JourneyOnline
YEAR IN the Son (YITS) is a gap year program for 16-21 year olds that provides young people with the opportunity to spend one year learning more about God and about themselves, and to gain understanding, skills and attitudes that will help them face the challenges ahead with confidence and competence.
Run through the Faith and Life Institute, Year in the Son is a nationally accredited Certificate IV course and involves participation in academic learning, spiritual reflection, mission, worship, ministry, prayer and the community.
An activity of the Lutheran Church, Year in the Son is open to people of all denominations and Uniting Church young adult ministry coordinator Tom Kerr currently leads a course on spiritual growth.
Mr Kerr said the Uniting Church Youth and Children’s Ministry Unit was excited to be a part of Year in the Son.
“The Youth and Children’s Ministry Unit had been wondering how we might provide a positive gap year experience which would help people in their discipleship. We heard about the Year in the Son course and it had everything we believed would be important to provide and more,” he said.
The YITS team welcomed Uniting Church participation at every level from planning, to teaching subjects, to placements for students.
“I am really impressed with what the YITS course achieves in young adults’ lives,” said Mr Kerr.
“The fantastic sense of community, the great teachings they receive in everything from life skills to discipleship, their retreat times, the practical placements, all these facets of the course bring great opportunities for personal growth and spiritual development.
“We have got to let our Uniting Church young adult people know about this course.”
Bald Hills Uniting Church member Melanie Webber is the youngest YITS participant this year at the age of 16.
Ms Webber sees the program as a way to further her relationship with God as well as a way to discern what God is calling her to do in her life post high school.
Mr Kerr said the course is for those who “want to grow their faith, develop as a person or have a meaningful gap year”.
For more information about Year in the Son, visit http://www.yits.com.au phone the Faith and Life Institute on 3511 4089 or
click here to email
Photo : Year in the Son students Rebecca Weier, Melanie Webber, Michelle Flint and Jessica Davis. Photo courtesy of YITS
