Rose Wortman

Rose’s mission is to inspire and equip the next generation to thrive in their God-given purposes. Her vision is to see every high school student in Philadelphia transformed by Jesus Christ, connected to a local church, and empowered to live a lifelong relationship with Him. This vision is translated through four strategic pillars:  

• The first pillar is sport. Rose’s ministry uses sports as a tool to serve the city, foster relationships with students, and develop their character. She currently partners with sports teams in the Philadelphia School District. Her long-term goal is to establish recreational sports programs for high school students, offering off-season training opportunities.
• The second pillar of her ministry is mentorship. The mentorship program builds partnerships with local churches, training active church members to serve as mentors. High school students, engaged through sports and living near partner churches, are paired with these trained mentors. Mentors receive ongoing support, training, and accountability as they guide their mentees through the Bible weekly over a year-long program.
• The third pillar of her ministry is local churches. Rose aims to connect every student in her mentorship program with a local church. By partnering with and training mentors within these churches, she ensures students are integrated into the church community. Mentors are tasked with helping mentees actively participate in the life of their church during the mentorship year.  
• The fourth pillar is resources. Rose desires to collaborate with city-wide organizations to provide students and local churches with essential resources. These include Christian counseling services, financial literacy classes, and other tools designed to help students thrive holistically.

Rose serves in urban Philadelphia, focusing her efforts on at-risk and low-income areas plagued by drugs, gun violence, physical violence, and mental health challenges. She engages with a diverse population of students from Asian, Southeast Asian, Hispanic, African, and Black Muslim backgrounds. These students come from various religious traditions, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, atheism, and Christianity.

Philadelphia is a city hungry for hope. Rose’s ministry seizes the opportunity to serve the least, the last, and the lowly—bringing the healing message of the Gospel to hurting hearts. Beyond spiritual care, there is also a significant need for accessible resources to meet students' physical and emotional needs.  

Rose’s ministry addresses these needs by using sports as a platform to introduce students to the Gospel, equipping them through mentorship, and connecting them to local churches. Additionally, through partnerships across the city, her ministry provides resources that empower students to thrive in every area of life.