Around the Ministry - The Navigators


		Over the next 50 years Hispanics and Asians will account for most of the growth in the U.S. population. In the 1990s, Hispanics accounted for 40 percent of U.S. population growth. Hispanics are the youngest population group in the United States. By 2050, it is projected that one in five Americans will be of Hispanic origin. Through NavVida, The Navigators is reaching the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic population In California, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Texas.

Most people have never heard of “spiritual pizza”—unless they’ve been around The Navigators at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Navigator Jeff Wiegel challenges freshmen to hold “spiritual pizza” events. Jeff says, “They invite students from their dorm floors to eat pizza and have an informal discussion about spirituality.”

Students tackle some tough questions of faith at these gatherings, such as: Why would God send two thirds of the world to hell? Does God care if we know the Bible?

Isaac, one of the freshmen Navigator students involved in the spiritual pizza events, liked the way other students moved beyond superficial conversations. “It was a tremendous change,” he said. “I was excited to observe 11 young men share their hearts and wrestle with topics that are rarely mentioned. And I had a chance to share my testimony with them.”

Nate is another Navigator freshman involved in the spiritual pizza events. He’d been afraid of being judged by others and lacking the Bible knowledge to handle thorny spiritual questions. “Through prayer and encouragement from Jeff,” he said, “I talked with the men on my floor. My relationship with five men in the group has grown through talking about spirituality with them.”

For Nate, it’s seeing the Bible in action, reminding him of what he’s read in Acts 4:13: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized they had been with Jesus (ESV).

We seldom hear about the spiritual impact military life has on military wives, yet this is what The Navigators U.S. Military Women’s Core Team addresses.

Julie Matthews, who leads the team, explains, “Some of the 200 staff women in our mission live in remote areas and don’t see another Navigator regularly. Many are active duty, facing separations and other challenges of military life that make living out their faith difficult.”

In response, a group of Navigator women created Titus II, a program to help Navigator women find mentoring and encouragement. The program includes over 62 staff members from all service branches across the world. Older women address the needs of younger women through a series of “connections” (via e-mails or phone calls) over a period of four months. A coordinator matches mature women with younger women based on the needs the younger women express.

One participant described her mentor this way: “She always made time for me. She showed a real passion for teaching me to grow in my faith. That makes me excited to be an ‘older’ woman who helps disciple others someday.”

—Howard Hendricks
Distinguished Professor, Dallas Theological Seminary Chairman, Center for Christian Leadership

No group has been more consistent or faithful in promoting discipleship than The Navigators. For many years I was a member of their Board of Directors and can assure you discipleship is their passion. Their influence surfaces wherever I go in my ministry. They specialize not only in what to do but in how to do it. I urge my students to get next to a Navigator, and they will certainly catch the disease. The secret of the Christian’s future is our investment in the present. I am witnessing a profound impact when The Navigators is involved. Discover this for yourself.

Wherever Navigators minister they emphasize the importance of spiritual growth—of living like Jesus among the lost. One powerful demonstration of a Christ-like life is an attitude of thankfulness. The Apostle Paul highlighted how important thankfulness is: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6,7).

Evan and Kim Griffin, who minister with The Navigators at The University of Cincinnati, focused on that character trait recently, asking student leaders what they were thankful for. Here are their responses:

Carri says, “I’m thankful to The Navigators for learning what it means to love Jesus and others. I’d be a very lost person if Jesus (and The Navigators) hadn’t found me when they did.”

Emily responded, “I’m thankful for the person who has mentored me for the past three years. I don’t know where I’d be in my walk with God without her investment in my life. It’s great!”

Josiah replied, “I am thankful that The Navigators has equipped and nurtured me to the point where I am now reading the Bible with others who do not know Jesus yet.”

Jesus’ prayer for His disciples The Word of God is timeless and unchanging. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Our world, however, is in a constant state of change. How do we live out the unchanging truth of the Gospel among the lost of this ever-changing world?

Doug Nuenke
U.S. President, The Navigators

Navigators reach out to young people on college campuses and military installations with the truth of the Gospel. We help them cultivate a passion for others, for the Word of God, and for sharing the Gospel. God has richly blessed that. But what happens when these young people leave the places where they were nurtured in faith and find themselves in the midst of an ever-changing world—bombarded with questions and pressures?

The Navigators 20s mission provides young adults with the resources, connections, and influence they need to live out the Gospel right where they live, work, and play during this critical transition in their lives.

CityLife, a Navigator initiative within the 20s mission, helps people in their 20s and 30s integrate faith into everyday life. Teams make a one- to two-year covenant to walk with God, live and disciple among the lost, and pursue excellence at work, while we provide structure and a mentor for each team.

Thank God for what He is already doing through this new venture, and pray that He will continue to give us the courage and faith to try new things to advance His Kingdom.