Josiah Venture Stories

Josiah Venture is a non-profit mission organization that equips young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe to fulfill Christ's commission through the local church. We want to see passionate followers of Jesus Christ with a vision to reach and disciple their generation for him. This podcast is about sharing life-changing stories from on-the-ground missionaries and the local people they work with to inspire and fuel the movement of God in Central and Eastern Europe.

Josiah Venture Stories is a religion podcast hosted by Gwynne Turner, with 160 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Gwynne Turner hosts Josiah Venture Stories, a religion show with 160 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #161

  Divide & Conquer: Unmasking the Enemy's Plans with Dave Patty

  Aug 17, 202638 minS1

  We are excited to share the main talks from Spring Conference 2026, which was "Divide and Conquer: Reclaiming Lost Ground when the Enemy Turns Allies into Adversaries ." Every year, we focus on a theme that addresses current needs in youth ministry across Central and Eastern Europe. At Fall Conference, the topic was "Victorious," with a focus on standing strong in the Spiritual fight. Our Spring Conference took this theme even further, exploring a particular tactic the enemy uses in families, friendships, teams, and churches. We learned how to recognize, resist, and regain ground when facing these challenges, and now we invite you to do the same.We're not meant to fight each other— we're meant to fight together. God made us in his own image- Satan seeks to do the same. In this episode, "Divide and Conquer: Unmasking the Enemy's Plans," Dave Patty discusses how the enemy seeks to conquer us by dividing us. God's garden is profoundly good…but there was a serpent in the garden. The Serpent and our response to him can destroy God's good garden. Friends, let's fight, but let's fight the enemy and not each other. Thank you for tuning into this teaching episode of the podcast. Watch this episode on our website! "Captain America: Civil War" clip mentioned in the episode! Connect with Us: Follow @josiahventure on Instagram Learn more about Josiah Venture at josiahventure.com Contact: social@josiahventure.com Online Prayer Room Prayer Room App Summer Internships Mission Trips Review & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with a friend or on your social media. Thank you, friends, and have a blessed day!

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  Episode #160

  Short-term Missions and Long-term Impact with Jonathan Norton

  Aug 4, 202647 minS1

  Meet Jonathan Norton, a former 2003 Josiah Venture summer intern and current short-term mission team member to Latvia. His church, Red Mountain Community Church, has been involved with the ministry in Latvia since 1998 and has sent multiple short-term mission teams every year for the past 15 years. He lives in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife, Karyne, and their four children: Silas, Garrison, Lydia, and Charlotte. He serves as an elder at his church and volunteers in the High School ministry. He loves walking alongside students and pointing them towards Christ. He describes preparing mission teams for trips to Latvia, cross-cultural moments, bilingual worship, and camp highlights such as students engaging deeply with the "Outside The Box" curriculum and a gospel-focused Labyrinth night. Jonathan explains how his internship experience shaped his view of discipleship and full-time ministry, though he did not become a full-time JV missionary. He also encourages anyone considering serving on a short-term mission team to just go! "Thinking about a mission trip? You get to know missionaries, support them, and build relationships with them. There are so many positives and reasons to go, so if the Lord is nudging you, like you just gotta go." -Jonathan Connect with Us: Follow @josiahventure on Instagram Learn more about Josiah Venture at josiahventure.com Contact: social@josiahventure.com Online Prayer Room Prayer Room App Summer Internships Mission Trips Review & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with a friend or on your social media. Thank you, friends, and have a blessed day!

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  Episode #159

  Inside Fusion Celje and Navigating Ministry Change with Urh and Doroteja Kolar

  Jul 20, 202655 minS1

  <p>Journey with us through 14 years of impactful ministry as Urh and Doroteja Kolar share their emotional farewell to Fusion Celje.</p> <p>Urh and Doroteja both grew up in Slovenia, but in very different families. Neither of them believed in God growing up, but came to know Jesus through Josiah Venture's Summer camps. Their paths first crossed at a Fusion Camp in 2013, and two years later, they served together as interns in Celje, Slovenia, and continue to serve there to this day.</p> <p>Married in 2018 and now parents to two daughters, Iva and Mila, they are living on...

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  Episode #159

  Inside Fusion Celje and Navigating Ministry Change with Urh and Doroteja Kolar

  Jul 20, 202655 minS1

  Journey with us through 14 years of impactful ministry as Urh and Doroteja Kolar share their emotional farewell to Fusion Celje. Urh and Doroteja both grew up in Slovenia, but in very different families. Neither of them believed in God growing up, but came to know Jesus through Josiah Venture's Summer camps. Their paths first crossed at a Fusion Camp in 2013, and two years later, they served together as interns in Celje, Slovenia, and continue to serve there to this day. Married in 2018 and now parents to two daughters, Iva and Mila, they are living on mission together as a family. Deeply grateful for how God transformed their own lives, they count it a privilege to help students in Slovenia discover the hope of Jesus for themselves. In this episode, they share what drew them to Fusion—music, acceptance, and genuine care—and describe Fusion Celje's impact, including a former student returning to faith after years away and two young women discipled through church community who remain active believers. They recap this year's Fusion Camp and discuss ending Fusion Celje Camp after 14 years. Tune in for an inspiring episode as Urh and Doroteja recount their journey with Fusion Camps. Hear about the lives changed and the hope they continue to sow in Slovenia! Connect with Us: Follow @josiahventure on Instagram Learn more about Josiah Venture at josiahventure.com Contact: social@josiahventure.com Online Prayer Room Prayer Room App Summer Internships Mission Trips Subscribe & Share: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend or on your social media. Thank you, friends, and have a blessed day!

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  Episode #156

  Recruiting Gen Z Interns for Ukraine with Kendra Patty

  Jul 7, 202648 minS1

  <p >"The Lord used prayer to open my heart to Ukraine." Discover how a heartfelt prayer journey led Kendra Patty to make an impactful difference as a full-time missionary.</p> <p >Kendra, a missionary kid who grew up in Slovenia with Josiah Venture, studied economics and international relations at Wheaton College. She moved to Ukraine after the 2022 invasion prompted a year of daily prayer, which led her to a Josiah Venture internship and then to full-time ministry. Now living in Irpin, Kendra leads the internship program in Ukraine and serves as a youth leader, carrying both grief and joy while...

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