About JWI
What are we all about?
In an era where information has become more readily available to us than ever before, mankind has come to value knowledge above all else. Universities and colleges around the world provide seekers with facts and figures in incredible detail about every imaginable subject. But for many, this accumulation of knowledge will fall far short of what is truly needed to live an effective life in the kingdom of God, as information allows one to know without always affecting what one does or more importantly who one is.
What is desperately needed then is not more knowledge based training, but rather a wisdom based curriculum that focuses less on the assimilation of facts, and more on the practical outworking of what it means to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ. A program designed for those who know they want to serve the Lord but lack the discernment, focus, spiritual and personal discipline, or life experience to exercise real wisdom in everyday situations. It is with this great need recognized then, that Hume Ministries is pleased to provide the Joshua Wilderness Institute.
Whether doing vocational ministry in the Dominican Republic, sharing the gospel with strangers on the streets of Hollywood, or working with deaf children in Mexico each trip provides an opportunity for students to apply what they have learned in classes. True Biblical discipleship moves beyond the concept stage. The mission of Joshua moves from theory to practice as students experience service, culture, and the very place the Bible was written about.
Mission Statement
Our mission statement at Joshua, “Transforming the Life Effectiveness of God’s People” is simple. But the process by which this mission is realized is anything but. Utilizing a combination of theology, Bible study skills, philosophy and worldview training, evangelism, character development, personal life skills, and monthly mission trips, we endeavor to expose students to life, guide them to discern God’s will, and cultivate a spiritual passion and calling. Ultimately though, it is not our programming or passion that transforms these students. It is God Himself responding to the individual cry of each one who has purposefully set this time aside to be transformed. The sole motivation for attendance should be life effectiveness, through an increase in wisdom. When students come with that singular goal in mind, each one takes home a measure of transformation proportional to his or her individual drive and desire to be more like Christ.
Cruce, Libro, et Atro
This Benedictine motto from the 9th century also serves as the philosophical foundation of our training at the Joshua Wilderness Institute. Cruce, Libro, et Atro literally means “the cross, the book, and the plow.” It emphasizes the necessity of personal balance in faith, knowledge, and work ethic for the disciple. Faith “without deeds” is dead as it says in James, while faith without knowledge is unsustainable. Similarly, Christian activity motivated by anything other than faith and God’s glory is wasted, and work ethic alone, separated from knowledge is not only dangerous, but directionless. It is only when one learns to synchronize Biblical faith, the acquisition of knowledge, and the service of God and others that life effectiveness truly becomes attainable. The institute provides the necessary tools and means for attaining just such a balance.
Core Values
The Joshua Wilderness Institute is founded upon 15 core values which direct all of our curriculum development, disciplinary action, instructor choices, and student/faculty coaching.
- Instilling an urgency for discovering one’s calling and central purpose for life. (Ephesians 4:1)
- Creating a hunger to know and understand God. (Jeremiah 9:23,24)
- Prompting the student to identify and evaluate their personal philosophy of life and assist them in developing a Godly worldview. (Philippians 4:8; Titus 1:9)
- Developing a passion for God’s guidance and instruction and seeking to recognize the lessons and truths hidden in all of life. (Proverbs 25:2; Psalms 19)
- Challenging the student to develop convictions, which result in a person of moral and ethical character. (Numbers 13:30; Daniel 1:8)
- Teaching the life skills necessary for effective practical living. Covering stewardship, financial, environmental, and time management, relationships, conflict resolution, etc. (Ecclesiastes 10:10)
- Insisting that the student live a disciplined life, in thought, word, deed, and attitude; which includes making of beds, rising early, devotions, staying in shape, extra curricular reading, orderliness, denying self, and seeing others as more important than yourself. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
- Cultivating a desire to live a life of holiness. Striving for Honesty, Purity, and Integrity in every area of life. (Psalms 15; Leviticus 11:44)
- Building critical thinking skills, and equipping their hearts and minds for living in a relativistic age, able to decipher truth and communicate clearly and compellingly to others. (I Peter 3:15)
- Urging the student to live a life of contentment, finding the pleasures in all of life and being peaceful in it. (Philippians 4:11-13)
- Leading the student to live a life of humility, seeing themselves as God sees them. This humble spirit allows one to be teachable in all of life’s circumstances. (Psalm 25:9)
- Assisting the student to discover their talents and giftedness, to be used with confidence in accordance with the purpose God has set before them. (I Corinthians 10:31)
- Establishing a solid foundation of Biblical truth, teaching scripture as the ultimate authority, with an emphasis on the Old Testament and the study of Theology. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
- Awakening the student to God’s abiding presence and their need to abide with Him. (John 14, 15:4-10; Psalms 15:1)
- Challenging students to love others and reproduce disciples through lives that not only evangelize in word and tongue, but in action and in truth. (I John 3:18; I Peter 2:12)