The Main Event
by Dean Ridings
Fall retreats are proven, life-changing events among
The Navigators’ Collegiate Ministry. One example is Iowa’s Main Event,
the Heartland Region’s fall conference, which brings together students
from many midwestern states. Event coordinator Jim Luebe says that half
of the 1,135 college and university students who attended last year’s
retreat came from campuses without an official Navigator presence. An
additional 135 volunteers and Navigator staff filled key support roles.
The Main Event aptly illustrates how God is using The Navigators’
Collegiate Ministry to help students know Christ and make Him known.
Simply put, says Jim Luebe, director of The Navigators ministry at the University of Northern Iowa, the Main Event’s purpose is "bringing students face to face with Jesus Christ."
"The typical student at the University of Northern Iowa comes from a religious background, but many of them don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ," says Jim, who co-founded the retreat several years ago before joining The Navigators in 1997. "This gives us an avenue to share the Gospel with these types of students."
That first year, the governor of Iowa and a well-known Christian band headed the Main Event, and 325 students came. While participants gave it high marks, they said they would rather have more worship and speakers than "big names." Organizers took this to heart, and the event has continued to grow—and touch lives—exponentially each year.
Last fall’s Main Event took place in October at the University of Northern Iowa. Event planners anticipated 900 participants, but hosted 1,270 students, volunteers, and staff. "We used overflow rooms with televisions to accommodate everyone," says Jim.
Through a variety of activities—from skits to special speakers, inspiring worship to community visits, "silly stuff" to small-group discussions—nonbelievers clearly heard the Gospel and Christians were challenged to put feet to their faith.
In the end, 35 students made first-time commitments to Christ. As the retreat put the accent on foreign missions, most participated in an offering to support God’s work around the world, the total of which exceeded all expectations of retreat organizers, and some students expressed an interest in missions as a career.
Kara’s Commitment
With all the typical logistics of conference meetings and workshops, Jim says it’s a Herculean task to put on the Main Event. However, stories such as that of participants Meredith and Kara reassure him all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into putting on the retreat is well worth it.
At the time Meredith was new to the University of Northern Iowa. Since her first days on campus, she had prayed that God would use her to touch another person for Christ. A student named Kara was among her first friends.
When Meredith learned about the Main Event, she thought it would be a great place to get to know other Christians and grow in Christ. Certainly the impression to invite Kara to come along was of the Lord. Hesitant at first, Kara reluctantly said okay. At the event, as the two friends participated in a small-group discussion, Kara gave her life to Christ.
"Meredith is hopping up and down because she’s so excited," recalls Jim. "As it turns out, Kara’s brother, Josh, is one of our student leaders. On his conference evaluation he wrote that the highlight of his weekend was that his sister’s name is written in the Book of Life."
Derrick’s Decision
One of the Main Event’s signature touches is an evening meal in the homes of families in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area. Some 150 families opened their homes to groups of eight to 10 students, and after the meals, those families shared about the difference Jesus has made and is making in their lives.
"Every year it’s one of the highlights for the students," says Jim. "A majority of them have never sat in a home and heard about Jesus at the dinner table. We’ve even had students trust Christ through the witness of the families."
In fact, a University of Northern Iowa freshman named Derrick did just that last year. "He was a religious kid without a relationship with Jesus," says Jim, "just the type of student we’re targeting."
Derrick was among the group that went to the home of Jeff and Judy Sutton, prayer and financial partners of Jim and his wife, Beth, and their ministry with The Navigators. "It gets our partners involved in our ministry in a way they normally never could," adds Beth.
"Judy is a quiet woman with a deep faith in Christ," says Jim. "After dinner, she shared her testimony. Derrick felt Judy was talking about his own life growing up. When he realized that he didn’t have a true relationship with Jesus, he gave his life to Christ."
Awesome Offering
Every year an offering is taken at the Main Event, with the proceeds going to worthy ministries. "Last year, money went to ministries in China, Zambia, central Nigeria, Lithuania, and Argentina," says Jim. "We wanted to help a Navigator staff national in Nigeria who lives on about $350 per month, and our goal was to give him $5,000.
"We also wanted to raise $5,000 for a missionary in Zambia," he says. "Year before last, we gave $17,000 to the Zambian ministry to help with new staff. The Heartland Region of the Navigators has some warrior missions people. The history of missions runs deep in this region. The University of Nebraska has sent students to Zambia for 12 years."
When the offering was collected, not only had they raised the $10,000, but it had come in cash! In addition, the students committed another $28,000 in pledges.
Why did the offering touch their hearts? "This generation of students has been handed so much in life and has been living for self for a long time," says Jim. "What we’re seeing with the offering is a response to the Gospel and the call to lose your life and give your life away. When these students meet Christ and He becomes Lord, everything else comes into perspective. We challenge the students with this in mind.
"We challenge some of them to go home over Christmas break and get a part-time job so that they could help people hear the Gospel in China," he says. "We challenge the fact that they say they have no money, because we know many of them will drop $50 to see a concert or buy a $10 pizza when they go home from the conference. So we ask them to consider giving up that pizza once a month and give the money to God’s work. Money’s not the issue with most students; it’s really a matter of the heart. And we’ve seen some amazing things happen as students respond to this challenge."
Here’s a striking example. At the end of the retreat, one student came up to a Zambian missionary and said she had a check for him. While he appreciated her gift, the missionary said that several churches have committed to meet his needs. She insisted that he pass along the money to others who were going to Zambia. He graciously accepted the check and put it in his pocket. When he looked at it some time later, he was amazed to see it was made out for $1,000!
Leader’s Lesson
When the students were in the host homes, the staff and volunteers had a special supper and heard from the speaker. "This was probably the most powerful thing for me," says Jim. "He shared a message on what it means to live a God-centered life and lead a cross-centered ministry, rather than a man-centered approach. It was unbelievable. The speaker showed how much we don’t really believe in the sufficiency of Christ, and that too much of what we do depends on our efforts.
"Through the different speakers we’ve had, God has changed and developed my theology," adds Jim, "changing me from being man-centered to being God-centered and really understanding grace.
"God always uses the Main Event in my life, and I look forward to it as much as the students. It’s a lot of work, but to see students come to Christ and get excited about missions makes it all worth it."
If you're interested in learning more about The Navigators' Collegiate Ministry, contact:
P.O. Box 6000
Colorado Springs, CO 80934
(719) 594-2315
fax: (719) 598-7757
e-mail: info@campusnavs.org
Web site:www.navigators.org/collegiate
Simply put, says Jim Luebe, director of The Navigators ministry at the University of Northern Iowa, the Main Event’s purpose is "bringing students face to face with Jesus Christ."
"The typical student at the University of Northern Iowa comes from a religious background, but many of them don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ," says Jim, who co-founded the retreat several years ago before joining The Navigators in 1997. "This gives us an avenue to share the Gospel with these types of students."
That first year, the governor of Iowa and a well-known Christian band headed the Main Event, and 325 students came. While participants gave it high marks, they said they would rather have more worship and speakers than "big names." Organizers took this to heart, and the event has continued to grow—and touch lives—exponentially each year.
Last fall’s Main Event took place in October at the University of Northern Iowa. Event planners anticipated 900 participants, but hosted 1,270 students, volunteers, and staff. "We used overflow rooms with televisions to accommodate everyone," says Jim.
Through a variety of activities—from skits to special speakers, inspiring worship to community visits, "silly stuff" to small-group discussions—nonbelievers clearly heard the Gospel and Christians were challenged to put feet to their faith.
In the end, 35 students made first-time commitments to Christ. As the retreat put the accent on foreign missions, most participated in an offering to support God’s work around the world, the total of which exceeded all expectations of retreat organizers, and some students expressed an interest in missions as a career.
Kara’s Commitment
With all the typical logistics of conference meetings and workshops, Jim says it’s a Herculean task to put on the Main Event. However, stories such as that of participants Meredith and Kara reassure him all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into putting on the retreat is well worth it.
At the time Meredith was new to the University of Northern Iowa. Since her first days on campus, she had prayed that God would use her to touch another person for Christ. A student named Kara was among her first friends.
When Meredith learned about the Main Event, she thought it would be a great place to get to know other Christians and grow in Christ. Certainly the impression to invite Kara to come along was of the Lord. Hesitant at first, Kara reluctantly said okay. At the event, as the two friends participated in a small-group discussion, Kara gave her life to Christ.
"Meredith is hopping up and down because she’s so excited," recalls Jim. "As it turns out, Kara’s brother, Josh, is one of our student leaders. On his conference evaluation he wrote that the highlight of his weekend was that his sister’s name is written in the Book of Life."
Derrick’s Decision
One of the Main Event’s signature touches is an evening meal in the homes of families in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area. Some 150 families opened their homes to groups of eight to 10 students, and after the meals, those families shared about the difference Jesus has made and is making in their lives.
"Every year it’s one of the highlights for the students," says Jim. "A majority of them have never sat in a home and heard about Jesus at the dinner table. We’ve even had students trust Christ through the witness of the families."
In fact, a University of Northern Iowa freshman named Derrick did just that last year. "He was a religious kid without a relationship with Jesus," says Jim, "just the type of student we’re targeting."
Derrick was among the group that went to the home of Jeff and Judy Sutton, prayer and financial partners of Jim and his wife, Beth, and their ministry with The Navigators. "It gets our partners involved in our ministry in a way they normally never could," adds Beth.
"Judy is a quiet woman with a deep faith in Christ," says Jim. "After dinner, she shared her testimony. Derrick felt Judy was talking about his own life growing up. When he realized that he didn’t have a true relationship with Jesus, he gave his life to Christ."
Awesome Offering
Every year an offering is taken at the Main Event, with the proceeds going to worthy ministries. "Last year, money went to ministries in China, Zambia, central Nigeria, Lithuania, and Argentina," says Jim. "We wanted to help a Navigator staff national in Nigeria who lives on about $350 per month, and our goal was to give him $5,000.
"We also wanted to raise $5,000 for a missionary in Zambia," he says. "Year before last, we gave $17,000 to the Zambian ministry to help with new staff. The Heartland Region of the Navigators has some warrior missions people. The history of missions runs deep in this region. The University of Nebraska has sent students to Zambia for 12 years."
When the offering was collected, not only had they raised the $10,000, but it had come in cash! In addition, the students committed another $28,000 in pledges.
Why did the offering touch their hearts? "This generation of students has been handed so much in life and has been living for self for a long time," says Jim. "What we’re seeing with the offering is a response to the Gospel and the call to lose your life and give your life away. When these students meet Christ and He becomes Lord, everything else comes into perspective. We challenge the students with this in mind.
"We challenge some of them to go home over Christmas break and get a part-time job so that they could help people hear the Gospel in China," he says. "We challenge the fact that they say they have no money, because we know many of them will drop $50 to see a concert or buy a $10 pizza when they go home from the conference. So we ask them to consider giving up that pizza once a month and give the money to God’s work. Money’s not the issue with most students; it’s really a matter of the heart. And we’ve seen some amazing things happen as students respond to this challenge."
Here’s a striking example. At the end of the retreat, one student came up to a Zambian missionary and said she had a check for him. While he appreciated her gift, the missionary said that several churches have committed to meet his needs. She insisted that he pass along the money to others who were going to Zambia. He graciously accepted the check and put it in his pocket. When he looked at it some time later, he was amazed to see it was made out for $1,000!
Leader’s Lesson
When the students were in the host homes, the staff and volunteers had a special supper and heard from the speaker. "This was probably the most powerful thing for me," says Jim. "He shared a message on what it means to live a God-centered life and lead a cross-centered ministry, rather than a man-centered approach. It was unbelievable. The speaker showed how much we don’t really believe in the sufficiency of Christ, and that too much of what we do depends on our efforts.
"Through the different speakers we’ve had, God has changed and developed my theology," adds Jim, "changing me from being man-centered to being God-centered and really understanding grace.
"God always uses the Main Event in my life, and I look forward to it as much as the students. It’s a lot of work, but to see students come to Christ and get excited about missions makes it all worth it."
If you're interested in learning more about The Navigators' Collegiate Ministry, contact:
P.O. Box 6000
Colorado Springs, CO 80934
(719) 594-2315
fax: (719) 598-7757
e-mail: info@campusnavs.org
Web site:www.navigators.org/collegiate
