What do you do on Gap Year?

So you’re graduating from high school…what now?

With the way the world, and especially education, has changed recently, making decisions about the next steps of your life are even more complicated than usual. The path you have envisioned for yourself over the past few years—graduating from high school, going to college, and landing your dream job—may no longer be the best path to where God wants you to be.

It’s not too late to take a gap year.

Maybe you’ve considered a gap year before, but are unsure how it would affect the plans you know God has put on your heart. You’re probably wondering:

What is Gap Year?

What would I do on Gap Year?

Is Gap Year worth it?

World Race: Gap Year is a Christian gap year program for high school graduates (ages 18-20). We offer students a unique gap year experience serving others through a Christian mission trip.

But it’s more than just taking a year off of school, AND it’s so much more than a mission trip.

What would I do on World Race: Gap Year?

You’ll experience missions on the World Race: Gap Year.

On the World Race: Gap Year, ministry isn’t just something you do during a set time. It’s about living a lifestyle of missions. Through this gap year program, you’ll be partnered with our strategic ministry partners and learn how to seek the Kingdom of God with your whole life, not just a year. In each country, you will have opportunities to seek out and build relationships with local people. You will learn to share the Gospel in their cultural context and to show the love of Jesus through service and hospitality. These skills will carry over with you back to your home town, preparing you to make anywhere you end up a mission field.

You’ll serve others on the World Race: Gap Year.

On the World Race: Gap Year, you’ll serve others in 3 different countries over the course of 9 months. During that time, you’ll partner with local missionaries who are already serving the needs of their communities. You will get to join what God is doing and bring energy and resources to their ministry of long-term missionaries. You also will be trained on how to share the Gospel in a global context.

You’ll begin to discover God’s plan for your life on the World Race: Gap Year.

On World Race: Gap Year you’ll grow in how to hear God’s voice in everyday life. Whether it’s during ministry, prayer, or just exploring the country you’re in, we believe that God will speak into your life if you’re willing to listen. By listening to God’s voice, we can discover more of the awesome plan He has for our lives. As you travel the world and serve the nations, you’ll discover more of your passions and more clearly see the plan God has for your life.

You’ll find a new depth of community on the World Race: Gap Year.

Part of the college experience is learning how to live away from home and develop a close-knit community. You won’t miss out on that experience on the World Race: Gap Year. In fact, you’ll experience community like you’ve never experienced before on gap year. You’ll learn what it’s like to live life with other believers who are also chasing after God. While you serve others together, you’ll also grow together through prayer, ministry, and just exploring new places. You and your gap year teammates will share an experience you will carry with you for the rest of your lives.

So is Gap Year worth it?

“The World Race Gap Year held some of the most challenging months of my life but also some of the most life giving! Before I went on Gap Year I thought I knew Jesus, but after living as a missionary for 7 months, I quickly realized that there was so much more to learn! Gap Year gave me a safe community to ask hard questions about my faith. Questions that I had been ‘given’ the answers to all my life, but never actually sought out truth for myself! We were able to sit down and read scripture about the Lord’s character and the way he loves but then everyday we’d go out and get to experience it for ourselves!

Not only did we get to see some beautiful places and go on some crazy adventures, we also got to build some long lasting relationships with some really special people overseas. Gap Year taught me that anywhere and everywhere is a ministry opportunity and some of what seemed like the smallest, most mundane moments ended up becoming some of my favorite memories!

I know the Race meant a lot to me because coming home was one of the hardest parts, but I’m thankful that my ‘Race friends’ have become real life friends, and that the ‘Race’ didn’t have to end when I got home, but instead I get to continue living for the Kingdom for the rest of my life!”

Morgan McCrary, World Race Gap Year 2019

Still unsure if God is calling you to take a gap year? Check out this resource to help you understand what God is saying.