Around the Ministry - The Navigators

When US Airways Flight 1549 made its emergency landing in the Hudson River in January, Janis Krum, a passenger on one of the ferries that rushed to help, took a picture of the downed plane. She shared the photo with her friends on Twitter, before traditional media arrived at the scene.

So what is Twitter? Here’s how it describes itself: “Twitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” The TwitPic service is what allowed Ms. Krum to send her on-the-scene photos.

People can read their messages—called tweets—on their personal Twitter sites, or they can receive them as text messages on their phones. Each “tweet” is limited to just 140 characters, which is the number of characters in this carefully worded sentence, so one has to be brief.

The Navigators has a Twitter page at twitter.com/thenavigators because we don’t want to miss any opportunity to speak the name of Jesus. We’d love to have you follow along.

For the past four years, Debbie Schwartz has led a group from her Asian American church in Seattle to serve cross-culturally at Wiconi International’s annual family camp and pow-wow. This coming summer Debbie—co-director of Spectrum, The Navigators’ ethnic ministries—hopes to get more of her Nav colleagues involved.

Wiconi International is a faith-based organization reaching out to Native Americans, also called First Nations people. Their annual family camp draws Native American leaders from across the country who are passionate about communicating the Gospel in the heart language of their people. Typically more than 300 people attend the weeklong camp.

“Every summer we are formally recognized for our services, but last summer they invited our team into the pow-wow circle for the Honor Dance. We lined up in tight rows and danced around the circle. While we danced, people entered the circle to thank us, shake our hands, and create a train of dancers behind us.”

As she danced, Debbie looked behind her and saw a long train of people. “It was incredibly moving to be physically surrounded and embraced through the dance,” Debbie says. “This experience has given us a new understanding of community and has led to a much deeper level of trust.”

Go to www.navigators.org/us/ministries/ethnic to learn more about Spectrum.

While Navigator campus groups are places where students discover Christ and grow spiritually, they’re also safe havens for those who are grappling with their faith.

Joshua and Laura Ziesel, Navigators at Boston University, met “Kristi,” who came to BU bored with Christianity. She reluctantly attended the Navigator Bible study and now things are turning around for her.

“It has been very encouraging to see her dig into the Word and begin to talk about her relationship with Jesus,” Laura says.

Joshua and Laura—and all those involved in Collegiate ministry—simply seek to bring students closer to Jesus, no matter what the starting point.

Visit http://people.bu.edu/navs to learn more about the ministry at Boston University.

A modern-day “Bonnie and Clyde,” Ora and Mike were literally partners in crime. They met on the streets of Chicago, and Ora would serve as lookout while Mike committed robbery. Eventually, prison time separated the couple.

Later, during a drug treatment program, Ora met a personal God who deeply loved her. Through the testimony of Navigator Connie Milton, a former drug addict and past inmate, Ora realized God could give her new life, one free from the control of drugs.

Connie introduced Ora to Breaking Ground, a ministry of The Navigators. She completed the Teaching Factory job readiness program, graduating with perfect attendance, yet she was unable to find a job. The Teaching Factory promises to help its graduates find work so Ora held them to it. She volunteered to work for Breaking Ground, and after two months was offered a full-time job.

Meanwhile, Mike saw his life transformed by God’s grace and in August 2008 Mike and Ora were married.

“Today they are a core part of Breaking Ground, they belong to a good church, and are being mentored together weekly by Navigators Peter and Naomi Payne,” says Navigator Jeff Dennis of Breaking Ground. “Mike and Ora are living a life that pleases God and blesses people. There is no miracle greater than a life transformed by and for the glory of God.”

Visit breakingground.net for more of Ora’s story and the Breaking Ground ministry.

In my early years, I experienced the guilt, shame, and bad news that some Christians portray. In college, I was first exposed to the Gospel of God’s love, deliverance, and the Good News of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. My life changed and I am compelled to cry out with the psalmist, “I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, for I am overwhelmed by how much you have done for me” (Psalm 71:15 NLT).

Our Navigator purposes are centered on the Good News and are focused on the advance of the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom. We want to see not-yet-believing friends find hope in the Gospel, and we long to see those who follow Christ transformed by its power.

Two truths grip me when I consider the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom. First, God has set us free and has redeemed us for life as citizens of the Kingdom. The apostle Paul wrote, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

Second, all God’s Good News is wrapped up in His absolute reign as King of the universe. In Isaiah 52:7, the prophet expresses God’s Kingdom Good News, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’ ”