Our mission is to cultivate wholeness in new adults so they launch into the world thriving in purpose and responsibility.

We understand what it feels like to raise kids with plans, hopes, and expectations for what comes next — because we’ve been there. Like many families, our conversations about life after high school always pointed toward college. That’s what success looked like.

But when our oldest son — a National Merit commended scholar — left college not once, but twice, we found ourselves questioning everything we thought we knew about “the right path.” It was painful and confusing. Yet, in that uncertainty, God was quietly doing something transformative — not just in him, but in us.

Through that season, we began to see how deeply young adults need space: space to pause, to wrestle honestly with faith, and to grow into who God designed them to be before they decide what to do. Our son’s unplanned “gap year” — one filled with hard work, humility, and rediscovery — opened our eyes to how God uses the in-between seasons to build real maturity and purpose.

That experience became the foundation for The Gap at Sawmill Meadow — a place for young adults (ages 18–23) to slow down, live in intentional Christian community, and discern who they are in Christ before stepping fully into the world.

When we share our story, parents often tell us, “I wish something like that had existed when my kids finished high school.” We get it. It’s scary to choose a path that looks different. But sometimes, the most faithful step forward begins with a pause — a season to listen, to grow, and to let faith take root in real life.

We’ve been in your shoes. We know the questions and the hopes that come with this stage. And we believe that when young adults take time to grow in Christ before running ahead, they step into the world not just prepared — but truly transformed.

Matt & Tammy Dorsett
Founders, The Gap at Sawmill Meadow