Around the Ministry - The Navigators

When you think about Navigators, “relationships” comes to mind. Perhaps you think of the man or woman on campus or a military base, in church or the metro area where you live, who’s influenced you in your spiritual journey.

A “blog,” or web-log, is all about relationships, and many Navigator blogs and “relationships waiting to happen” are available to you so that you can be a part of the conversation around various aspects of Navigator ministry. The quickest way to find Navigator blogs is to the left on the Facebook Fan Page, “Navigator Staff Blogs.”

There you’ll find stories from Seattle, Kristine’s EDGE Corps experience, updates on the Metro ministry in Philadelphia, and more. If you’re interested in the publishing industry, read Mike Miller’s NavPress blog.

Navigator blogs offer a front-row seat to “fresh from the field” updates of God at work in the various missions and ministries of The Navigators. Remember, blogs enable you to participate. In fact, on The Navigators’ Prayer Blog, you can join men and women around the world in praying for particular needs, and you can invite Navigators around the world to join you in praying for your needs.

Again, go to the Facebook Fan Page to get started!

Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola, is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States. “In Angola, ‘life’ means life,” says Bill Moritz of The Navigators. “Only one in six will leave here alive.”

Jamie Davis

Though the vast majority of Angola’s 5,200 residents will never be free on the outside, Bill’s involved in The Navigators’ Prison Discipleship Ministry to help many become free on the inside—through a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Navigators are also getting creative on reaching more residents. This summer 600 prisoners were on hand for a Gospel jazz concert featuring 30 musicians from the Count Basie Orchestra, various universities, and the New Orleans jazz scene. A recorded version titled Free on the Inside is expected to be available soon.

“You all have to come back and do this in the rodeo arena,” said Warden Burl Cain, referring to a larger venue. “You are the most fantastic group we’ve had here, and we’ve had superstars!”

For more information on PDM or the upcoming CD, e-mail Bill.Moritz@navigators.org.

“The fishing is good around here,” says Andy Puleo, a Navigator in Freeport, New York, “both in a physical and a spiritual sense.” Andy takes seriously Jesus’ invitation: “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass” (Matthew 4:19, MSG).

“For us,” Andy says, “fishing has become an effective ministry outreach.” Take Charles, for instance. He’s an unofficial “mayor” in his neighborhood, Roosevelt, where poverty and gang warfare are everyday realities. On a recent fishing adventure Charles returned with a couple keepers, and on the next trip he brought along his girlfriend and younger brothers.

Meanwhile, as Andy has mentored this younger believer to live out his faith in Roosevelt, Charles is having an influence for Christ. “Charles participated in the Greg Laurie Crusade with us here on Long Island,” Andy says. “He brought two children and an 18-year-old ex-con, and two of them went forward.” Looks like Charles is becoming “a new kind of fisherman” as well!

Don and Kathy Allen (far left) pose with STP participants at the final banquet.

It rained on “True Joy,” plans changed, and Navigator staff Don Allen realized that God was still in the true joy business.

“True Joy,” one of many Navigator Summer Training Programs across the nation, was Don’s fifteenth in San Diego and the first they had to change venues because of rain. The initial plan was for the 20 students in the program to pair up and talk to people about their faith in expansive Balboa Park. Since not too many were there because of rain, they broke into four groups.

One ended up at a nearby mall, where two students experienced true joy as they encountered Conrad and Gloria.

Though Conrad was hard of hearing and Gloria couldn’t speak English, the students spoke loudly into Conrad’s ear, he translated for Gloria, and Gloria “eagerly received Christ,” Don says. Meanwhile, he adds, in Balboa Park a couple students met Leon, a homeless U.S. Navy vet who gave them a lesson about true joy. “It only comes from God,” he said. “Believe in Jesus Christ and He gives the joy!”

One of the passions and driving values of The Navigators is our heart for the nations. From the first promises given to Abraham, God’s plans have been world changing and world reaching.

For Pam and me, it was back when we were leading student ministry at a church in Denver that God first opened our eyes to His heart for all nations. Through various ministry endeavors in the inner-city and then internationally, God began to open our eyes to the diversity of the people He loves and intends to influence and bless through the Gospel.

Today Navigators are sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ in 108 countries, helping everyday people become grounded in the Scriptures and in their relationship with Christ and equipping them to reach their families and friends. Yet we do not have to go outside our U.S. borders to be part of God’s redemptive plan for the nations.

Within our U.S. cities, on college campuses, and on military bases, Navigator staff and ministry partners are reaching out to people from every ethnic background. Some nations represented by people like Delphina Johnson, featured in this issue, have been in this country longer than most of our ancestors. Immigrants from all over the world have come to the United States and represent God’s diverse creation.

Navigators are committed to being part of the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan for all nations and seeing Him become more famous among all peoples.