WORLD RACE: GAP YEAR
How World Race: Gap Year Prepares Your Son or Daughter
We’ve all heard the bad news. How expensive college is. How many people go into debt, bouncing around trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do, only to choose a degree they don’t use. How many young Christians are losing their faith after they leave the home.
This doesn’t have to be your child’s story.
World Race: Gap Year exists to prepare your child to own their faith, find authentic Christlike community, and thrive in their next steps.
WHAT IS THE WORLD RACE?
The World Race is an incredible opportunity for people seeking to accelerate their spiritual growth, experience community, and pursue greater intimacy with God. We understand that you, as parents, have a lot of questions and concerns. This video is for you. We want to introduce you to the World Race, share our risk management measures, and how you can be involved throughout the whole journey with our established parent ministry.
DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
CHRIST-CENTERED COMMUNITY
CLARITY ON THEIR CALLING
WATCH THE PARENT WEBCAST
On this webcast, we talk about why we are passionate about the transformation that we see when these young men and women go around the world to share Christ’s love.
What will my Racer experience on
the World Race: Gap Year?
They will start their journey at our headquarters in Gainesville, GA being trained to be effective cross-cultural missionaries and generally awesome human beings. Then they will get out into the world and walk it out. Their journey will include:
ADVENTURE
LEADERSHIP
GROW WITH GOD
LOVE OTHERS
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
LIVE ON MISSION
The World Race is a journey for
parents too.
They will start their journey at our headquarters in Gainesville, GA being trained to be effective cross-cultural missionaries and generally awesome human beings. Then they will get out into the world and walk it out. Their journey will include:
PARENT CONNECT
PARENT LAUNCH
PARENT CHAT GROUP
A few months before the World Race, you will be invited to a private ChatMe group with other parents where you can receive information, ask questions and discuss your journey with other parents.
PARENT VISION TRIP
WORLD RACE OPEN HOUSE
An Open House is the chance for you and your family to join us at the World Race Headquarters in Gainesville, GA. You will hear from our leadership, meet the staff and alumni, and learn all about the World Race, World Race: Gap Year, World Race: Semesters, and Global U.
Ellie Miller
On the Race I learned what it looked like to have consistent character through refinement by the holy spirit and the community around me. I was pushed to greater dependence on the father through living out ministry as a lifestyle, not simply a mission trip. It is a season where acts 2:42 wasn’t merely a scripture to look up to, but was lived out every single day in everything we did. A place of genuine intimacy and connection with the father that will act as a catalyst for the rest of my life and into eternity.
Morgan McCrary
Drew Davidson
Blake Bergstrom
Finally together and there’s nothing but smiles and a lot of tears. We woke up with anticipation knowing that today was finally the day. We took a tuk tuk to the airport where all 60 parents received a handwritten letter from their Racer. We then got on a charter bus and made the journey to the Overflow Guest House where we will be based out of this week.
As we read our letters we were a hot-mess! In our daughter’s Moriah’s letter, she told us who we are in Christ. To hear that from your own baby after being separated for 7 months was crazy emotional. When we finally got out of the bus and saw her standing there in the red dirt and sweating we could barely breath. She ran to us and we couldn’t speak. Only Laughter. Tears. For a long time!!
We then ate lunch and spent the day with her team. We chose to stay back and swim in the pool for free time and just splashed, held each other, talked and cried more. We then ate dinner, went to orientation and heard more stories of the crazy adventures she has experienced through the World Race this year. There was sooo much to say.
Then, my sweet baby girl lead worship for all of us (40 Racers and 60 parents). To hear her sweet voice, that has filled our house with the sound of heaven since she was a little girl, lead us into the presence of God, was surreal. We sang from the top of our lungs on that open aired roof top and filled the city with unfettered praise and worship.
We wept as we watched our kids run to Jesus and take us there with them. After a time of singing they asked every child to pray over all the parents! What!?! Huhhuh. We pray over them…not the other way around! I couldn’t. Her words were so tender and tears dropped off her nose as we sat in a circle just the three of us. She prayed with such passion and great authority over her mama and her daddy. It was truly one of the best memories of my life. More tears. More hugs.
Then. We got in a water fight! And I dropped in my bed with a full heart overwhelmed by the love of God and grateful to have made the journey across the world to love and be loved by
HOW THE WORLD RACE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Watch Kristina (Founder and President of H.Y.P.E.) and Daniel (President of Jobrise) share how the World Race changed their lives and helped them discover the callings God has for them.
The World Race teaches you how to seek first the kingdom of God. Not just on on the World Race, but for the rest of their lives.
FAQ’s
We’ve been around since 1989, starting with planning and mobilizing youth group mission trips and growing to include programs such as the World Race, family trips, adult trips, disaster response trips, overseas bases, on-campus discipleship programs and more. In that time, we’ve sent over 130,000 people to the field. Our 2019 Annual Report has a 30 year anniversary video, a great timeline and an overview that you may find helpful.
We are a non-denominational ministry with a basic evangelical Statement of Faith. You can read our Statement of Faith, as well as our Ministry Distinctives here.
We are a 501(c)(3) organization in good standing with the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability).
As with any international travel, there are risks. Sending thousands of missionaries to approximately 40 countries annually, Adventures in Missions places a high value on participant safety and the stewardship of our participants.
We have implemented a multi-pronged approach to risk mitigation that includes consulting our local contacts on the ground, reviewing data from multiple risk alert sources and government agencies, aggregating data from our organization’s experience, training and equipping our participants in industry best practices, enforcing a high frequency of communication, and managing a robust incident reporting system so we can provide assistance in the event of an injury, illness, or safety related incident. The majority of our focus is on being proactive, but we are readily available and equipped to provide assistance when a situation arises.
Every situation that arises on the field is unique and is handled with care. Adventures in Missions has developed a Crisis Action Plan with the involvement of global insurance specialists and risk mitigation experts. This plan defines the various levels of severity and how we respond.
The specifics regarding the data that we collect is used internally to continuously improve our processes, procedures, and communication, as well as make well informed decisions regarding where we send our missionaries, and how we train.
We monitor global risk and the political climate on a daily basis. We have only very rarely had to implement evacuation plans, but they are specifically tailored to each unique situation. In most cases, we’re able to make a route adjustment (if we deem it necessary) far in advance of needing to worry about the possibility of an evacuation. Participants are registered through the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), so the U.S. Embassies are aware of our team’s general whereabouts when in-country.
Hospitalization is actually quite common when you understand that in many developing nations they do not have walk-in clinics or quick care facilities. If a person gets sick, they go to the hospital. We train, extensively, on ways that a participant can mitigate personal risk as it relates to food and insect borne illnesses (most are preventable through proper hygiene, avoidance, or medication). Resources are also made readily available through our participant dashboard that are specific to each country. In addition, we provide our participants with a database of recommended international medical providers, and we’re always helping them navigate each situation.
One: A reminder – While we do believe in being faithful to the “work” of fundraising, we have also seen God show up in unexpected ways – often building the faith of both the Racer and their parents. These “God stories” can be just the beginning of what He does throughout the Race.
Two: The process – We are committed to supporting Racers in the fundraising process. For Gap Year, there will be several fundraising deadlines, both pre-launch and post-launch, to help them stay on track. Their Admissions Advisors have fundraised both for their own Race and for their role on staff at Adventures in Missions and they know how to be helpful and encouraging. Fundraising roadmaps, practical tools, ideas and other resources are all available to the Racers. Parent Ministry, a few months before launch, holds a FB Live for parents in order to share ideas and answer questions.
We do not believe that parents should be the primary driving force behind the fundraising efforts. This is one of the places we ask the Racer to take ownership of the process and we hold them accountable for meeting the deadlines. Parents who love helping are certainly welcome to help, but no parent should feel backed in the corner and “forced” to come up with the remaining funds.
If Racers don’t follow through and do it, and either can’t launch or have to come home early, it will likely be painful for you as their parent. But letting them “fail” in this – and learn from this – could ultimately benefit them more than the trip itself.
Three: Fundraising policies and legalities – There are legal constraints, IRS regulations and ECFA guidelines, that we must comply with as a non-profit. Therefore donations are non-refundable and non-transferable (in that we cannot transfer them to another person’s fundraising account). In legalese, all of our participants are “deputized fundraisers” for Adventures in Missions since tax-deductible donations must be made to an organization or program rather than to an individual. Adventures in Missions must maintain full control and discretion over the funds.
For someone who realizes, before they launch, that they are going to fall short, they have the option to defer to a future trip or switch to a shorter trip and have the funds they have raised be applied to that trip instead. There are certain time and program limits, but our Donor Relations department can help with any specific questions. For someone who does not make a fundraising deadline goal after they launch, World Race works with them on an individualized fundraising action plan. Our goal is to do everything we can to help Racers stay on the field.
You can find a fuller version of our financial policies here.
Visit our Donation FAQ page here.
For a short video interview with the head of Donor Relations, click here.
To some degree, communication with your Racer will be influenced by the availability of wifi at their field location. But there’s a bigger picture.
We encourage Racers to invite their families into their Race experience. Specifically, we encourage them to invite their families to Parent Launch and to invite their parents to attend the Parent Vision Trip. And we expect them to be telling their stories so that those at home get glimpses of what God is doing on the field.
However, we also believe there is a critical “letting go” that needs to happen. Whether they are on the World Race: Gap Year or at college, this is a season where they need to more fully step into young adulthood – with it’s increased responsibilities and accountability. Your role as parents, while still very important, begins to look different. It’s important to let them “own” their own Race. “Owning” their Race means there is some information we won’t communicate to you – we’ll ask you to talk to them about it. This includes things such as travel plans, details about ministry hosts and specific locations, etc. We will never ask Racers to hide information from you and we encourage them to keep you updated if they are sick (or in other similar circumstances). With delayed internet access it may mean waiting longer than you like for non-emergency information. For more about what we believe about letting go, click here.
A number of years ago we established a Parent Ministry department in order to improve our communication with parents. Parent Ministry’s purpose is to serve you well, answer questions and provide information. If you have a concern or a question, contact Parent Ministry and they will listen, provide answers or find out the answer for you.
The Parent Resource Site, specifically the downloadable Parent Guide, has much more extensive information about what parents can expect from Adventures in Missions, what they can expect in terms of communication with their Racers, and what they can expect for themselves in terms of their own journey.
The short answers are: “Yes – for many students, a gap year is a great choice” and “No – it won’t put them behind”.
On the Parent Resource Site, under Reviews and Other Resources, you’ll find a list of articles talking about the benefit of a Gap Year. Across the college landscape – including Christian colleges and Ivy League schools – colleges and universities are realizing the benefit of a Gap Year. It is often the maturing and clarifying experience a young person needs to enter college more focused and with a greater sense of purpose. That translates into finishing degrees more quickly (and the corresponding savings on tuition, room and board) as well as providing more direct experience in developing perseverance, resilience and problem solving ability.
Gary Morris has a 30 year career in Career Services, at both private and public colleges. He says this.
“Working with employers every day – and supporting the enrollment management mission of a variety of colleges – has provided me unique insight into how to convert lived experiences into a tangible portfolio that is sought after by employers and colleges. A solid gap year program can be one of the best things your son or daughter can do. It is not a matter of whether it will cause them to miss out on something – or put them “behind” – if they don’t follow their friends immediately to college or the work force. It is really an experience that grows them and grounds them in ways that provide a distinct advantage as they then move to their next step.
Admissions and employers want to see a core set of career-readiness competencies including critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, work ethic, perseverance, intercultural fluency, digital technology and much more. Having tangible – and even unique – experiences to point to, that build those characteristics, can provide an advantage to students and job applicants.”
For families of faith, the statistics of young people walking away from their faith in the college years are staggering. A large majority of entering freshmen, who identify themselves as believers, will leave with their degree at the end of their college years and will no longer identify in the same way. A faith based Gap Year provides the opportunity to make their faith their own in much deeper ways, to wrestle through the hard questions that arise when they see poverty or sex trafficking or overwhelming injustice – and do it in the midst of a team committed to Jesus. In the process, they grow significantly closer to, and stronger in, the Lord in ways that are just not possible when they stay in their comfort zones. In addition, they can learn the life-giving value of authentic Christian community. All of these things change how they approach their college years.
Go deeper with God than you ever imagined possible.
Start your journey. Apply now for the World Race.
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