A gap year is a break from formal education, usually taken between high school and university or during university, to grow in life experiences, self-discovery, and to asses vocational options, understand your purpose, grow in faith, learn team-dynamics and generally to prepare you to go and thrive in life, whether that’s university, a career, ministry, the mission field or any of the seven ,mountains of culture. Gap year programs are year-long, post-high school programs designed to prepare young adults for their next stage of life and offer students an opportunity to grow, mature, experience, learn, explore, and travel.
A gap year is a great opportunity to learn vital skills, and strengthen your experience in life around your faith, leadership ability, peer and team skills, and getting clarity of your identity and purpose. Understanding worldviews, entrepreneurship and having fun with friends while camping, hiking and travelling all built around your personal development, is a great way to take a productive break from the heavy demands studying has put on you. Our Pathfinder-Impact Gap Year Program is a great way to transition from school to the world with strong skills, identity, purpose and faith to go and conquer in whichever direction you are led to in life.
No – its up to you. Our curriculum is based on attendance and interaction. We do encourage you in your walk with the Lord, through regular devotionals, and your own paced bible study. The program is practical, interactive and fun. We present material to you through teaching, video series, debate, and interactive discussions, adventure learning, and through fun team building exercises. You get a printed manual and for some exercises you will need to do individual or team preparation, but we are not here to test you. Our goal is to inspire, teach, encourage, and impart knowledge and experience to you, in a fun way.
Most church internship programs focus on ministry and leadership within the domain of the church. While great for growth, discipleship and exposure, many interns sit at the end of the program, not sure of direction and often not having a role or position available within the church. This is a common dilemma for the intern and for the church leadership. Our exposure and training is across several domains, and while we have a Kingdom first understanding, we encourage our students to explore their gifts, calling, vocation and areas of interest through detailed personality profiling and assessments. We encourage entrepreneurship as much as mission, given we are a BAM (Business As Mission) organisation. We train our students in hospitality, entrepreneurship, marketing, project management, negotiation, and many other skillsets, that can benefit them no matter where they go.
Another key difference, is the amount of time we get to invest in the students. This is not always practical in a busy church program, as the congregation and ministry are the core focus. Our core focus is the students and their growth and transformation.
We are missionaries ourselves and work with several missions organisations, NPO’s and churches. We love encouraging people to pursue missions if they are called to it, but not everybody is called to foreign missions. Some of you will be called to business, or to be an entrepreneur, or teacher. We see a lot of young adults going on mission training courses, but not really knowing what they are called to in life. We see our Gap Year Program as a great way to discover who you are, before you go to the mission field, or mission training. If you discover in our detailed personality and vocational skills, gifts and callings assessment, that you are called to missions, we will encourage you to further pursue this. The benefit is that we are a feeder to missions, having dealt with a lot of the character, personal development, identity and purpose issues first. This will give you a big advantage to be able to focus on the mission training, with clarity and confidence, rather than the character and personal growth requirements of missions.
Research shows that Christian students face significant challenges in retaining their faith during their first year at secular universities. According to a study by Barna Group, around 70% of Christian students report disengaging from their faith during college, often due to a lack of grounding and the strong secular influences prevalent in university settings. Read more here
Pathfinder-Impact is born out of a desire to impact 18- to 24-year-olds who are unsure of what to do after completion of their scholastic education. It is a Christian program, based on Biblical principles and values as a lifestyle, and grows or equips students in a holistic way, namely: Mind, Faith, Character, Leadership, Purpose, Identity, Key Life Skills, Community, Relationships, Adventure Travel, Hospitality and Fun.
The Pathfinder-Impact program is purposed to facilitate a personal development gap year program for young adults, built around transformative lifestyle discipleship, vocation and life skills, disciplines, and team adventure experiences, to become the leaders of tomorrow with faith and a Biblical Kingdom worldview.
Pathfinder-Impact program is hosted on a coastal resort in Victoria Bay – George, in the spectacular Garden Route of South Africa. Find out more about our venue here…
We run the program yearly, from around the middle of February to the end of November (10 calendar months). Students may travel home during the vacations, unless involved in our additional holiday programs and outreaches (to Mozambique, Lesotho, Sri Lanka or in South Africa). The program commences on the 14th of February 2025 and concludes on the 30th November 2025. Students may arrive earlier in February, from the 1st onwards, to settle in, and explore the area.
We offer a unique, holistic, fun, and adventure-filled program – centered on Christian lifestyle with team building and personal development, spiritual growth, vocational skills training, outdoor adventure, camps, and our 12 night bus tour from Cape Town to Addo.
Our team is here to encourage, build up and impart skills, wisdom, training and facilitate experiences that will set you up to conquer in life. Unlike school or university, the program is personal, interactive and fun, and we have a commitment to invest as much as possible in you in this time, in all the domains we cover, but with a fun, caring and casual environment.
Some of the program may stretch you mentally, physically and spiritually, but in a positive way for growth and encouragement. Our team is here for you!
Information on the cost of the program can be found here…
We do have a sponsorship/scholarship program available through Malachi Foundation NPC. We also suggest looking at fundraising options as an alternative means to fund or partially fund your gap year.
Yes you can, if their is no clash with expected work hours and the program hours. For the Horizons Tour, you will be away for 12 nights, and the same applies to some of the camps and outings.
Yes, absolutely.
You are responsible for the following items:
– Your own medical and standard insurance.
– Clothing and shoes, including hiking kit, sport/outdoor clothes, swimming gear (costume & towel), bath towel, trail running shoes, hiking boots, hat etc.
– A sleeping bag for camping and your own pillow.
– Personal hygiene products, prescription medication and toiletries, including sun-block, hair dryer and other personal items.. (We can assist in arranging for the collection of any prescription or chronic medication at the nearest pharmacy).
– Visa and travel costs to and from the venue at the beginning and end of each semester. (We can arrange to pick you up or drop you off at the airport or local bus drop-off point, subject to prior arrangement).
– Pocket money and any extra excursion money for optional activities not included in the program (camps, hikes and 12 night bus tour from Cape Town to Addo).
– Bible, notebook and pen.
– Your own washing powder and pegs for your laundry.
– Your own cooldrinks, coffee, tea or hot chocolate for the dorm. A kettle, teaspoons and mugs will be provided. (Coffee and tea will be served with meals in the dining room).
– Your own travel mug and water bottle for the lectures, hiking and travel time.
– Your own mobile phone data and airtime.
– Your own laptop or tablet (optional – not required for the course).
Yes, there is a communal washer and dryer available for your use during allocated times. Our team will teach you how to use them as part of your orientation.
Yes you may, but on condition you agree to our rules and terms in the application process, and commit to our safety policy, both for yourself and other students.
Yes you may, but you are responsible for the item. It is subject to your agreement to our rules and terms in the application process. All private items brought on site are at your own risk. Confirm with us first regarding secure storage space.
Yes, laptops, mobile phones, cameras or tablets are allowed. We do have rules around the use of these especially in the training rooms – as part of our policies. We do encourage you to take lots of photos, post on social media and share your photos with us. Part of the curriculum will teach on online safety, digital detox, and how to balance screen time and real time in a fun way. You are responsible for the safekeeping of all your equipment.
Yes, but you will need to disclose all of your conditions or requirements in the application process. We will confirm with the resort catering team, and in rare cases their may be an extra cost involved.
The core program is in English, but the lecturers and community are fluent in English and Afrikaans.
We are well experienced in safety and security around the world, and believe that we are in a safe country, a really safe city, and an even more safe community. South Africa, like all countries does have major crime, issues, but it is fairly concentrated to big cities and communities, and while we encourage vigilance, and assertiveness, we believe it is a safe place to be. We do however take safety and security seriously, and require students to adhere to our policies, both on site and when travelling or adventuring out in our beautiful environments.
Your Journey Starts Here!
Ready for the best year of your life? Find out how Pathfinder-Impact can be your next step. Schedule a conversation with our team.
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