Inside Story
New Kids on the Block
Growing Staff for a Compelling Calling
by Rebecca K. Grosenbach
To know Christ and to make Him known.
This slogan has characterized The Navigators since its inception. And the newest members of the Navigator family believe this is their calling as well. Meet several of the new kids on the block.
One newcomer, Todd Lollar, has been equipping collegiate ministries across the states through a ministry he started called Chi Rho Connections (www.chirhoconnections.com). He is known for such inspirational messages as “God’s Power in Your Weakness,” in which he expresses thankfulness for his cerebral palsy.
“I’m passionate about explaining the postmodern culture and sharing the Gospel with this age group in ways that they can live out,” Todd says. “I’m inspired by The Navigators’ Kingdom vision.” Todd joins the Navigator team at the University of North Texas in Denton. “What an opportune time to mentor these souls to be servants of Jesus Christ.”
Another new staff member, Lauren Johnson, was one of those people whose
life turned around in college, especially as she was discipled by a
Navigator campus worker at Florida State University. “She asked me if I’d like to read the Bible with her,” Lauren recalls. “I said, ‘Is that something you’re supposed to do?’ ” Lauren’s lack of understanding of basic spiritual disciplines soon turned into a passion for reading and memorizing Scripture. Because of this experience, Lauren is eager to see other college students draw closer to Christ. “My heart is for women,” she says, “to help equip them to know the Lord better and be excited about the freedom they have in Christ.” Lauren’s ministry is divided between working in the U.S. Navigators office and on the campus of the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
Another life changed by The Navigators is Nate VanNoord’s, and it all
began before he was old enough to realize it. His parents, Roger and
Joan VanNoord, were Navigators in the community ministry in Detroit.Today, Nate lives and works among young adults in inner-city Detroit. “I do a lot of tutoring and teaching English,” he says. “I did a Bible study on the poor and realized I wanted to devote some if not all of my life to making disciples among the poor. I want to help people achieve equal opportunities for housing and education. I want to help meet people’s basic needs, physically and socially, but do it in a way that is very ‘Navigator-esque,’ meeting with people one-to-one or in small groups.”
Unlike Nate, Dave Seusy had never heard of The Navigators growing up in
Boise, Idaho. It wasn’t until he was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base
near Omaha, Nebraska, that he learned about the ministry. Dave’s wife, Michelle, also grew up in Boise, but she was the only believer in her family. She came to Christ under the influence of a family friend. During their time in Omaha, they were discipled by a Navigator couple.
“I’d never been pursued like that before,” Dave recalls, “I got excited about that kind of ministry.”
Burdened for Michelle’s family, the Seusys returned to Boise but learned there were no Navigators serving there. “We love the way Navigators do things—intentionally, one-to-one—and doing that in the context of a loving relationship. So we joined the Church Discipleship Ministry and started a work in Boise.”
These new staff members are among more than 100 people who have recently joined The Navigators’ team, each with a passion to help others grow in Christ and make Him known throughout the world.
On the cover: Todd Lollar
Cover Photo: Just Imagine, Inc. Photography, www.justimagineinc.com
