DISCOVER JOSHUA WILDERNESS INSTITUTE
Joshua Program:Life & Ministry at Hume
Living What You Believe in the Heart of the Sequoias
Living Out Your Faith
The Joshua Wilderness Institute is more than a place to study the Bible—it’s a place to live it out. For nine months, students call the Sequoia National Forest home, living, learning, and serving on the grounds of Hume Lake Christian Camps.
It’s here that faith becomes a lifestyle, where the rhythm of community life meets the responsibility of real-world work and ministry.
MISSION-DRIVEN
A place where your faith becomes your own.
Daily Life on Hume Grounds
Joshua students live together in the Joshua Lodge, sharing meals, chores, worship, and everyday experiences. But life at Hume also means stepping outside the classroom and into the ministry environment of a working camp.
While at Joshua Students:
- Join camp teams for weekend work assignments
- Serve in guest services, operations, or hospitality roles
- Contribute to the broader mission of Hume through meaningful work
Ministry in Action
At Joshua, students don’t just learn about ministry—they become part of it.
Through hands-on experience working with Hume staff and campers, they discover:
- How to lead by serving
- The beauty of meeting practical needs
- That every job can be holy work when done for the Lord
These roles offer valuable job experience and develop personal character, humility, and teamwork. Students also travel to Hume SoCal during the year to expand their ministry exposure as they serve in a different camp context.
Learning to Love the Church
- Participate in worship services
- Reflect together on sermons and Scripture
- Practice accountability and mutual encouragement
A Welcoming Community
Beyond the Joshua Lodge, students experience true Christian hospitality through connection with the local church community. Each student is paired with a “Pause Family”—a family from the Hume area who invites them into their home throughout the year. These relationships provide a second home and a front-row seat to faith in action.
Through this unique community experience, students:
- Enjoy home-cooked meals and meaningful time in a family setting
- Observe how ordinary families live out the gospel day by day
- Discover what it means to belong to the broader body of Christ
Growing as a Family in Christ
Nine months at Hume Lake is more than a residency—it’s a home.
As students live, learn, and serve together, they form deep bonds that turn strangers into brothers and sisters. Shared work, meaningful conversations, and worship-filled weekends create a rhythm of life that draws the community closer together.
At Hume, students:
- Build lifelong friendships through shared responsibility and discipleship
- Laugh, learn, and grow alongside peers who become like siblings
- Support one another through challenges and celebrate spiritual growth
- Experience a Christ-centered family rooted in love, trust, and grace
