Church’s Gap Year Programme

Does your church offer gap years for school leavers? Has your church ever dreamed about hosting a gap year but just didn’t have the tools to make it happen?

Develop resilient young Christians ready to face a hostile world with vigour and success. Much like David, Esther, Daniel and his friends, who at age 13 had to face world leaders alone and stand their ground.

Plus, open doors to accredited theology programmes for your youth.

As part of our BIG Change initiative, ATS is offering churches an curriculum that can be used to build and structure a gap-year programme in your church.

What is a Gap Year?

A gap year is a period of time - usually about a year (though it can be shorter or longer) - when a young person takes a break after finishing school. It’s a time to focus on personal growth, gaining new experiences, and socialising. During this time, young people get exposed to life-enriching activities and lessons that help prepare them for adult life and important choices.

We suggest two main parts for a gap year:

First part: Exposure to a variety of experiences, such as volunteering work in and around your church and community.
Second part: A curriculum that focuses on developing independent and mature Christian adults. This includes spiritual growth topics like prayer, how to study the Bible and live by the Spirit, Bible knowledge from both the Old and New Testaments, what we believe as Christians, why we believe it, how it differs from the world’s ideologies, the basics of Christian marriage, and how to be a Christian entrepreneur.

The first part is the church’s responsibility. You know your own church and community best to create a volunteering and experience programme.

Ideas for the Church’s Volunteering and Experience Programme

Practical ideas to help your church implement the first part of the gap-year programme. This focuses on creating exposure to a variety of experiences, such as volunteering work in and around your church and community and adventures. The goal is to offer young people meaningful, hands-on opportunities that build skills, character, life experiences and a sense of purpose, while aligning with Christian values like service, compassion, and calling.

1. Church-based Volunteering Opportunities

These keep activities close to home and integrate participants into the church community.

Assist with church events and ministries: Have gap-year participants help plan and run events like youth nights, holiday outreaches (e.g., Christmas food drives), or worship services.
Support church operations: Assign tasks like maintaining the church grounds (gardening or cleaning), helping in the nursery or children’s ministry, or assisting with administrative work (e.g., updating the church newsletter or social media).
Music or creative roles: If your church has a worship band or choir, let participants learn instruments, lead songs, or create graphics for sermons. This builds creativity and teamwork.

Note: Create a rotation schedule so participants try different roles over 3-6 months. Pair them with mentors for guidance and debrief sessions to reflect on lessons learned (e.g., “How did this experience show God’s love? What have you learned and/or find surprising about this activity?”).

2. Community Service and Outreach

Extend experiences beyond the church to build empathy and real-world skills.

Partner with local non-profits: Collaborate with food banks, homeless shelters, or soup kitchens for weekly volunteering.
Elderly or vulnerable care: Volunteer at old-age homes by playing games or helping with daily activities. This teaches compassion and intergenerational respect.
Environmental or neighbourhood projects: Organise community clean-ups, tree-planting days, or recycling drives. Tie it to stewardship of God’s creation.
Health and wellness initiatives: Help at local clinics or community centres by assisting with health fairs, blood drives, or wellness workshops.

Note: Survey your community to identify needs (e.g., talk to local leaders or use tools like community Facebook or WhatsApp groups). Start small with 1-2 days a week, and track impact (e.g., hours served) to celebrate milestones and build motivation.

3. Skill-building and Professional Experiences

Connect with church members’ expertise to prepare youth for adulthood.

Internships or shadowing: Talk to professionals in the church (e.g., entrepreneurs, teachers, mechanics, plumbing, farming) to set up short internships. Examples: Shadowing a business owner for a week to learn about Christian entrepreneurship or assisting a carpenter on church repairs.
Sports coaching or youth mentoring: Help coach school sports teams, run after-school programs, or mentor younger kids in the community (e.g., tutoring in math or Bible study).
Creative or tech projects: Have participants create a church podcast, design a community app for events listing, or lead art workshops for kids.

Note: Host a “skills discussion” where church members pitch opportunities. Match participants based on their interests and included reflection journals and/or debrief sessions to connect experiences to personal growth.

4. Broader Adventures and Travel (if resources allow)

For a more immersive experience, especially in a year-long program.

Local mission trips: Organise short trips (1-2 weeks) to nearby towns for outreach, like building homes or serving at rural churches.
Cultural exchanges: Partner with other churches for participant swaps, where youth volunteer in a different community to experience diverse perspectives.
Outdoor challenges: Plan hiking retreats or camping trips focused on team-building and spiritual reflection (e.g., Bible studies around a campfire).

Notes: Fundraise through church events (e.g., bake sales) or apply for grants from Christian organisations.

Complementing the Experiences with ATS Curriculum

To complement these experiences, ATS provides a tailored curriculum that develops independent and mature Christian adults.

Learning Curriculum: Marketplace Ministry Certificate

The second part, the curriculum, is a year-long vocational certificate called the Marketplace Ministry Certificate. Learners can do it together in study- or discussion-groups to foster social learning opportunity and to make the gap year more enriching. They can watch more than 50 classes and afterwards have a fruitful group discussion making their learning more enjoyable and valuable.

On days of the online exams, you can bring all the students together and have someone supervise (invigilate) while they write the exam online. This helps ensure they don’t give in to the temptation to use AI or their study materials during the examination.

The curriculum is designed to develop balanced and independent Christian adults who can stand their ground in a very hostile and changing world.

Opening Doors to Further Study

The Marketplace Ministry Certificate is an internal program of Auckland Park Theological Seminary (ATS). It is designed to help students who do not meet the minimum admission requirements for higher education.

On successful completion of this certificate, a student will be granted access to any of the following accredited academic programs offered by Auckland Park Theological Seminary:

General Tips for a Gap Year

Planning and structure: Form a gap-year committee (including youth leaders and parents) to oversee the programme. Set clear goals, timelines (e.g., 20-30 hours/week), and evaluations (e.g., monthly check-ins).
Incorporate spiritual growth: Weave in prayer, devotionals, or group discussions to tie experiences to Christian growth, linking back to the curriculum.
Inclusivity and support: Make opportunities accessible (e.g., flexible for different abilities) and provide pocket money or meals, if possible, to reduce barriers.
Measurement and feedback: Track participation with simple register and gather feedback from participants and volunteers to improve. Share success stories in church newsletters to inspire others.
Resources: Investigate free tools like VolunteerMatch.org for ideas, or Christian networks like Open Doors or World Vision for partnerships. If budget is an issue, start with low-cost, local options.

Church's Gap Year Programme