Around the Ministry
 “God did it!”Billy Graham expressed the joy everyone involved felt in 1951 when The Navigators was able to make the $110,000 down payment to purchase Glen Eyrie, the property that is now the ministry’s headquarters. The Glen Eyrie castle was built in the 1880s as the home of General William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs. The property changed hands through the years until 1953 when owner George Strake heard  evangelist
Billy Graham was looking for a headquarters. Graham decided the
property didn’t suit his needs, and so with Graham’s encouragement
Strake offered it to The Navigators, giving only six weeks to raise the
down payment. Indeed, God did it, with the average donation being just $20! What’s more, Strake threw in an additional 300 acres, which became Eagle Lake Camp. Other buildings now house the ministry’s offices. The castle is the Glen Eyrie Conference Center, which hosts more than 40 conferences a year. Eagle Lake Camp serves more than 2,000 campers each summer. All this because “God did it!” |
 Getting
connected—and staying connected—with people around the globe has become
easier in the Internet age. The Navigators is learning to take
advantage of this tool by creating websites to encourage those involved
in Navigator ministry.One such site is NavConnect, created especially for recent college graduates. NavConnect is the cooperative effort of the Collegiate Mission and b2g, or better2gether, The Navigators’ ministry to young adults. “This website puts out the welcome mat for the graduates, inviting them to discover the larger Navigator family of staff and like-hearted friends who are scattered like good seed all over the world,” says Mark Lewis. Mark and fellow Navigator David Morris, who work with both Collegiate and b2g, have been leading this new Internet venture. “We are inviting the graduate to connect right where they are for Kingdom impact. “NavConnect is a bridge to Navigator opportunities, communities, and resources,” Mark adds. “It exists to help the graduate take Christ’s love from the campuses to the cities and the nations as lifelong laborers.” Check out NavConnect at www.navconnect.org. |
 At
the start of 2008, Navigator staff in Kenya faced what had been
described as the country’s “gravest crisis” following disputed
elections held in late December. Violence left hundreds dead and
thousands homeless. A power-sharing agreement reached in late February
restored a level of peace. The country’s hardship has unexpectedly opened countless doors to express God’s love to those in need. Navigator country leader Stanley Mukolwe relates the following story of a man named George: “Yesterday George came to our gate. He has a wife and three children and was unsure of where his next meal would come from. In thinking who might be able to help him in these hard times, he says my name came to his mind. He had done some carpentry for me last year, and he recalled that I had served him a cup of tea. He walked nearly three hours to our home to look for help. I was able to give him a little money to help him buy food for his family.  We cannot help everyone, but there are those people the Lord brings right to your door—you cannot ignore those.”In the early days of the conflict, Navigator staff gathered for a time of prayer. “Forty of us had an opportunity to express ourselves and to pray together,” Stanley says. “Many were angry at what had happened, but friendships remained intact.” Much of the tension centered around tribal differences. Among Navigators, however, staff members risked their lives for each other. “Staff from opposing tribes hid in each other’s houses and prayed together during the crisis,” Stanley says. “Many Christians were filtering the political news with tribal grids,” Stanley says. “Navigator staff members were filtering it with a biblical grid.” If you would like to offer financial help to Navigators in Kenya, go to http://tinyurl.com/2j5zcv. |
  I
have often said that there is one thing that binds all Navigators
together when it comes to ministry: the love of investing in another
person spiritually. This is the heart and soul of The Navigators. All
of us love to sit across the table from someone, Bible in hand,
describing what God is teaching us. The dynamic of two people sharing
their lives together in Christ is incredibly transformational.When I was a student at Marshall University, it was a banker from another city who took the time to invest in my life. That made me want to spend the rest of my life investing in other people. I’ve been doing it from the University of Maryland to the University of Illinois. I’ve invested in lives from Canada to Asia. What a privilege! God’s grace is so good. In 2 Timothy 2:2, the apostle Paul reminds Timothy to commit his life to “faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” We never know what will be the outcome of our lives. However, we know that careful life-to-life investment in faithful people greatly increases the possibility of a good, healthy result. This issue’s “Inside Story” featuring Matt and Julie Letourneau demonstrates once again that God gives a wonderful return on investment when we carefully give our lives to others. May God give to His Kingdom many like Matt and Julie who are willing to invest their lives in others that He may be glorified. |
 In the fall of 2006, the Bices received approval to recruit Christian language partners for the school’s American Language Institute.  “For years we’ve
recruited Christian families to host internationals, so the idea of
recruiting Christian language partners wasn’t unheard of,” Dan says. Students team up with volunteers from local churches who undergo training to be conversation partners. The volunteers are prohibited from “surreptitious, deceptive, or coercive” proselytizing, “but we wouldn’t use that approach anyway,” Dan says. About 40 pairs have been involved in the program each semester. “We are allowed to engage the students in conversation about spiritual things,” adds Dan, “as long as the student is comfortable.” Click here for more information on the International Students Ministry. |
