Around the Ministry
 As a new millennium dawned, some 175 Navigator leaders gathered in New York City to experience the changing face of America. We asked ourselves, “Were Navigators entering into the ethnic minority communities of America?” The 2000 leadership gathering in New York City, called Building Bridges, proved a turning point. The purpose: to provide an experience of empathetic understanding that could guide Navigator leaders to meaningful action.  At the Building Bridges conference, the national leader community of the U.S. Navigators together faced our lack of intention to reach all of America and decided to walk differently into the future. Eddie Broussard, vice president of Diversity, recalls, “We realized we could not go on with business as usual. God revealed our shallow understanding of the issues at the heart of taking the Gospel cross-culturally in this country.” Today we are seeing new growth in our African American, Hispanic, Asian American, and Native American ministries. Progress is being made as ethnic minorities begin finding The Navigators an attractive place for ministry. |
 After an absence of almost 15 years, The Navigators has returned to the University of Hawaii (UH). Tim Lin and Mike Cain arrived in August to launch the new work. Both Tim and Mike were involved with The Navigators while students at the University of Arizona. In the fall of 2007, they were approached by regional director Joe Maschhoff and U of A campus director Bryce Bouchard about the idea of reopening the ministry at UH. “After a few months of prayer, we decided that this would be a tremendous opportunity for us to grow as men of faith and courage,” Tim says. They started by making friends with college students at local churches and meeting staff from other student ministries. “Relationships are highly valued in the Hawaiian culture, “ Tim says. “Although the culture and the personality of students here present a unique challenge, requiring adjustments and rethinking various ministry goals, the reality is that students are students, and the Kingdom is not constrained by such differences,” Tim says. “Most everything is different, but the truth and power of the Gospel are so relevant that differences fade in the light of its truth.” |
 George Sanchez, longtime Navigator staff member, passed away September 24, 2008, at 86. George and his wife, Florine, joined The Navigators in 1956. The following year they went to Costa Rica to begin The Navigators’ first work in Latin America. Throughout his long and varied career, George counseled and encouraged Navigators all over the world—often through his seminars on the family, communication, and interpersonal relationships. Before retiring in 1988, George served as international ministries director. George and Florine were married for 64 years before her death July 15, 2008. Read more about George and Florine on our website: www.navigators.org. |
 An establishment called The Loose Goose Café might seem an unlikely location for a faith discussion, but that’s where Jeff and Mary Campbell meet University of Massachusetts students every week.The Loose Goose proprietors allow the group to meet after the café is closed to the public. After some social time they watch a video about a faith topic. The group has a time of silent reflection followed by discussion. Then they work together on a service project like making blankets for a children’s charity. Every week we have at least one new student brought by a friend,” Jeff says. |
“I will always be grateful for how the Lord used The Navigators in my life to teach me about Him.” This affirmation came to The Navigators not in a letter, phone call, or even an e-mail. It was a post on The Navigators’ Facebook page. If you’re unfamiliar with it, Facebook is an Internet networking site with 100 million users worldwide. It is one way The Navigators is nurturing relationships with old and new friends. Facebook is an example of “social media,” Internet-based tools for interaction and the sharing of information. In addition to Facebook, The Navigators has a redesigned website with pages describing our various ministries and staff. “The Navigators has been in ministry for 75 years, and through the years we’ve made a lot of friends,” says Internet Ministries Director Randy Susman. “Through social media, it’s our hope to reconnect the Navigator family as never before. Let me encourage you to bookmark www.navigators.org, read One-to-One regularly online, take part in The Navigators’ prayer blog, become a Friend of The Navigators on Facebook, see Navigator ministry in action at www.youtube.com/thenavigators, and keep the conversation going!” |
  Throughout the years, Pam and I have been blessed by people with a call from God to pray for us. One of those with a special passion for prayer is Swann Bates, Pam’s mom, who’s known all over Kansas City as a woman of prayer. She has prayed faithfully for us since before we were married. Other prayer warriors on our behalf include Brent Bishop, Marilyn Harrison, Don Allen, Kaye Nock, and the couple we’ve featured on the cover, Vic and Lindy Black. The prophet Jeremiah helps us understand why prayer is so essential. “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’ ” (Jeremiah 33:2,3). Because of our deep dependence on God’s grace, work, and power in our lives, it’s natural to partner with our friends Vic and Lindy in calling our Navigator friends to a season of prayer. Vic and I long to see God exalted and sought in prayer. It was out of our friendship, out of prayer, and out of those conversations that the idea of a prayer blog was birthed. Let me encourage you to go to our website and participate in the month of prayer with us. We not only hope for this blog to be a tool during this set aside time of prayer, but also an ongoing resource for a network of like-hearted intercessors across our Navigator work. |
