Josh Ridder – Passionate about transforming young lives Josh grew up in Newtown, PA and has had a passion for reaching out to young people with messages of love and hope since he was a high school student. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Youth Ministry with a minor in Biblical Studies from Bethel University in Saint Paul, MN. Two important things happened while Josh was studying at Bethel; he was introduced to TreeHouse, and he met his wife Ann. You can learn more about TreeHouse here, but for Josh the mentorship model of TreeHouse is really the difference-maker. He has found that the most effective way to help bring about life change in any individual adolescent (or adult for that matter!) is to do life with them! Whenever he has an opportunity, Josh is advocating for a stronger focus on mentor based relationships in the youth ministry settings.
After much prayerful consideration and counsel Josh and his wife Ann relocated from their home in VA to launch a non-profit organization in Lower Bucks County Pennsylvania. That organization is called Hope for Youth and started to provide TreeHouse programs to Lower Bucks youth in the fall of 2015 at Restoration Church in Levittown, PA. Their vision is to start more TreeHouse locations throughout Lower Bucks County and the whole Delaware Valley region. It has been an exciting journey thus far and they look forward to your partnership as they offer hope to hurting teens.