Welcome Back! As I mentioned in my previous post (make sure you read the previous post, “What’s Happening with World Race Gap Year” first!) instead of launching right away we will be extending our original two week training camp to three and a half months. I am here to share with you a little bit more about what I will have the opportunity to do in those three months at the headquarters and try to answer any questions you might have. Bear with me, I am sharing everything that I know of thus far, this is a completely new direction for the World Race staff as they have been working hard the last couple months to be creative and flexible in how they adjust gap year due to COVID-19.
What exactly will you be learning in GA? Well there is going to be a variety of things that are all going to challenge and grow my relationship with the Lord! This is the information that has been shared with me about the different topics and areas we will be learning…
Discipleship: Have you ever wondered if there is more to church? Or surface-level friendships? Yeah, us too. In this age of social networking, your generation is known as the loneliest on the planet. We want to change that! We’re here to teach you about the selfless, authentic love Jesus always talked about. That’ll probably happen somewhere between late-night pillow talks, discussions about life, Jesus, and the Bible while sweating in the Georgia sun, and enjoying a few dance parties along the way. You will never think of church or community the same.
Intimacy with God: Whether you’ve grown up in the church all your life or just came to Jesus last month, we all want to grow closer to God. The more deeply we know God for ourselves the more deeply we can know his heart for the world and live that out every single day in your own life for the Kingdom. During your semester on campus we’ll dive deep into what it looks like to connect with God and grow deeper in relationship with Him.
Missional Training: Bringing you to our headquarters for three months means you’ll get hands-on training about what missions is really like and tons of opportunities to flesh that out, starting right here in our own country! Think evangelism, community development and outreach. There’s a big beautiful world out there! We want you to learn how to engage people from different cultures and backgrounds with the love of Jesus and the truth of the Gospel. We are passionate about living and loving like Christ in every aspect of life. So whether you’re hanging in a village in Guatemala or moving into a college dorm in the US, the perspective you’ll gain will help you do just that!
Building an authentic Christian community: The Christian life was not meant to be lived alone. The church was designed to live out the love of God in a way that revolutionizes our lives and the world. However, many of us rarely experience a community like this with everyone using their gifts to encourage and challenge one another to be like Jesus. We want to be different. Through experiences, and daily life together we’ll build incredible community here AND learn how to create it wherever you go!
Biblical Foundations: As believers, we all know that we are supposed to have our foundation on the Word of God. But how many of us fully live out what the Bible says? In a world trying to pull us in every direction, we know Christ is the Word made flesh, the only real truth. To know God, we must know his Word. We will engage scripture in a way that forever transforms our relationship with God so we can live out that transformation based in Truth wherever we are.
Preparation for the future: We’re sure you’ve already gotten the question, “What’s next?” Whether you see the future as scary, exciting, or haven’t even given it a thought, the next couple of years will play a huge role in shaping the direction of your life! No pressure or anything… We want to set you up for success so next time grandma asks, you know where you’re headed. Using incredible resources and individualized coaching, we’ll help you understand your gifts and passions as you navigate the calling God has placed on your life. And regardless of your calling, you’re going to need to understand how that little ole thing called money works into those dreams. We want to help you use it as a tool to accomplish the things God has called you to rather than a master that enslaves you for life. We will help you understand how to do money in the way of the Kingdom that brings freedom to live out your calling in Christ.
Leadership Development: Learn from our top-notch leaders how to lead yourself and others the way Jesus led. We’ve got business leaders, teachers and experts in-house and from around the country who are preparing to help you understand what it means to lead yourself and your generation. It’s time to step out of the classroom you’ve been sitting in for 13 years. Learn from experience as you become the leader you’ve always wanted to be. Whether you’re the pastor of a church, a teacher in a classroom, a parent in your home or a student in college, you are a leader! Through guidance from experienced leaders and hands-on practice, we’ll equip you to lead yourself and others purposefully through tools and strategies so you can influence and impact the world!
Worship: You might be thinking of a worship band or gospel choir but there’s so much more! God inhabits the praises of his people. Therefore, we want to live as constant worshipers! Together we’ll cultivate a culture of worship and an atmosphere that consistently directs our hearts to God. We’ll become people of worship through a variety of different forms and expressions that allow us to live out our calling as worshipers.
Story Telling: If not for Paul and others sharing testimonies of God’s goodness and engaging people with stories of their journeys, we would not have the New Testament! They’re the original Influencers. As we follow suit, we’ll learn to become influencers for the gospel on a variety of different platforms sharing stories of God’s character and work in the world in a way that inspires the nations to seek him. Your voice is powerful! Learn how to use it this year.
Here is also a video the staff shared with us Gap Year students if you would be interested in hearing a bit more about what this will look like! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ACTXhOJ70Y&feature=youtu.be
Will You Still Be Gone for 9 consecutive months?No! Because we will still be state side for the holidays, we have the amazing opportunity to return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
What are the dates for launching to GA and then overseas?The exact dates are not set in stone yet however we know the approximate times of launch etc.The first weekend of September I will be launching for the Gainesville portion of the gap year program. Then after returning from our Christmas break, we will launch in January to our overseas locations! In simpler terms; September – December: Gainesville, GA and January – May: Serving overseas in three different countries.
Are you still going to Romania, South Asia and Costa Rica? As mentioned in my last post it is not likely that I will be able to go to these countries or at least all three. Because of travel restrictions we are not sure of what countries we will be able to travel to in January. My route will look different from its original course. However some of the countries I could possibly, have the opportunity to, serve in are…
Guatemala (Central America)
Costa Rica (Central America)
Nicaragua (Central America)
Ecuador (South America)
eSwatini (Africa)
Cambodia (Asia)
Thailand (Asia)
In the unfortunate event we are not able to launch overseas in January we will have alternative domestic opportunities to serve in where we will be able to bring the Kingdom of God to our own country!
