day-to-day living at the gap at sawmill meadow
The Spruce Lodge at Sawmill Meadow is the home of The Gap at Sawmill Meadow. This spacious property is managed by a host couple who lives onsite for the entirety of the program. Our Gap guests and speakers also stay on the property while volunteering for The Gap.
The Spruce Lodge has been operating as a motel/bed and breakfast for years and consists of 3 buildings and an RV park. It was purchased in May of 2022 by 3 couples with the sole purpose of providing a place to accommodate those attending The Gap at Sawmill Meadow. The main lodge is on the National Registry of Historic places, built in 1927, and is one of the oldest buildings in South Fork.
Accommodations
Accommodations for attendees will be in renovated “hotel-type” rooms where 2 attendees will share one room and one bathroom - much like dorm room living. The property has ample communal space for the group as well as plenty of space for quiet time and solitude.
The property and the on-site program are managed by the host couple.
Dining
An industrial sized kitchen will allow for routine meal planning and prep by attendees to share together at least 4 nights per week for “dinner table discipleship.”
sample week in the life
PROGRAMMING
Content for Gap programming is designed to promote discussion, reflection and practice of skills that lead to a healthy, whole, responsible, and purpose-filled way of being. The Gap allows for time to be spent exploring, practicing, failing, succeeding, and applying lessons learned from those “failures” and “successes” in many of the content areas outlined below.
Programming for the summer and full gap experience
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Life skill practice in the first 2 months of the program include budgeting basics; healthy meal planning, prepping and cooking; healthy habits of activity and sleep; maintaining a clean living space; and volunteering in the community.
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Learning and practicing healthy conflict resolution and management; the value of accountability; finding a healthy community; and how to love your neighbor as yourself.
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Explore and learn to live into your identity in Christ; develop personal mission, vision and values statements; learn how habits shape identity; and your calling in the space of vocation.
programming unique to the 9-month experience
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Continued practice with life skills noted in the summer experience with extensive career exploration; professional skills to include resume writing, participation in mock interview with feedback; financial planning and coaching; car maintenance.
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Deeper exploration of practices that Jesus modeled to include prayer, living a simplified life, silence and solitude, and how to integrate these habits into a personal rule of life.
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Participate in small group studies around assigned readings from various books ranging from the Bible to devotionals to “off the shelf” books.
monthly program offerings for both experiences
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Curated experiences with industry, content, and/or pastoral experts that are designed to facilitate deeper discussions and learning opportunities. Examples include a day of learning and practice with financial literacy topics facilitated by a financial planner or a full day discussion on habits and addictions facilitated by an LPC.
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Both experiences allow for group adventures that are designed for the group to experience nature together. Examples of adventures include camping, rafting, fly fishing or exploring local National Parks.
Living in community with other believers is central to how Jesus calls each of us to live.
Our community is our “safe” space to cheer us on and help hold us accountable out of love for each other. In community, we will build on our knowledge of God, His creation and His desire for believers and each of us personally through Bible studies, book studies and group discussion. Bible study and exploration throughout the course of the program are centered around the Lord’s 2 most important commandments:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31