Transformative Learning

Cross-Cultural Study Term

Every Winter Term, we give students the opportunity to expand their horizons by studying with Christians outside the United States, and exploring the host nation’s history and culture. For second-year students, the extra cost of the study term is covered by an institutional grant.

Venture

A three week leadership and spiritual formation program that takes place in the Canadian wilderness. Participants learn how to canoe, portage and navigate using a compass while also learning various leadership skills and spiritual habits.

Bridge Internships

Bridge is an internship program to give second or third-year students an opportunity to develop vocational skills while serving in ministries and other occupational roles in our local community.

Short Term Ministry Credit

If you’ve been part of a short-term ministry program, you might be eligible to turn those experiences into college credit at Rosedale.

Cross Cultural Study Term Details

Because RBC is committed to helping our students engage the world they live in through study, service and travel, we offer generous grants to second-year students to encourage them to take part in our cross-cultural study terms. Please see the academic catalog for the details about the grant.

RBC offers at least one cross-cultural experience per year, generally during winter term. Locations in the current rotation are listed below, along with the most recent academic year in which they were offered.

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Ethiopia

Students spent six weeks in residence in Central Ethiopia, exploring the historical and cultural heritage of the region and interacting with the Ethiopian Mennonite Church. They were based in the dorms of the Meserete Kristos College; excursions were planned for most weekends. Courses offered were Introduction to Missions, taught by Richard Showalter, and Introduction to Islam, taught by Matt Showalter.

Richard Showalter serves as a global church liaison and adjunct instructor in missions for RBC and a consultant for RMM. He has long-standing relationships

with Ethiopian Mennonites and in recent years serves with two African groups in mission training in Ethiopia, where he and his wife Jewel are honorary members of the Meserete Kristos Church. Jewel grew up in Ethiopia as a daughter of missionary parents. Richard’s vocation is Christian witness to the world’s least-reached people, and his avocation is learning everything he can about the footprints of God in human history. (Ethiopia has lots of them.)

Matt Showalter grew up in Turkey and attended Turkish public schools into the 5th grade. As an adult, he has served with his family in church planting in a Muslim context, pastoral ministry, Bible teaching, and discipleship. Currently, Matt, his wife Colleen, and their five kids live on the Rosedale Bible College campus where he serves as the dean of students. He had never been to Ethiopia but enjoyed connecting with a church there that he had heard about his entire life from his mother and grandparents.

European Study Tour

This study term combines two courses: Introduction to Humanities and Mennonites, Anabaptists and the Radical Reformation (MARR). Students combine time in class on campus with several weeks in Europe, where they visit the places and see the art they’ve read about.

Spain

Students spend six weeks in residence in Southern Spain studying conversational Spanish, exploring the historical and cultural heritage of the region and reflecting on the forces shaping post-Christian Europe. They live with families and work with a Spanish church.

Cross-Cultural Grant for Second-Year Students

Students who are enrolled full-time for a year of resident study after earning at least 18 credits the prior school year may be eligible for the Cross-Cultural Grant. The grant is for up to $2,000 (up to $1,000 for non-dorming students) and may be applied toward the cost of any of the cross-cultural study programs offered for credit by RBC during the winter term. Eligibility is dependent on maintaining satisfactory academic progress. Funds from the grant may be credited to the student’s account during the spring semester following the experience.

For questions about eligibility, contact the financial aid office.

Venture Program Details

This program is operated through a partnership with Kowakan Adventures in Ely, Minnesota. It is scheduled for the two weeks prior to the fall semester. The two weeks consist of a canoe expedition in the beautiful boundary waters of northern Minnesota. Teaching and activities are built into the trip to emphasize spiritual and character development themes. Due to boundary water policies, only 8 students are able to go on this trip.

(One credit hour)
August 28 – September 11, 2022 [FULL]
COST: $985.00

For more information, or to ask questions, email admissions@rosedale.edu.

Bridge Internship Program Details

Bridge is an internship program that pairs study and reflection with ministry experience and vocational exploration. Bridge interns can choose to focus on one of the following two tracks.

Ministry Experience: Bridge is designed to equip young adults for ministry in both local and global contexts. Ministry interns can serve in local churches leading worship, leading youth, or working as pastoral interns; they can also serve in ministries outside the church working with children or international students.

Vocational Exploration: Bridge is also designed to permit young adults to experience and explore a vocation before they go on for further study in that field. Vocational internships are available in social work, occupational therapy, teaching and tutoring, graphic design, communication, and more.

Bridge interns take core courses at RBC while serving their internships. Internships are available with International Friendships on the campus of OSU, with the Salvation Army’s anti-human trafficking division, at Agora’s inner-city ministry to youth and children, in local churches, and with other agencies. Check out our Internship Opportunities below to see a more complete list.

Our interns gather for a weekly discipleship group to learn leadership skills, share internship experiences, and grow in the practice of various spiritual disciplines.

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Internship Opportunities

International Friendships (IFI) on the campus of Ohio State University: Bridge interns build friendships with a wide variety of international students. This is excellent preparation for ministry “across the street or around the world”; interns learn to listen to and share friendship and faith with others from vastly different world views.
Agora Ministries, an inner city Mennonite church in Columbus: Bridge interns assist with tutoring and recreation programs for vulnerable inner-city children and youth.
Salvation Army, in Columbus: Bridge interns join social service departments that are combating human trafficking, addressing poverty, homelessness, and addictions. Interns have the opportunity to work in prevention, rescue, and restoration efforts.
Horizon Prison Initiative, in London: Bridge interns (men only) serve on Tuesday evenings as “outside brothers” to incarcerated men from all walks of life. Interns will also go into the prisons several times per week to shadow the Horizon staff as they administrate the multi-faith dorm. Interns will meet, encourage, and interact with inmates.
Rosedale Bible College: Internships on the RBC campus can include a range of different interests such as: graphic design, recruiting, maintenance, receptionist, etc.
Rosedale Mennonite Missions: Internships at the Rosedale International Center include an array of different fields such as hospitality, maintenance, graphic design, writing, communications, etc.
Daily Needs Assistance of Plain City: Bridge interns can get involved with a kids and youth mentoring program through the Jonathan Alder school system. They will also have opportunity to get to know and counsel children in at risk homes.
J. Jireh Ministries in Columbus: Interns will work with Norman Brown in ministry to at risk kids, veterans, and ex-cons. Norman is also a community developer and church planter.
Shekinah Christian School in Plain City: Interns can work in classrooms with students or in the office with the administration, tutoring and mentoring students both during school hours and after school. This internship is excellent for those wishing to pursue education in a Christian school environment.
Pregnancy Decision Health Center in Columbus: PDHC is a faith-based, non-profit pregnancy help center. Interns (women only) will help run general operations at the centers, greet clients and offer client forms at the front desk, answer the phone, shadow client consultations, sort material aid donations, and a help with a variety of other tasks.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Columbus: FCA is a Christ centered youth focused ministry. Interns with FCA will work in high schools, rural or urban, to establish student-led Bible clubs, adopt a sports team and become their chaplain, and mentor young leaders to be a Christian witness to their peers.
Occupational Therapy in Columbus: Interns will shadow and learn from licensed occupational therapists while they volunteer and work in the school.
Internships are available with local congregations in a variety of ministry related positions such as pastoral ministry, youth ministry, and worship leading.

Don’t limit yourself to this list. Let us know your interests and we can work to connect you to an organization!

Bridge Leadership

Matthew Showalter, RBC’s Dean of Students, overseas the Bridge program.

Matt participates in the weekly discipleship meetings of the Bridge cohort.

Support a Bridge Intern

You can donate online.

Apply for Bridge

New students applying to Bridge will need to provide the following documents to the RBC admissions office:

A completed Online Application.
A High School Transcript. Transcripts should be requested from the academic records office of the school and sent directly to the admissions office at RBC.
A College Transcript (if applicable). Transcripts should be requested from the academic records office of the college and sent directly to the admissions office at RBC.

Application materials should be sent to:

Admissions Office
Rosedale Bible College
2270 Rosedale Rd
Irwin, OH 43029-9517

Returning RBC students (those who have attended RBC within two years of the Bridge application year) who want to apply for Bridge need to complete the Bridge application for returning RBC students.

Credit for Short-Term Ministry

The following policies guide the granting of academic credit for approved programs of at least six months duration which combine discipleship or missions training in a classroom setting and supervised outreach experiences. The REACH and YES programs operated by Mennonite missions agencies are prime examples. The academic dean maintains a list of programs approved by the academic committee for inclusion in this policy.

Students who have completed their program may request academic credit for their experience from the registrar’s office at RBC. The request for credit must be made within three years after the completion of the program.
Students requesting credit should present written verification from the agency office specifying the dates of participation and the location of the field experience.
Credit for participation is graded on a pass/non-pass basis. The academic dean assigns this grade based on the written recommendation of the program administrator.
Students may request credit from RBC only after earning at least 18 credit hours either prior to or following participation in the training program. Tuition for program credit is twenty percent of the standard tuition rate, payable at the time the credit is granted.
Up to 9 credit hours may be granted for the following courses:
VSF 101 Spiritual Formation (3 hours)
VSF 231 Supervised Formation in Ministry (3 hours)
VMI 111 Introduction to Evangelism (3 hours)

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