Josiah Project: The Essentials

Why Josiah? Who?  What?   Where? When? How Much?
Why Josiah?
The program’s namesake is King Josiah (II Kings 23), who turned his entire nation from being over-turned with sin back to God when he was only nineteen. Josiah was just one of many young people God has chosen to use throughout Scripture. Rock the World believes that young adults can make an impact for God now. The Josiah Project is all about training you for this kind of life. 

Who? Josiah Project is for college-aged students (18-25) striving to find out what God’s calling in their life is and how they can start serving. Even if you have a pretty good idea of the direction you're headed, JP is an awesome way to try out different ministries and get more experience. Anyone who is currently in college, or of college age having lived at least one year outside of home can apply.

What?
Josiah Project is a twelve-week summer training program consisting of three ministry cycles: youth ministry, urban outreach, and cross-cultural missions. While in Ambridge during the first part of the summer, students will receive instruction and training. Then, participants will travel to two different site assignments. For the entirety of the program one lives, works, and grows in community with the Josiah Project Team. Time for reflection, guidance from the JP director and mentor, team-building and gift assessment are also built into the summer. For a better idea check out Sample Summer.

Community

The team is the core of the Josiah Project. One lives with and works alongside the team the whole summer, learning to live out Acts 2:42-47: "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer... They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people."

Experience

During the Josiah Project you will have lots of hands-on, in-the-field experience. Learning does not stop in the classroom, and Josiah Project actually sends students out to apply the gifts they have and what they’ve learned.

Training

Professional missionaries, church planters, pastors, youth ministers, and experienced Christian leaders lead discussions in the three cycles of training. Instruction isn’t restricted the classroom, as many times the team will go to the place of work of the teacher.

Taking it Further: Second Summer

The Second Summer of Josiah Project is a real chance to put into action what one has learned and to dive into the area to which God has called you. After completing the first summer, you have the choice to begin developing and implementing a second summer project. Whatever God puts on your heart - Rock the World will support and mentor you as you pursue it. Peruse Second Summer to get an idea of what some JP alumni have done with their second summer.

Where?
Josiah Project has taken teams all over the country and the world. Urban tracks have taken place in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Minneapolis, and many other cities. Teams have served cross-culturally in Haiti, Costa Rica, Peru, Belize, and other countries in Central and South America and Europe. Rock the World headquarters is in Ambridge, PA, where the team will live while training and in between field experiences.

Members of teams have gone parasailing, driven speed boats, dug ditches in the Dominican Republic and Honduras, visited homes of people in physical and spiritual need in the projects of New Orleans and the ghettoes of New York, danced at Native American Powwows, and effectively shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ through their words and actions – on street corners and from church pulpits around the world!

When?
The dates for the summer of 2010 are May 23 to August 9.

Who's Leading It? 
This summer's team will be facilitated by Rock the World Executive Director Whis Hays and Rock the World Global Strategist Meredith Borel. There are also quite a number of first-rate guest teachers.

Whis graduated from Fuller Seminary, served in 5 different churches in both ordained and non-ordained roles, taught for 15 years as a professor at Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA, and has been directly involved in student ministry since 1975. His resume includes producing and directing films and videos that have been distributed nationally. He's also Rock the World's founder, having started the ministry in 1989. 

Meredith's credentials include a Master's degree from Trinity, translating Rock the World's youth ministry training materials into Spanish, leading Josiah Project, surviving a war in Lebanon while serving in the Middle East, being awarded a Sandy Ford Fellowship, and being selected as a young leader for the Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization. 

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