Chapter Planting at Weber State University

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This document is part of a larger cluster of articles about InterVarsity
chapter planting at https://www.intervarsity.org/mx/page/chapterplanting

The Campus

Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, has about 16,600 undergraduates,
with about 600 students living on campus. Most students are commuters from
the area.

The Challenges

Our greatest challenge in Utah is the very large number of Mormon
students. Utah and south Idaho have more than 225,000 college students, 70
percent of them Mormons. Most of our campuses, like Weber State, are
between 60 and 99 percent LDS. This creates some very interesting dynamics,
but it is a wonderful challenge.

Campus Contacts

I planted a chapter at Weber State University in fall 2005. This
opportunity came out of conversations with the pastors of a church in
Ogden. They really wanted to see something happen at WSU and asked for my
advice. They were excited to hear that InterVarsity was back in Utah after
a 20-year absence. We had successfully launched InterVarsity groups at
other schools in Utah, and my staff and I were wondering where we should go
next in our chapter planting efforts. We agreed that we would go where we
were invited.

When this church invited us to minister to students at Weber State, we
went. But I made it clear what the partnership would need to look like.
InterVarsity was not going to be “their” campus ministry. Because of our
interdenominational nature, it would need to be an interdenominational
group. The pastors eagerly agreed and they were excited to partner with us.
They would provide students and some funding, and I would give one day a
week to the venture.

What We’re Doing

We started planning in the summer of 2005 and had our first large-group
meeting in August. At the end of the first year we have a solid group of
around 25 students. Half of them are from the partnering church, and the
others represent a variety of local churches.

The Vision

Even though there are a quarter of a million students in this part of the
country, there are very few people in Utah doing campus ministry. There are
a few Campus Crusade chapters, and a few small Baptist ministries, so there
are many opportunities as well as many challenges.

God is Working

It is amazing to see how the Lord has prospered our efforts to start
InterVarsity groups in Utah. He plants, waters, and brings forth fruit.

What We Need

It is a good idea for us to partner with local churches, especially in
small towns. We are learning as we go, but God has been good.

Chapter_Planting_4yr_Lrg_Weber_State_U.doc