Evaluating Holistic Formation Strategies and Objectives in Christian Gap Year Programs: A Mixed Methods Multiple Case Study

Abstract

The Christian gap year experience presents young adults with an immersive, diverse, and experiential educational and growth opportunity in a season of life brimming with change and potentialities. While the gap year concept was around long before the turn of the century, it has been slowly adopted in the United States and other parts of the world. Many reasons may explain this situation; however, most Americans still question whether hitting pause on a typical linear educational and life path makes sense. Thus, on the one hand, gap year experiences are disadvantaged if they cannot clearly articulate how the benefits of taking a gap year far outweigh the costs associated with delaying college, career, trades, or the military. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, there appears to be a readiness to consider other alternatives geared toward developing students educationally, personally, and professionally. Furthermore, while gap year instruction occurs through immersive and formational learning, there is a significant difference between God-centered and human-centered formation. Consequently, gap year programs that are distinctly Christian provide a robust alternative for young adults seeking Christlike formational discipleship before stepping into adulthood. Therefore, in this dissertation, I argue that the gap year is an ideal season of life and discipleship context for holistically equipping, inspiring, and empowering young adults with distinctly Christian formation strategies and objectives. Christian gap year strategies and objective priorities do not exist. Therefore, this study seeks to interact with precedent research, theory, and a mixed methods multiple case study approach of three Christian gap year programs to offer holistic Christian formation strategies and objectives. The first chapter of the dissertation introduces the research methodology and significance. Chapter 2 lays a theoretical, theological, and practical framework for holistic Christian development. Chapter 3 presents my research methodology, including its five-phase approach to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the data. The fourth chapter examines the findings and demonstrates how the research questions are answered. Finally, chapter 5 presents the conclusions of the research and offers suggestions for further study in holistic development within the context of Christian gap year programs.