Bethany Kunz is a current student in the Discipleship & Missions Year (Christian gap year program) at Touch the World, a missions training organization based in Allendale, NJ, that "creates opportunities for youth to encounter God and engage their faith through missions... to live on mission every day, everywhere." She's enrolled in Anchor Christian University courses integrated into the program as well.

In this conversation, Bethany discusses her experience in the Discipleship & Missions Year. She shares her background, how she discovered the program, and her initial resistance to it. Bethany also talks about the challenges and benefits of the program, including intensive learning, emotional growth, and building real community. Bethany discusses the easy and challenging aspects of the program, her progress in dealing with emotions, and upcoming outreach trips. She also shares her goals for the Greece trip, team dynamics, and her next steps in personal development.

Andrea Kroeze is the Training and Curriculum Coordinator at Touch the World, a missions training organization based in Allendale, NJ, that "creates opportunities for youth to encounter God and engage their faith through missions... to live on mission every day, everywhere." TTW launched the Discipleship & Missions Year (Christian gap year program) in Fall 2023, integrated with Anchor Christian University courses via the Eleven:6 network platform, and hosted at TTW's Missions Center in PA.

We kick off the episode talking about Andrea's personal journey, from youth missions trips to serving with Touch the World after college, to full time missions in Uganda, and back to the US to serve with Touch the World. We also explore the various aspects of Touch the World, including training and partnerships for short-term missions, the network and partnerships of Touch the World, missionaries and mission organizations utilizing Touch the World, and how the Discipleship & Missions Year fits within that ecosystem. And we touch on the early results (impact!) the TTW team is seeing from the program approach as the vision and curriculum design manifest in transformation for each unique student this year.

Braided throughout is Andrea's unique perspective, formed through her deep experience across the full range of missions platforms and through her broad and deep study of best practices in the field, on the challenges and opportunities for training next gen leaders for effective gospel mission, wherever God takes them.

Luc Stout shares his journey from growing up in a ministry family to finding his own faith and committing to a fully sold out life for Jesus. He discusses his experience at the Word of Life Bible Institute and the impact of snow camp on his faith. Luc also talks about the value of education and ministry and his decision to pursue an internship at Word of Life. He shares his experience leading a discipleship group and his choice to attend Anchor Christian University. Luc concludes by discussing his vision for the future and his desire to teach and preach in ministry.

Our lively conversation covers various themes related to spiritual growth, ministry partnerships, unconventional education, the impact of Anchor Christian University projects, and the importance of practical teaching. A key theme is the impact of invested mentors and profs (like Tommy Sewall and Dwight Peterson) and parents through the journey. Luc expresses gratitude for the program's benefits to his spiritual life. The discussion highlights the expansion of ministry through mission partnerships and the unique approach of Anchor. The conversation also emphasizes the value of practical teaching over informational teaching. Luc expresses appreciation for the trust and support he has received.