This spring, South Carolina Baptist students traveled to Panama City Beach for Beach Reach, a mission trip focused on training college students to share the Gospel during spring break.

Students attended through their campus’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM), which plays a key role in mobilizing and discipling students for missions. Beach Reach places students in high-traffic social spaces offering free “safe rides” for Spring Breakers. During these interactions, students intentionally engage their peers in Gospel conversations.

While BCMs from South Carolina sent several student teams, they were part of a much larger effort. Student teams from across the nation take part in the efforts. In total for 2025, Beach Reach mobilized 1,822 student missionaries from over 60 campus and church ministries, resulting in 753 salvations, 13,988 Gospel conversations, 25,264 safe shuttle rides, and 17,833 prayers with people during spring break outreach in Panama City Beach and South Padre Island—most of this carried out by college students with limited prior experience in evangelism.

Beach Reach also includes an intentional follow-up system that connects students to local ministries after their spring break experience. “People think you can’t really follow up with students you meet there, but it’s actually one of the easiest places to do it,” said Collegiate Minister Adam Venters. Students who make decisions or have meaningful Gospel conversations during the week are asked for contact information, which is then shared with campus ministers across the country. “There’s a national network of campus leaders working together to make sure students are followed up with and connected,” Venters said.

A Lab for Evangelism

“Beach Reach is like a lab for evangelism,” Venters shared. “You’re stepping into a space where people are open to talking, and students are learning how to have Gospel conversations in real time.”

Sydney, a student from the University of South Carolina, said the experience gave her confidence and perspective. “Before Beach Reach, I hadn’t had the chance to consistently share my faith. I grew up around Christians and didn’t put myself in positions where I’d talk to people who didn’t believe,” she said. “Beach Reach really helped me develop some evangelism skills. It helped me come back to college and view my peers differently—and see my campus as a mission field too.”

For many students, the impact extended beyond spring break. Several returned more eager to share their faith back home or on campus. Others said Beach Reach challenged their understanding of missions.

“Before, I thought missions meant going overseas,” one student shared. “But I realized we’re called to reach people here, too. I saw how open people were to having spiritual conversations, even late at night standing outside a gas station or waiting in line for a club.”

Real Conversations, Lasting Impact

Students shared story after story of meaningful conversations. One student recounted spending the night talking with a college basketball player who had never fully understood the Gospel. “By the end of the conversation, he wanted to follow Jesus,” the student said.

Another described keeping in touch with a young woman she met during Beach Reach. “She wasn’t ready to make a decision that night, but a week later she texted me to say she had surrendered her life to Christ.”

One student testified that Beach Reach also helped her overcome personal struggles. “I’d been dealing with anxiety and almost didn’t go,” she said. “I learned that week that if I’m focusing more on other people and ministering to them, I’m thinking a lot less about my own issues. I didn’t have a single anxious thought all week. And when I shared that story later, someone told me it helped them with their own anxiety.”

First-Time Mission Experience for Benedict Students

This year’s Beach Reach also marked a milestone for Benedict College “We took students from Benedict on mission for the first time since BCM has been on the campus,” said Morgan Allen, BCM Director. “They were able to share the Gospel in ways that strengthened their confidence and faith in Jesus.”

The group took part in van ministry and street outreach alongside other SCBaptist students. One student, known for being more introverted, helped lead someone to Christ during the trip.

“He left Beach Reach with a level of confidence that was so sweet to see,” Allen said. “This is just one of many stories my students have to tell of the goodness of God they experienced.”

Equipping Students to Live on Mission

Beach Reach isn’t just about one week at the beach—it’s about equipping students to live on mission every day. Several students who participated in Beach Reach have since committed to longer-term opportunities like GenSend or BCMGO, serving in places over the summer.

“Beach Reach shows students that they’re capable of sharing their faith,” Venters said. “They learn that God can use them—right now, right where they are.”