November 9, 2026
By Madison Maxwell BA 18
Growing up as a pastor’s son, Josiah Bogue knew firsthand what ministry required, but he never thought it was for him.
A gifted musician, Bogue was singularly focused on his band and his music. But after giving his life to Jesus at Momentum Youth Conference, Bogue remembers sensing God challenge him to “put all his cards on the table.” That included his career.
He prayed for God to close doors that were not His will, and one opportunity after the next disappeared.
Then a pastor at his church invited him to intern in the worship department.
That decision eventually led him to Grace College’s Akron program, where he became one of the first students to graduate from the satellite program in 2020 with a degree in biblical studies.
The small cohort gave him something he valued deeply: professors who were not merely teaching ministry theory but actively serving as pastors. Their practical experience, combined with his internship, prepared him for the realities of full-time ministry.
While in the program, he began serving in Collective, Grace Akron’s small, upstart young adult ministry. After he graduated, Bogue became the leader of this group, which challenges the notion that young adults are uninterested in Jesus. Collective has become a growing ministry centered on one simple idea: every follower of Jesus has a “Jesus Space” where they can bring the Gospel, whether that’s a classroom, workplace, or friend group.
Rather than building a ministry designed primarily to keep Christian young adults engaged, Bogue challenges them to leverage the spaces they already occupy for Christ. The result is a ministry where young adults are not merely attending a service; they are reaching their friends, discipling others, and helping people encounter Jesus.
Collective now gathers hundreds of young adults each week across two gatherings, while the “Jesus Spaces” model extends the ministry far beyond the church building. Bogue estimates that more than 1,000 young adults hear the Gospel through the ministry each week.
If you talk to Bogue for just a few minutes, you will soon discover his heart is for the lost. He prays that every young adult within a 5-mile radius of the church would know and receive the life-changing love of Christ.
Learn more about Grace’s on-site ministry training programs.
