Bobby Wood understands the mission. Since 2009, he has leveraged his life for the Great Commission, moving from his home in the Bible-Belt South to reach the lost in northern Utah. Now, as a Church Planting Catalyst and GenSend City Mobilizer for the North American Mission Board (NAMB), he has the joy of activating the next generation for gospel impact in Salt Lake City.
Each summer, he has a front-row seat to the work of God in his city, in each church plant where summer missionaries serve, and in the lives of missionaries themselves. GenSend participants engage in numerous gospel conversations during their 6- to 8-week stay and spend countless hours with church planters, learning the ropes of what it takes to plant a sustainable church. All the while, they serve each planter and their family.
The total impact of GenSend Summer is challenging to quantify on this side of eternity, as spiritual seeds planted each summer take time to be watered and bear fruit. However, Bobby has seen tangible evidence in the lives of summer participants, as many demonstrate the summer’s significance by returning to the work in Utah long after the summer program has ended.
He notes that among four churches in the Salt Lake City area, at least 20 students have returned to serve church plants. Several are still in training to join church planting teams, while one, Anthony Jozwick, is working through a leadership pipeline to become a planter himself. Throughout his experience in GenSend Summer, God confirmed in his heart the calling to be a pastor and plant a church. Once his summer ended, he moved to Utah permanently and joined the pastoral apprenticeship program. This training will prepare him for the work of becoming a church planter. The weeks participating in GenSend Summer were used directly by God to call Anthony, and others like him, into more full-time missionary roles, expanding the kingdom in one of the most unreached places in North America.
Wood is seeing the long-term effect of how GenSend moves the church-planting needle in several key ways. It has increased connections with new partners to the Utah missionary task and Send Network, the church-planting arm of NAMB. “GenSend is a fantastic church mobilization tool,” shared Wood.
Established churches that host GenSend students can’t help but notice the surge in gospel conversations taking place through their college students, thanks to the contagious effect of summer missionaries. Churches then become excited to see students in their own college ministries becoming more engaged, evangelistic disciple-makers with an increasing passion for church planting. This naturally causes established churches to seek out relationships and partnerships with church planters in the city. Wood sees how it brings increased planting engagement and momentum to the church planting movement in Utah.
Wood has also observed firsthand how GenSend summer missionaries have strengthened local church planting teams, especially in their evangelism outreach efforts.
He recalls, “Each summer that our plants have GenSend, we see an evangelistic explosion that takes place in our plants. We experience an explosion in our baptism numbers that is directly tied to GenSend each summer.”
It’s a game-changer for church plants to receive a dedicated and equipped 8-week missionary task force that works diligently to share the gospel. Two young adults who were brought to Christ through the efforts of GenSend have also chosen to participate in GenSend themselves. True gospel transformation has been brought about through the summer ministry of GenSend.
Wood has also observed an unexpected result of GenSend among churches: an increase in generosity. As churches see and experience the positive, eternal fruit of GenSend missionaries, they are eager to give financially to the agency that supports them, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. He has seen a direct correlation between GenSend Summer and higher giving.
As Bobby Wood continues his work as a GenSend City Mobilizer, he hopes to see God continue to call more young men and women to the missionary task in Utah through GenSend, a work that transforms lives and powerfully fulfills the Great Commission.
Published October 20, 2025