ministry at UNR. They moved to Ogden, UT where Mac would work to develop the ministry at Weber State and Amy would work together with Brad to help lead the fledgling area forward. Since 2007 God has provided a way to plant and establish ministries at campuses across Utah & Southern Idaho. Today we rejoice that well over 300 students are actively involved in the ministry of IVCF on 8 campuses, over 100 students have made decisions to follow Jesus since 2007, each year we work with and develop over 70 student leaders who lead over 30 Small Group Bible Studies that meet weekly. InterVarsity is a shining beacon of hope for students on all of these campuses. Years ago we dreamed about being on every campus in Utah & Southern Idaho and never imagined that in just over a decade we would be on nearly every campus in our area! We praise God for his work in our area but we are not content when we think about thousands of students who graduate each year without the opportunity to know and follow Jesus. Our vision is to reach every corner of every campus! How might God be calling you to be involved in this vision? If you are a student we invite you to join us and be involved with InterVarsity on campus? If you are a parent or just have a heart for college students would you consider partnering with InterVarsity in Utah & Southern Idaho by praying for or supporting one of our staff? What part of this story is God calling you to be a part of? As we look back on the history of IVCF in Utah and S. Idaho, since 1995, these are the names of those missionaries (in chronological order) who have left families and friends to reach the students of Utah & Southern Idaho. We thank God for their years of service and sacrifice for the sake of Christ, the Kingdom, and students. |
