A Parent’s Dream

As a parent, you’re deeply invested in your child’s future after school. You want to see them grow into confident, resilient young adults, capable of standing firm in their faith, holding onto their traditional values and navigating the pressures of life beyond the safety of home. The uncertainties of the world or university life, with its conflicting ideologies and cultural peer pressure, can feel overwhelming. You hope and pray that your child has the maturity, character, and faith foundation they’ll need to make careful decisions, find their purpose, and stand strong in today’s increasingly liberal secular world.

The Challenge of Two Co-existing Kingdoms

You’re concerned that your child might not yet have the confidence, resilience, or clear direction to face the challenges ahead, especially if facing the soul-destroying influence of secular universities. The unhealthy college culture and lifestyle, and the assault they face against their values and worldview, cause too many students to fall away from their beliefs in the first year – a sad trend globally.

You want them to not only embrace their own faith in God but to live it out independently. There’s worry that traditional education has left gaps – vocationally, emotionally, and spiritually – that could make them vulnerable to secular societal pressures, unhealthy lifestyle habits, and the immense influence of their peer, not to mention the world of social media. You may also worry about their career choices, knowing they’ve had little experience exploring different vocations and haven’t had the chance to develop skills or discover talents that align with their true purpose.

The sheer weight of this decision is deeply personal, and the concern is real – we live in an unjust world. There is a way to protect your child from this world that continually wants to lead them astray and conform them to itself – a small window of time (a gap) to prepare them spiritually and practically for what lies ahead, not just with knowledge, but impartation of experience in a fun culture of family values. 

happy face - For Parents

Your Pathfinder Mentor

At Pathfinder-Impact, we understand your concerns, because we’re parents ourselves. Our leaders have teenage kids, and grandkids, and share this same concern – the reality shock of how quickly culture is self-destructing, and the war against family values. We have helped many families like yours through our extensive ministry experience, discipleship, programs, counselling, and team building. Our team is experienced in authentic discipleship, passionate about mentorship and leadership coaching, and focused on developing critical skills for life and faith. We offer a unique, wholistic, fun, and adventure-filled program – centered on Christian lifestyle with team-building and personal growth. We host all of this on a coastal resort surrounded by Christian community and missions, a safe environment for transformation. Our passion is helping young adults like your child discover who they are in Christ, their purpose, build their character, and learn how to lead in the real world with confidence.

Romans 8:37 is the outcome we believe God wanting us to guide your child in: Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. What does this look like for your child?

Help Your Child Find Their Path – A Call to Impact

Don’t let uncertainty drive your child’s future.

  1. Enroll them in the Pathfinder-Impact Gap Year Program today or schedule a conversation with our team to learn more about how we can help your child become the leader they are meant to be.
  2. We provide a clear, structured program that includes:
  3. Authentic Discipleship Lifestyle to deepen faith, values and identity.
  4. Key practical vocational and life skills to bridge the gap between education and the real world.
  5. Character and leadership development to foster resilience and purpose.
  6. Adventure experiences designed to build confidence and teamwork. This includes a 12-night bus tour from Cape Town through the Garden Route, experiencing life, faith and the beauty of the area with their friends.
  7. A supportive community grounded in traditional family values, empowering young adults to thrive in their calling and vocation.
  8. Have them home for the holidays where we encourage family time together.
  9. Send them off into the world, university, a career, to start a business, or to the mission field, empowered in their faith and ability to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. Your child will emerge from this program with clarity about their purpose, a stronger faith foundation, and the confidence to lead in life.
decisions - For Parents

The Crooked Path Many Stumble Onto

Without taking action, your child may face a future where they drift aimlessly, unsure of who they are or what they are called to do, often a place that the world fills for them. The result could be years of wasted time, costly mistakes, a life that fails to fulfil their potential, or worse – they fall away from their faith. Instead of being empowered to lead, they may be swayed by societal pressures, missing out on the foundation they need to succeed spiritually and vocationally, and to establish the generational heritage, we are called to walk in.

The Straight Path You Could Call Success

By enrolling in Pathfinder-Impact, your child will gain:

  1. Clarity about their identity and purpose.
  2. A stronger, independent faith as a lifestyle.
  3. The skills and character needed to navigate life’s challenges with confidence.
  4. Leadership abilities that will set them apart as someone who thrives in every area of life, and impact culture for the kingdom.

Through this program, they will be ready to take on the world – not just equipped for the next step in education or a career but prepared to lead with integrity, faith, and purpose.

Interested in Enrolling Your Child?

Schedule a conversation with our team to learn more about how we can help your child become the leader they are called to be.

Give your child the gift of a year that will prepare them for life.
Let us help them become the empowered, strong, faithful and successful adults you dream of them to be.

Concerning Trends For Parents

The phenomenon of young adults, particularly Christians, turning away from their faith during their first year at university has been observed and studied by various researchers. Here are some trends and insights:

  1. Decline in Religious Affiliation:
    • Studies indicate that a significant number of young adults who were raised Christian begin to disaffiliate from their religion during their college years.
    • Data suggests that up to 64% of U.S. 18–29-year-olds who grew up in church withdraw from church involvement as adults.
    • This trend is partly attributed to the transition into a new environment where the influence of family and childhood religious practices diminishes.
  2. Environmental Influence:
    • University life introduces students to a variety of new ideas, people, and lifestyles, which can challenge previously held beliefs.
    • The exposure to secular and diverse perspectives can lead to questioning or abandoning faith, especially when combined with the lack of a supportive religious community or the pressure to fit into a new social setting.
  3. Social Impact on Conservative Students:
    • Conservative students, including Christians, often report feeling marginalized or pressured to conform to more liberal viewpoints prevalent in many universities. This can manifest in several ways:
      • Hostility and Bias: Some research indicates that there’s a perception among conservative students of hostility from both peers and faculty towards conservative ideologies, including religious beliefs.
      • Social Pressure: The predominance of liberal ideologies can lead to a social environment where conservative views, including religious ones, are less tolerated or even ridiculed, potentially leading to self-censorship or changing one’s beliefs to fit in.
      • Lack of Supportive Communities: While many universities have various student groups, conservative Christian students might find fewer well-established or influential groups compared to those advocating for progressive causes. This lack of community can exacerbate feelings of isolation.
  4. Retention of Faith:
    • Despite these trends, not all students abandon their faith. Some studies show that those who engage with religious activities or communities on campus, or who have a strong personal faith foundation before entering college, are more likely to retain their religious beliefs.
  5. Interfaith Engagement:
    • Interestingly, some research points out that while students might interact less with peers of different faiths once in college, those who do engage in interfaith activities often see an increase in understanding and sometimes a strengthening of their own faith identity.
  6. The Role of Education:
    • Higher education, particularly in liberal arts, is sometimes associated with the liberalization of religious beliefs. However, this isn’t universally true for all students.
    • The effect of education on religious belief varies, with some students becoming more liberal in their beliefs, while others might become more entrenched in their conservative beliefs or find their faith challenged but not necessarily diminished.

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.

These challenges include exposure to anti-religious biases, increased social pressures, and the lure of alternative worldviews, which make Christian values seem irrelevant or outdated to young adults newly immersed in a diverse cultural environment.

Some students also experience faith erosion through social and academic pressures to conform to the university culture, particularly in humanities and social sciences, which are often more liberal-leaning​

Summit Ministries.

Another contributing factor is the lack of supportive Christian communities on campus, which can leave students feeling isolated in their beliefs. As a result, many drift toward peer groups that encourage behaviours or values conflicting with their upbringing. This separation from their faith is often gradual and reinforced by academic and social environments that implicitly or explicitly criticize traditional Christian viewpoints​

Desiring God.

For conservative students, secular universities can also pose social challenges, as students with traditional or Christian values report feeling marginalized. Research from Summit Ministries indicates that anti-Christian biases in academia can alienate conservative students, reinforcing a sense of hostility toward their beliefs.

These influences, combined with a lack of reinforcement from church communities or religious mentorship, often result in many students abandoning their Christian identity by the end of college​

Summit Ministries.

These findings underscore the importance of strong community support and ongoing faith-based engagement for Christian students transitioning to college.

A Year That Equips Young Adults with Strong Character, Confidence, and Clarity in Purpose and Direction to Conquer in Life

Pathfinder-Impact is designed specifically for young adults (18-24) who need an extra year to grow, explore, and develop the skills they need to succeed in life. Our program gives them more than just adventure – it’s a discipleship-based, faith-rooted year of transformation and growth.

Why Parents Choose Pathfinder-Impact:

  1. A Safe, Christian Environment: Your child will be mentored by an experienced and trusted team who will walk this journey with your child.
  2. Building Character and Faith: We help students deepen their faith, discover their purpose, and build a solid foundation of leadership and resilience.
  3. Adventure Meets Personal Growth: Imagine your child not only having fun and traveling but coming back with newfound confidence and direction.
  4. Real-World Skills: From leadership to life and vocational skills, we prepare your child to take on the challenges of adulthood with clarity and purpose.
  5. A Unique Location: Situated at a stunning coastal resort in the prestigious Garden Route, South Africa, Pathfinder-Impact combines adventure with discipleship like no other program.

The Issues We Help Address:

  1. Faith: Will your child hold onto their faith as they leave home? We help them build a personal relationship with God that’s real and independent through encouraging a lifestyle of faith.
  2. Confidence and Resilience: Many young adults feel lost, overwhelmed, or anxious about the future. Our program helps them find clarity, self-confidence, and strength of character.
  3. Life Skills for Success: University may provide education, but it doesn’t always teach the life skills needed to thrive. We teach practical skills for leadership, relationships, and career success.

Program Highlights:

Learn to Lead Well - For Parents

Learn to Lead Well

Fun Adventure & Travel

Meet Awesome People

Find Your Purpose

Build Confidence

Discover Who You Are

Interested in learning more?

Let’s discuss how Pathfinder-Impact can help your child grow and succeed.

Schedule a conversation with our team to learn more about how we can help your child become the leader they are called to be. Give your child the gift of a year that will prepare them for life. Let us help them become the empowered, strong, faithful and successful adults you dream of them to be.