Joshua - About - Hume Ministries

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)

Meet the Staff

The Joshua Wilderness Institute staff absolutely love the Lord, Joshua and investing in the students who attend.

Bob Plouffe

Director

About Bob

Bob was born and raised in central Massachusetts, just east of our Hume New England campus. After high school, he left for the United States Air Force where he served a 25-year career spanning many states and career opportunities. After retiring from military life, Bob sensed a calling into full-time ministry. This calling brought him and his family to Hume Lake where he joined the team in the summer of 2003. Over the span of his Hume Lake career, Bob held such positions as Grant Writer, Development Manager, Marketing Director, and finally Human Resources Director where he served since 2008. He joined the Joshua Wilderness Institute team in 2016. He understands and respects the roots of the program and loves to walk alongside students who are willing to serve Jesus. When Bob’s not driving a desk, you’ll find him outside either hiking, cycling, sketching, painting or reading stretched out in his hammock.

Rachel Savage

Associate Director

About Rachel

Rachel is originally from Fresno, CA. She grew up coming to Hume as a second home and she worked on summer staff over the years. Hume was always a place of key moments in her journey as a disciple of Jesus. In 2013, she earned a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Fresno Pacific University. After that, she taught biblical literature and interpretation courses at Fresno Pacific. Her favorite courses to teach were on wisdom literature, Matthew, the minor prophets, and Psalms. Rachel deeply enjoys mentoring and discipling college-age students and she is passionate about biblical literacy and cross-cultural mission and ministry. She recently married Jason Savage, who also works at Hume Lake. They share passion for ministry, and a love of languages and the outdoors.

Tiffany Hamilton

Female Resident Director

About Tiffany

Tiffany is a Southern California native, from Huntington Beach. She studied at California Baptist University where she received her Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies and Master’s in Counseling Ministry. Tiffany has used her experiences and education to counsel university students stateside and internationally. She has also worked with Hume Lake in a variety of capacities such as being a summer staff Resident Director and as a lead counselor for several camp programs. One of many things that Tiffany is passionate about is engaging in challenging conversations to guide individuals in their spiritual growth. She is excited to share the upcoming year with the incoming class and celebrate what God has in store!

Jenna Orcutt

Recruiting and Communications coordinator

About Jenna

Jenna was born and raised in Fresno, CA and absolutely loves her city. She graduated with a degree in Intercultural Studies from Fresno Pacific University. While in school, she studied abroad in Costa Rica with Students International for a semester, where she further developed a passion for learning about different people and cultures. After college, she participated in a 10-month program called the Pink House that focuses on leadership development, biblical community, and urban ministry in the heart of downtown Fresno. When she heard about an opportunity to join the Joshua team, she jumped at it. She is passionate about discipleship and walking alongside students as they draw closer to Jesus. She loves life chats, spending time with friends and family, and doing anything outdoors. You’ll most likely find her taking a stroll around the lake.

Andy Schmidt

male Resident Director

About Andy

Andy grew up in Reno, Nevada and got to know Hume Lake through summer trips with his family. After graduating high school Andy spent time working in the warehouse industry before attending the Joshua Wilderness Institute. Upon completion of the Joshua Wilderness Institute Andy returned to Reno to pursue a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering at the the University of Nevada. Andy loves to challenge people to help them grow and has spent several years working in college and worship ministry. While not working Andy loves to play music, build things and explore the world around.

Tucker Horton

Media Coordinator

About Tucker

Tucker grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA and fell in love with Hume Lake in high school as a Ponderosa camper. After having an amazing experience attending the Joshua Wilderness Institute, he worked three summers at Hume in different positions before being hired on full time in 2014. He loves diving into God’s word, encouraging others towards Christ, and has been leading high school small groups for the past six years. Tucker has a huge passion for camping ministry, photography, and travel and can usually be found out adventuring with friends or playing music. Tucker is stoked to see how God will move in the students this year and is honored to play a small role in advancing His kingdom.

Amy Howell

Chef

About Amy

Amy is most recently from Los Angeles, but grew up in Mexico with her missionary parents. She has served in the Hume Lake Food Service Department for the past six years. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona, and has an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from Los Angeles Mission College. Amy is passionate about camp ministry, family, and food. In her free time, she enjoys quilting, playing board games, and spending quality time with friends and family. She also enjoys teaching people to cook. She is excited to use her talents in the kitchen and to love on the Joshua students this next year!

Media Coordinator

Tucker Horton

Media Coordinator

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