President's Pen - March 2024
Interview with Gap Year Student, Jordyn Miskiw
One of the exciting things happening at Northwest this year is our relaunching of our undergraduate programs. One program, the Gap Year, launched with a small pilot cohort of five students. Gap Year is a one-year accredited ministry apprenticeship program designed for young adults to elevate their understanding of God, the Bible, themselves, and the world around them. Through Gap Year, Northwest is continuing our mission to empower the church to train their future leaders – whether they be interested in vocational ministry, or simply knowing more about God and the Bible to empower their lay leadership.
But how does Gap Year actually help a person grow spiritually? To find out, we talked to Gap Year student Jordyn Miskiw. Jordyn serves at Burnett Church in Maple Ridge, BC, and embarked on a journey of growing in her faith and gifts for ministry this past year.
Northwest: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
JM: My name is Jordyn Miskiw. I’m 20 years old and I live in Maple Ridge, BC. I’ve been serving Burnett Church in the role of Interim Director of Burnett Kids for about a year. Prior to that I was a ministry intern.
Northwest: Why did you take Gap Year?
JM: I took Gap Year because I was juggling the idea of what I wanted to do next. I figured that if God wasn’t calling me to ministry that learning about the gospel and church wouldn’t be a waste of time. If he was calling me to ministry then it would be a good step towards getting training and exploring that call.
Northwest: What is one thing that you have learned so far in Gap Year?
JM: One thing I’ve learned is how when we grow in greater relationship with God the less dependant on everything else we become. This is something that I was talking about with one of my mentors, Ana. The more comfortable we are with God, the less we rely on outward circumstances to tell us that we are loved by him.
Northwest: What is one quote you remember from something you read or a seminar you listened to that has impacted you?
JM: “We don’t love because we worship, we worship because we love.” This was from a seminar with Michael Morelli. I think that just helped me change my perspective. It reminded me about thinking about why we do certain things and also about where I find value.
Northwest: What is one encouragement you’ve received from being involved in your ministry context?
JM: In addition to leading kids, I’ve been able to be involved with youth. This year it has been really cool that a group of the girls in youth have been wanting to connect with me outside of just our youth times. They want to dive deeper and be in relationship and learn more about God. It is something that has really come from them and shows their desire to grow and be in relationship.
Northwest: What is one way that Gap Year has impacted your personal spiritual life?
JM: Gap Year has expanded my spiritual journey by helping me go deeper and by not just scraping the surface. I’ve been challenged to really think more about who God is and what it means that he is Triune. We’ve also really dug into understanding the Bible and not just reading it. I’ve also really appreciated the level of mentorship I’ve encountered. My mentors are really graceful in how they interact with me. They want to see me succeed and walk with me in the way I learn, helping me engage the program. It’s been really beneficial to have that type of relationship with them.
We are grateful to see the growth in Christ that has occurred in Jordyn over the last number of months. The combination of dedicated and sincere mentorship, along with hands-on ministry involvement, has made a profound impact in her life.
Perhaps as you read Jordyn's story you thought of someone in your community who might benefit from a similar experience. It could be a high school student trying to decide what to do after graduation or a young adult who may want to take a year to grow in their faith and explore how God has uniquely gifted them for ministry. Reach out to them, engage in conversation, and explore how Northwest's Gap Year program could enrich their lives. We would love to build into the lives of many other young adults through this great program.