Located in the beautiful coastal town of Mijas, Spain G42 Leadership Academy is a 9 month training program designed to transform and equip leaders to establish the kingdom of God around the world. Using an intimate discipleship setting and impartation from world class leaders they teach people how to cultivate an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. Then from that place of clear identity make disciples, reverse oppression and establish missional communities around the world.
As one of our international options, participants will spend a week with this community attending classes, joining in nightly dinners and learning from G42 teachers and interns and one week hiking the Camino de Santiago. Click here for more details on what participants will do while there and learn more about why we partner with them. We also have a number of teachers from G42 that engage with our students via our classes throughout the year including G42 founder Andrew Shearman.
Please note that although G42 Leadership Academy is an important partner of Denver Gap Year that our international destinations are based off a variety of factors and vary each semester. We have contacts in over 30+ countries and G42 Leadership Academy is one of those contacts.
Over 1.5 million children in the Philippines are homeless and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. They are trapped in cycles of poverty and unable to attend school. Children’s Garden is an organization based in Manila, Philippines started by local Filipinos who were confronted with the problem of children living on the streets. The organization they built provides teen boys with love, food, shelter, education, spiritual guidance and a family living environment. Children's Garden has directly impacted the lives of around 126 boys and their families. Most of the boys that have come through Children’s Garden are now working full time and living independently. In addition, they reach out to hundreds of other families (through community outreach and partnership with local churches) each year.
Participants will go to the Philippines to assist in the mission of Children’s Garden and learn more about systemic poverty. This will be done by building relationships with the boys of Children’s Garden, serving alongside them in the community and intentional learning while there. Please note that although Children’s Garden is an important and primary partner of Denver Gap Year that our international destinations are based off a variety of factors and this trip for the first term to serve may be with one of our many other international partners .
To learn more about our history with Children’s Garden, why we are partnering with this organization and our response to concerns about working with an orphanage click here.
Please note: Children’s Garden is an example of one of Denver Gap Year partner ministries. Our international destinations are based off a variety of factors and vary each semester. We have contacts in over 30+ countries and Children’s Garden is one of those contacts.
Renzo and Emma Gonzales. Missionaries in their native country of Guatemala
Guatemala is a beautiful and geographically diverse country ringed by volcanoes, turquoise blue lakes and beaches along the Pacific ocean. Antigua, where our ministry partner is located, is a popular and gorgeous tourist location located an hour south of their capital. Its people are generous, hard working and open to God’s work in their life. But they are also one of the poorer countries in the western hemisphere with a majority (55%) of their population living under the poverty line.
The ministry of Emma and Renzo Gonzalez in Antigua, Guatemala has quickly become a favorite destination for Denver Gap Year. They are a local Guatemalan couple that formed their own ministry after years of hosting teams with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Their rare combination of relationship building with their community and visiting teams, spiritual impact through their ministry and strategic meeting of physical and material needs makes them an ideal partner. Students will have the opportunity to participate in numerous home visits, hand out bibles, play with local kids and install clean water filters/clean burning stoves for local families.
Our trip to Guatemala is a great opportunity to further a local couples ministry, learn about poverty in the developing world and meet physical and spiritual needs. Teams stay at a house with a view of surrounding volcanoes, spend time in the tourist hot spot of Antigua and go on adventures such as hiking a volcano as well.
An integral part of Denver Gap Year is engaging injustice within an urban setting. Every participant will serve weekly with one of our local Denver nonprofit partners.There are two main goals to community service. One is to help a young person see the challenges, different types of opportunities and ultimately the value of serving in the city you live in. The other is to be a part of transforming Denver through consistent partnership with local organizations proven to make a difference. Click here to learn more about why we make community service such an important part of our program. And read the descriptions below to learn more about the service opportunities available. Contact us if you have any questions.
Denver Rescue Mission is a well respected and comprehensive poverty fighting organization. They strive to follow Jesus’ example by walking alongside the people they serve through emergency services, rehabilitation, transitional programs, and community outreach.
Serving with Denver Rescue Mission is for those who are passionate about combating homelessness, empowering people struggling economically and learning more about systemic poverty in our inner cities.Participants will have a range of opportunities to choose from including working with children at an after school program, serving meals to the homeless and helping the refugee population.
Approval to serve is subject to an application process run by the Denver Rescue Mission who will also work with Denver Gap Year on placing the participant in the best service opportunity for everyone involved.
Denver Public Schools is one of the largest and fastest growing public school districts in the nation with over 90,000 students. The student population is diverse and vibrant with over 140 languages spoken and around 70% of those students qualifying for free/reduced lunch. Their goal is to provide all students the opportunity to achieve the knowledge and skills necessary to become contributing citizens in our diverse society.
Serving with Denver Public Schools is for participants who love working with children, are passionate about empowering young learners and want to explore what a career in education could be like. Because education is an essential part of each local community this is a great opportunity to make a huge difference. Participants will have an array of opportunities including mentoring students, assisting in reading development, storytelling and chess club.
*Service with Denver Public School will require a background check and placement will be coordinated by Denver Gap Year.
Casa De Paz is the only nonprofit organization in Colorado offering shelter to released immigrants and their families. They host families whose loved ones are being detained and assist individuals who have been recently released immigration detention centers. They provide visits, shelter, meals, transportation and emotional support. They believe that detention is a difficult time that tears families apart and creates a financial burden, so they offer their services free of cost.
Serving with Casa De Paz is for those who have a heart for the immigrant and refugee community. They give participants the opportunity to move beyond the political conversation around immigration and instead show the love of God through practical acts of service. There many ways for participants to serve including helping newly released immigrants reunite with their family by arranging transportation, greeting immigrants just as they are released and connecting them to the resources they need and making meals that can be served at the Casa De Paz house.
Denver Gap Year will work in coordination with Casa De Paz to find the right opportunity for each participant and guide them through the basic application process necessary to volunteer.
Group Volunteering
Group volunteer projects will be organized and offered throughout the year in addition to the weekly volunteering participants will do with one of our official nonprofit partners. These group opportunities allow participants a chance to engage in and learn about areas of service and injustice beyond the nonprofit they serve in weekly. It’s also an opportunity to learn collaboration and build community with other Denver Gap Year participants and staff while addressing major issues affecting Denver and the state of Colorado.
At Denver Gap Year we feel that community service and combating injustice wherever it’s found is transformational for our participants and the community they serve. Group volunteering opportunities and projects offered will have a focus on environmental issues and could be with organizations such as The Park People, Groundwork Colorado and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. Other opportunities will involve serving with our other nonprofits or be initiated and organized by Denver Gap Year participants.
The partners listed below are churches that we trust as helpful resources in the Denver area. We believe they add value for our participants and trust their leadership. Bridgeway Church offers an excellent elective opportunity to better understand the Kingdom of God through their Kingdom Ministry Training. And Upper Room Denver is an opportunity to connect with God weekly through prayer and worship.
Denver Gap Year is not affiliated with a particular church or denomination. The churches listed do not hold leadership over Denver Gap Year. Participants are encouraged to attend church but not required to attend a particular church.
Bridgeway church is a collaborative partner and consistent supporter of many churches and ministries throughout the Denver metro area. They are always eager to help other believers however they can. Bridgeway excels on teaching believers about the spiritual gifts and the role of the Holy Spirit in believers lives. They model well how to advance the Kingdom of God in the world and pragmatically teach others how to do the same. We are honored that the staff of Bridgeway gives their time to teach our students on these important subjects.
Upper Room Denver (Now called House Denver) is a vibrant church whose primary focus is to minister to the heart of God through prayer and worship. This is achieved through the in and out lifestyle of coming into God’s presence and going out to change the world. Previous and current staff teach periodically at Denver Gap Year and students have the opportunity to attend prayer and worship sets that are offered throughout the week. Click on the link below to learn more about House Denver and go to UpperRoom Youtube to listen to the worship coming out of the Upper Room Community.
Denver United’s mission is to follow Jesus relentlessly and build His Kingdom in Denver. They do this through teaching believers to orient their lives around through the centrality of scripture, building authentic, diverse communities and caring for the poor and marginalized. Different Pastors and staff members teach at Denver Gap Year throughout the year and some students have chosen to make this their church home while in Denver. They are a great resource to ministries throughout Denver and always a helpful partner to Denver Gap Year.
Lifegate Church’s mission is to see people made alive in Christ. They are an intergenerational, interethnic church in Southeast Denver that works to help believers form to the likeness of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, actively expand the Kingdom of God and root themselves in scripture and ancient biblical practices. We’ve had staff and students attend Lifegate throughout the years and their staff have always been generous to offer their time through teaching and space at the church when we need it.
