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The American Gap Association is a great resource for those taking a Gap Year.
They have compiled a great FREE guide on how to plan a gap year.
You can download their guide Here!
For a Christian perspective on Gap Years, please check out “God in the Gap Year” by Derek Melby. You can download this resources here.
A “mediator” serves as a conduit, or channel, between two parties in conflict, seeking to ensure that both feel understood, respected, and able to contribute towards an agreeable solution.
As a pastor, I have served as a mediator numerous times – negotiating house rules, establishing consensus over new policies in the church, or seeking healing in a relationship.
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Within the church, disagreements can erupt between different generations due to disparate values, beliefs, and practices. I have stood up in defense of Millennials amidst a boardroom of angry Baby boomers, and I have defused frustration among disillusioned Millennials in hallway conversations.
As churches seek to become more intergenerational in their programming, conflict will inevitably arise. Does your community have people who are equipped to serve as intermediaries between the generations? Mediators of generational conflict can restore peace and unity in three ways.
Effective mediators are “swift to hear, slow to speak.” (James 1:19) They ask great questions and are motivated to understand another’s perspective. They want to know the “what,” but will keep digging until they also discover the “whys.” Before bringing together conflicting parties, mediators will seek to understand each group’s desires, values, and practices.
During times of conflict, fear and anger can limit or completely block reasonable communication. Mediators are able to remove these obstacles and promote effective communication. By knowing those involved, they will choose words and expressions designed to calm emotions and facilitated mutual understanding between the parties. Fruitful mediation takes time, and all sides must remain patient through the process, believing the results will be worth the effort.
In the midst of discord, we tend to focus on our differences and perceive our opposition as villains. Dehumanizing others relieves our own sense of guilt, allowing us to justify hurtful words, thoughts, and actions. Mediators remind each side of their common ground, and build bridges towards mutual respect, understanding, and love. As human beings, we can always find some common ground in personal fears, dreams, and emotions. Within the church, mediators lead us to our common ground in Jesus and His call upon our lives.
If your community seeks to become intergenerational, who has God provided as potential mediators? Seek out and train individuals who are able to value varied perspectives, who can communicate with patience, and who know how to build bridges upon common faith and love. Well-trained mediators are essential to maintaining a healthy, united community.
Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources. This article first appeared on ChurchCentral.com, where David is a regular contributor.
This article is a list of statistics that are taken from various studies about the benefits of a gap year. The article also gives this image which explains the reasons why students choose to participate in a gap year.
Here are some of the stats that caught my attention.
Please note: There is currently a huge need for research and statistics among Gap Year Participants. Many of the studies listed were not conducted on American students, and did not have a large subject base.
While Gap Years are not for everyone, they definitely have benefits. If you are considering a gap year, here is an article to get you started.
Taking a “Gap Year” after high school is becoming more common in the Western world. While exact details are difficult to determine, but it is clear that interest and enrollment in gap year programs is growing substantially. If you want to read some statistics on Gap Year, Please check out this site.
Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting information and articles on this topic. I am also compiling a list of resources for those considering a gap year.
I came across this article on Forbes that I wanted to share with you.
How much does the average 20-something save? What are other 20-somethings earning? How are YOU doing financially compared to other young adults your age? Continue reading
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When I was going through college, there would be a salesperson outside our cafeteria everyday trying to get us to register for a credit card. In return for signing our name, we would receive a free t-shirt, a 2-liter of soda (usually Mountain Dew), or a $10 gift card for pizza. Preying upon the innocent, their tactics were shady, and their persistence was relentless.
The Credit Card Act of 2009 eliminated excessive marketing of credit cards to young people. It prohibits companies from wooing students with T-shirts, free pizza and other free gifts at university-sponsored events. This legislative act also requires those under the age of 21 to prove they have an independent income before applying for a credit card.
In spite of these safety provisions, emerging adults are racking up more debt than ever before. Here are a few statistics:
Please Note: These numbers only reflect their amount of credit card debt. We haven’t even mentioned the average amount of educational debt which is more than 35k. (Source) Overwhelmed by this burden, many college students do not even know their current student loan balance. (Source)
As someone who cares about emerging adults, it is time to begin discussing…
In our discussions, we must acknowledge that debt is not a problem of emerging adults, but is an epidemic that affects Christians of all ages.
Maybe the whole problem is that emerging adults have learned from watching us, and our inability to respond to consumerism.
Leave a comment below to express your thoughts or leave a link to a resources on finances.
Financial Resources:
Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to equip parents and churches to minister to emerging adults.
This article attempts to give an overview of student credit card use by presenting some statistics taken from Sallie Mae’s National Study of Usage Rates and Trends of Undergraduate Student Credit Card Use released in April 2009.
© 2013 Idibri, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio
As a clergyperson and an older millennial of the Oregon Trail variety, I’ve followed the ongoing debates about millennials and the Church with both interest and, at times, frustration. There’s an endless number of articles and blog posts out there addressing the “problem” of millennials… Continue reading
I found this video on you-tube, and if you care about Millennials, and the future of the church…
This sarcastic perspective of the Millennial Exodus will definitely cause some laughter.
© 2014 swong95765, Flickr | CC-BY | via Wylio
Several years ago I became good friends with a guy who remodeled houses. He worked a lot of small jobs, often bathroom makeovers, and he was passionate about what he did. He never cut corners, and he often added “extras” even when they would likely go unnoticed. He was a devout Christian who took pride in running an ethically grounded business, and he looked for opportunities to talk about his faith with his customers. Beyond all that, he made a point of donating usable lumber, fixtures, and furniture that he removed in various projects to people or organizations who needed those things. This was extra work, but he figured it was a way to help those without many resources, while also reducing the waste that would end up in a landfill.
Bryan Dik is associate professor of counseling psychology at Colorado State University and is co-founder and is Chief Science Officer for jobZology. He is co-author of Make Your Job a Calling: How the Psychology of Vocation Can Change Your Life at Work. Read his other post on the psychology and theology of vocation here and here.
