Nav Café Stirs Things Up

 

Nav Café Stirs Things Up

Move over, Starbucks. Make room for "Nav Café."

Okay, it's not going to put the major coffeehouses out of business, but a new ministry vehicle at Texas A&M University is stirring things up for the Navigators on campus.

Nav Café is the brainchild of Chris and Margaret Segrest, intern staff at A&M, and it became a reality through the generosity of veteran NavStaff Mark and Lexie Day, who opened up part of their home for this exciting new outreach and fellowship opportunity.

Providing an alternative to the typical Thursday night shenanigans at A&M, Nav Café features non-alcoholic liquid refreshment, music, comedy, games, and an overall great place to hang out and make friends.

"We had noticed that a lot of students in our ministry weren't connecting," said Chris Segrest. "My wife and I really have a burden for students who come into our Nav midst that they feel really loved. We didn't sense that was happening, so first we began to pray for God to create a sense of family, love, and warmth."

Then, over Christmas break, they heard that the Days had a "vacancy" in a part of their home, which had been rented out to one of Lexie's family members. Instead of renting the space out again, the thought came to Chris.

"What if we converted that space into a student hangout - a coffeehouse," he pondered. "It would be a place without an agenda, a place to have fun together, a place to bring non-believers where the gospel wouldn't be openly preached, and a place where people could see that Christians love each other and are fun."

Mark Day liked the idea, and over the break, he and some friends renovated the space with new carpet and paint, put in a kitchen area with a counter, and set up a space for musicians. For fun, they provided a spot for a large mural with pictures of students, and they even made a wall available for seniors to write notes.

So when spring semester began, Nav Café was open for business.

"It's turned out to be an incredible idea from God," Chris said. "It has accomplished everything we wanted. Students are connecting. People are having a great time and loving being there, not out of a sense of duty but just to hang out. And it's enhanced the other areas of our ministry, like our Bible studies. Nav Café is a light, fun forum, which we didn't have before. All our other outlets were Bible studies or our NavNite (large group meeting), which focuses on ministry. This is just having fun."

But in the midst of that fun, God is at work. Several non-believers have come, including a Muslim student. But the highlight of the semester came when Chris had the opportunity to lead a student, Juan, to a relationship with Christ.

"I pulled him (Juan) aside and got talking about the gospel," Chris recalled. "I asked him what was keeping him from trusting Christ, and he didn't know. So we went out of the room and he prayed to receive Christ. Later that semester, he was able to share his testimony at our NavNite."

Nav Café normally stays active past midnight, and the Days' bedroom is right above the coffeehouse. But stories like Juan's make the sacrifice worth it, says Lexie Day.

"We don't try to sleep; we stay up with the students," Lexie laughed. "We had thought of renting out the space, but for us to sacrifice to have students here is really no sacrifice at all. This is definitely our first choice of how to use our home. Nav Café has really helped students bond together and deepen relationships.

"And when Chris prayed with that student…" Lexie continued, choking up. "There are pockets of real intimate conversations going on, and all that we had hoped for is happening."

Nav Café will be in full swing this fall when the ministry kicks off another school year. Chris said they plan to have it open every night the first week of school to complement the other semester-opening activities.

"Before we started Nav Café, I'd say we were a bunch of individuals, but afterwards, I see a lot of deeper friendships forming," Chris concluded. "People are excited about hanging out with each other and loving each other. It's a great place to do broad sowing, and out of that, we can fish for deeper connections."