What are Christian gap year programs?
To learn about Christian gap year programs let’s first look at the definition of a “gap year” from dictionary.com –
Gap Year: A period of time, usually an academic or calendar year, in which a student takes a break from school to travel, work, or volunteer, typically after ending high school and before starting college.
Christian gap year programs are similar, but with an element of growing in faith and/or serving in ministry as well. Young adults take gap years for varying reasons. Some take them because they’re not sure what they want to do with their life yet. Others take them because they want to travel and have cool experiences before settling down to pursue a career. I did a handful of things that could be considered “gap years” before choosing to come to Bible college. I’m grateful for the skills I was able to learn, places I was able to go, and people I was able to meet during those times.
I think one of the biggest aspects to consider as a Christian young adult looking for a gap year is, “How will this help grow me in my faith?” The years right after high school are formative years for deciding what you believe or becoming firmer in it. Spending time working alongside other Christians in ministry or growing in understanding of the Bible could provide the foundation you need for continuing to grow closer to the Lord throughout your life.
Through Ethnos360, we have several opportunities that could be considered Christian gap year programs. They include serving in the USA or overseas, getting a Bible certificate through an online program, or attending Bible college. I’ll unpack each of these options for you.
Christian Gap Year Programs Overseas
Go on a Short-term Mission Trip
We have many options for short-term mission trips. These could be paired with other opportunities to fill a Christian gap year. You can find a full list of trips at ethnos360.org/short-term-trips. The options vary in length from 2-6 weeks. Going overseas helped me grow in my understanding of the world outside of the United States. It also showed me the need for missionaries in unreached people groups. You can read more about why going on a short-term mission trip could be a good idea here.
Missions Internships
You could also consider spending your entire Christian gap year overseas. We have internships in Papua New Guinea in the areas of field support, church planting, and boarding school. If you choose to intern in field support, you would be working alongside full-time missionaries in PNG practically helping support the missionaries who are in tribes. If you choose a church planting internship, you’ll get to spend time with missionaries in a tribe who are either currently learning culture and language, translating the Bible, preaching, or establishing indigenous churches. The third option is to intern at Ramu Valley Academy. Ramu Valley Academy is a place for PNG locals to learn academically and spiritually. The end goal of the academy is to raise local believers to continue in sharing the gospel with other PNG citizens.
Christian Gap Year Programs in the United States
Attend Ethnos360 Bible Institute
While Bible college is technically studying, not a “gap” from studies, I believe it should be considered as a Christian gap year program. Many students attend during the gap between high school and moving on to a traditional college to get a degree in the field they’re interested in. Attending Bible college gives you an opportunity to grow in your beliefs. At Ethnos360 Bible Institute, you’ll go through the Bible chronologically in class and be discipled outside of class. There are also opportunities to serve in ministries in the area. It’s a two-year program, but you can choose to try it out for just the first year. The first-year courses typically cover the Old Testament, the Gospels, Acts, hermeneutics, evangelism, missions, and theology.
Online Bible Education
If you choose to do Ethnos360 Bible Institute online, you have three options. You can get a Certificate in Biblical Studies (1 year), a Diploma in Biblical Studies (2 years), or simply take individual courses that interest you. The Certificate covers key Old and New Testament books, along with several theology and missions courses. The Diploma includes the same courses as our two-year program on campus. Choosing the online option gives you the opportunity to take classes while remaining in your own community or wherever you’d like to be!
Volunteer in the USA
Ethnos360 has several locations in the USA where you can volunteer or intern. Each place has unique roles. All of these options are listed at the link above.
Sanford, Florida – In Florida, you can either intern at the Home Office or the Retirement Homes. Roles that need to be filled include maintenance, graphic design, social media, writing, administration, food preparation, and housework – just to name a few. These internships can last from 10 weeks over the summer to a full school year. If you’re interested, email short-term@ntm.org.
Camdenton, Missouri – Missouri is where our Ethnos Training Center is. This is the final phase of training before missionaries leave for the field. The training center needs volunteers in the areas of childcare, mobilization, BGM (building, grounds, and maintenance), Missionary Kid care, and Offgrid tech. Volunteers are provided with housing. If you’re interested, send an email to etc-volcoord@ntm.org.
Mcneal, Arizona – Arizona is where our Aviation center is located. There they can use volunteers in the areas of facility maintenance and hospitality. For this opportunity some skill sets may be required. If you’re interested, please email personnel-aviation@ntm.org .
Interested in a Christian Gap Year through Ethnos360?
As you see, we have many opportunities for Christian gap years. You could even combine different options to create the perfect year of growth and experiences for you. For example, you could do a summer internship in Papua New Guinea then attend Bible college in person or online. Or you could spend several weeks interning in Florida then head out West to volunteer at Ethnos Aviation. There’s an endless amount of combinations!
