A Citywide Vision: Simple and Intentional Discipleship in Jacksonville

In 2010, Navigators John and Melissa Teten moved to Jacksonville to pioneer a new college ministry at the University of North Florida (UNF), wondering how the Lord might move in the hearts of students and in the city.

Now, 15 years later, that ministry has grown, not only at the collegiate level, but across the community. From workplaces to neighborhoods to campuses, everyday disciplemakers are rising up across Jacksonville, spreading the gospel with a holistic vision for the entire city.

“What we long to see are people that will make disciples for the rest of their lives,” John says, who is now the Navigators Collegiate Southeast Division Director. “Our calling is a long-term vision, even if that looks a little different through the seasons of life.”

Three such disciplemakers — Brian, Ahmani, and Steven — are creating impact in the unique circles that God has placed them in, making the most of their gifts and callings right where they are in Jacksonville. Their stories are just a small glimpse into the bigger picture of how God is moving in Jacksonville — one faithful disciple at a time.

Answered Prayers on Campus

When John first arrived at UNF, there was no Navigator presence. He remembers praying for eight men to show up in Bible study that first year. Now, the ministry at UNF is not only growing, but thriving, with a couple hundred students involved.

“Each of those people represents someone who could help someone else, who then could help someone else,” John says. “So I’m thrilled with what God’s doing at UNF right now.”

Today, the ministry at UNF is directed by Navigator Brian Incontrera. Brian first met The Navigators when he was a freshman in college at the University of South Florida when he passed by one of their table booths and was invited to a Bible study. Though he was a Christian, he didn’t really know how to grow in his own faith until he started getting discipled by a Navigator named Luke.

As a college student, Brian watched as discipleship transformed his walk with the Lord. Now as a Navigator, he passes on what he learned to students at UNF, and he’s watching as the spirit of disciplemaking is taking flight on campus.

“On campus, our students are really focusing on their relationship with the Lord and learning how to make their faith a priority,” Brian says. “Then that will affect them in their walk with the Lord when they graduate and go off in the world. When they have families, jobs, whatever ministry they are doing — they will know how to make Jesus a priority, as well as continue to make disciples wherever they go.”

From the beginning, the collegiate ministry at UNF has been a result of prayer and dedication to the Lord’s work on campus, for John and Brian alike.

“John came and prayed and started something here,” Brian says. “Now, coming all this way, I’m the director. And it’s been really cool to see God continue to answer those prayers.”

Sharing Hope in the Workplace

For Ahmani Joseph, being a therapist and social worker is a calling the Lord put on her heart from a young age.

Growing up, she watched her dad as he did outreach in the city. Working at an urban clothing store in downtown Jacksonville, he started hosting Bible studies in that space for youth in the community.

“They would tell him things that were going on in their lives, and he was able to provide hope for them,” Ahmani remembers. “So I was younger and seeing this, and was like, man, this is something that I want to do. It’s interesting how God places things on your heart when He has a purpose for you.”

Ahmani started getting involved with The Navigators when she was a student at the University of Central Florida. However, her journey as a disciplemaker really kicked off when she decided to join Navigators staff for Edge Corps at Florida A&M University. Now as a therapist for kids in foster care in Jacksonville, she takes what she learned and shares the hope of Christ in the midst of hard situations.

“I see some of the most broken situations and places, and it can be pretty overwhelming,” she says. “But my time involved with The Navigators — that experience really taught me how to disciple people, how to walk alongside people, and ways to pass this along to the next generation.”

Through her job, Ahmani’s role is to show compassion, care, and intentionally pray for those God has placed in her path.

“These kids don’t have people who are praying over them by name, so I do,” she says. “I pray for them that they would feel God pursuing them.”

Faithfulness in the Neighborhood

Going into college at UNF, Steven Weatherford didn’t know how to interact with other Christians, share the gospel, or pray. He felt lonely, and he prayed that God would send him someone to lead and teach him about faith. Through The Navigators, God answered his prayer.

“I was taught by The Navigators and being discipled in the collegiate ministry,” Steven remembers. “I was shown deep care, and my life has been transformed through that. Now I make disciples at my church, my work, and my neighborhood because of what I was taught.”

A high school math teacher, Steven intentionally lives out his faith by meeting with coworkers for Bible study and being available to answer students’ questions about life and God. Beyond the school building, Steven has a passion for showing God’s love to his neighbors through acts of kindness or hospitality, opening the door to deeper discussions about faith. From hosting monthly barbecues in his front yard to inviting neighbors into Bible study at his church, he is investing in relationships.

“In my neighborhood, it seems like everybody’s from a different country,” he says. “It’s amazing. After I graduated college, the Lord had broken my heart for the nations, and I prayed the Lord would bring me to a neighborhood where there were lots of people from different neighborhoods. After we started talking to our neighbors, I realized that the Lord had answered that prayer to have intentional relationships with people from different backgrounds.”

Holistic City Discipleship

Over the past 15 years, God has nurtured the seeds of faithful prayer and intentional discipleship in Jacksonville through dedicated disciplemakers across the city, each of whom are leaning into the spaces God has placed them to build relationships and live lives that point to Christ.

“Whether you are Brian or Ahmani or Steven or me and Melissa, the idea is that all of us can make disciples,” John says. “All of us can be good neighbors, love others, and help people know Christ and make Him known.”

Join us in praying over the city of Jacksonville, that believers continue to rise up and work together to make disciples, exactly where they are.