gap year

Mennonite Mission Network’s Service Adventure program is designed for young adults ages 17-20. Through a 10-month service term (August-July), participants live together in a unit house along with unit leaders, serve with local nonprofit agencies, and connect with a supporting church congregation. 

gap•year /’gap:year/ n  A structured period of time when students take a break from formal education to increase self-awareness, learn from different cultures, volunteer and experiment with possible careers. A gap-year experience can last from two months to two years and is taken any time between high school graduation and the junior year of the next degree. 

For most students, gap-year experiences have an impact on their choice of academic majors and careers — either setting them on a different path than they had planned on before their gap year or confirming their direction.

Gap Year Association, Gap Year Association Alumni Survey, a study of 1,190 gap year alumni in 2019-2020.

​Community

The unit house is located on the west side of town, though not far from downtown. The church, Beth-El Mennonite, is about 8 miles to the north, but Service Adventurers and church folks have regular interaction. Church members lead different learning components each year like hiking up Pikes Peak, rock climbing, and immigration simulations. With its large military population, Colorado Springs has a unique need for a Mennonite/Anabaptist perspective on what it means to follow Jesus, living in peaceful and “upside-down kingdom” ways. Unit members attempt to reflect Jesus’ love in the unit and to those they encounter daily.

Church

Beth-El Mennonite Church is an active congregation of around 180 people. They have “blended” worship services each week that include traditional, contemporary, and/or international music, drama, unique celebrations of the Lord’s Supper, plus lots of time for fellowship. Participants in the past have become involved in music teams, children’s ministries, as greeters and ushers, scripture readers and by sharing “faith stories.” All gifts are welcomed.Theologically, the congregation is a diverse group, and so they work at listening and speaking with care. They hold each other in love, serving a God who is larger than their differences.Iglesia El Centro, a Spanish-speaking congregation that is part of Mountain States Mennonite Conference meets in the church building each Sunday afternoon, and the congregation enjoys the growing relationships they have with this body of believers. Beth-El has small groups for anyone and everyone. The young adult group meets regularly as do impromptu groups of friends.

Service

Beyond our daily work placements, we also get to serve by helping with the Mennonite Relief Sale (October), Beth-El’s Ten Thousand Villages Sale (November), with Interfaith Hospitality Network when it is at Beth-El (August and February), and at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp during their Snow Camps (February and March).

It is best to apply before March 1. You can apply as early as September 1 and as late as August 1. The Service Adventure year begins in August.