During those trips I learned how to read a state road map. I still carry an old-school atlas with me in the car, just in case. But today we can open an app on our phones or on the car dashboard to provide us with cues for our travels. The GPS tells us when to exit, merge with traffic, and change lanes. It can provide alternate routes based on traffic, suggest the closest coffee shop, or exclaim “Recalculating route!” when you miss your turn.

But what’s the one thing necessary for a GPS system to function as it has been designed?

A Destination.

When it comes to raising disciples, we should set our eyes on the destination.

I believe that one of the reasons parents and caregivers struggle to disciple children well is that we haven’t clearly identified the destination for their discipleship and the directions that guide them toward that goal.

How would you describe a child who is entering adolescence as an active disciple? Would you choose words that describe their character: loving, joyful, obedient, self-controlled? Or would you choose words that describe behaviors: reads the Bible daily, asks spiritual questions, worships God? Perhaps you would choose words that describe their depth of knowledge and understanding about God and His Word.

Public and private education systems have stated objectives when it comes to student expectations. Lists of student learning outcomes articulate the goals for students at the conclusion of each grade level. Each child is unique and develops at their own rate, so there are those who will exceed the expectations and others who will struggle. But teachers begin each year knowing the goals and guiding students along the path toward achievement. Like a GPS, they might have to find alternate paths for some or help others get turned back around, but with a clear goal and markers on the way, teachers are able to guide their young disciples.

This is what we’ve been missing in our homes and churches — a discipleship map that states the goal for raising disciples and provides directions toward that goal.

In some Christian traditions, the goal for children has been a public confession of Christ; in others, submission through the act of baptism. In yet other traditions, it has been the completion of confirmation classes. Regardless of our tradition, our goal for raising disciples should be the same as the goal for all disciples: to become more and more like Christ every day.

For three years, Jesus taught the crowds, His enemies, and political leaders, but most often, He was teaching twelve ordinary men from various backgrounds, vocations, and experiences. When He chose the Twelve, He had a goal in mind. Jesus knew that at the conclusion of His earthly ministry He would redeem the world through His death, return to God the Father, and equip His followers with the Holy Spirit to disciple others. He needed a core group of leaders who would follow Him daily (Luke 9:23), continuing His mission “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10) and to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

As Jesus prepared to leave the Twelve to continue His mission, He met with them to give them some final encouragements and admonitions. Woven through Jesus’ conversation in the upper room (John 13–17), we find descriptions of what it means to become like Christ:

• Follow His example (John 13:14-15),
• Love others (John 13:34),
• Believe in God (John 14:1),
• Keep God’s commands (John 14:15), and
• Remain in Christ (John 15:4).

These descriptors provide some direction toward the goal for all disciples.

With the destination of becoming like Christ as our goal, we can utilize childhood development information from the fields of social science, learning theory, and psychology to create a map for discipleship from infancy to adolescence.* Beginning at birth, there are seven directional discipleship markers — approximately one for every two years of life — that parallel the biological, cognitive, social, and moral development of children. Just as Jesus discipled the Twelve from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity, we can use this map to raise disciples who become increasingly more like Christ.

Did you like this article? Check out Teresa Roberts’ full book, Raising Disciples, as well as the accompanying free 8-week parenting curriculum today!

Discipleship Tip:

When discipling someone, consider verbally setting discipleship goals. With a destination in mind, you can orchestrate milestones and implement accountability, making sure that you both are progressing forward in their discipleship journey.

*The faith research of James W. Fowler (Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1981) and insights of spiritual development from John H. Westerhoff III (Will Our Children Have Faith?, 3rd. ed., Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse, 2012) has also informed this discipleship map.

Meet the Author

Teresa Roberts is Professor of Ministry and Christian Formation, Program Director of Children’s Ministry, and a vice president at Ozark Christian College. She is an expert in children’s spiritual formation training with more than 25 years of ministry experience.

Dr. Roberts holds a Master of Arts in Family and Youth Ministry, a Master of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry. She serves in children’s ministry at Carterville Christian Church where she attends with her husband and step-daughter. Learn more at discipleshipguides.com/.

Walt’s father had passed away when he was 13 years old, and since then, his life had spiraled out of control. Frequently getting into trouble, he left for college without a home to come back to. “I was just a mess,” Walt remembers. “I went off to college to party my life away. The day I left for college, my mom told me, ‘I don’t ever want you coming back here.’”

On July 12th, Walt got drunk with a friend and cried for the first time since his dad died. When his friend asked him why, Walt replied, “Mark, I have absolutely nothing to live for. But I’m scared to die.”

The next day, Walt got into a fight with another student playing basketball. As he sat in his dorm room after — still covered in the other students’ blood from breaking his nose — he hit a breaking point. Sending a desperate plea to God, he asked for a sign.

“Whoever You are, show me how I can be right with You,” Walt prayed. “Show me how I can deal with this anger, and I’ll give You my life.”

Several minutes later, Walt heard a knock on his door. On the other side stood Keith Hughes, a recent graduate who was involved with The Navigators on campus.

Earlier in the evening, Keith had planned to go to a baseball game on campus. When the game was canceled due to weather, he sat at a park nearby Walt’s dorm to spend some time with the Lord. During that time, he felt a calling from God — there was someone in the dorm he needed to talk to. He walked into the hall, got in the elevator, closed his eyes, and chose a random floor to visit. Two doors over, in room 402, Walt was ready for him.

That night, Keith shared the gospel with Walt, and it was a moment that forever changed the trajectory of Walt’s life.

“When God sent Keith to my door, I knew, it’s time,” Walt remembers. “God’s done his part. Now it’s time for me to bend my knee and come to the Lord. So that’s what I did.”

A Lasting Impact

Today, over four decades later, Walt still vividly remembers that night: the exact date, along with Keith’s name, are forever inscribed inside the front cover of Walt’s Bible — despite the fact that Walt and Keith lost touch a couple weeks later that summer.

In the years since, Walt has grown in his faith and passionately pursued the Lord, serving overseas and teaching the next generation of Christian leaders how to live out their faith around the world. Thousands of lives have been touched by the gospel through Walt’s faith — including his mom, whom he later led to Christ, and his three sons, who are now serving in ministry themselves. For Walt’s family, Keith Hughes is a household name — the man who led their father to Christ all those years ago and impacted their family for generations.

The funny part of the story, though? If you asked him today, Keith doesn’t remember that moment in the dorm room at all.

When Keith thinks back on that summer, he mostly recalls it as the months that he began to date his wife. At the time, he would go onto campus to practice evangelism as The Navigators had trained him to do in college, sharing the gospel with the students he met. He doesn’t remember Walt specifically, or that fateful night — just that he was trying to plant seeds for Christ.

“For me, it was all about obedience — God allowed me to plant a seed, and the ground was fertilized,” Keith says. “God had worked in Walt’s heart long before we crossed paths, and God had an impact through his life since. But for me, this was probably something I wouldn’t have found out about until glory.”

This past year, Walt and Keith were reconnected through Navigator Greg Bryan, who coincidentally met Walt, heard his story, and helped him track down Keith. When Walt shared with Keith the impact that he had on his life back in 1978 and that he had been wanting to meet him again ever since, Keith could barely believe it.

“It was a surreal conversation because this was the most important day of my life,” Walt says. “It changed the trajectory of my life forever. And Keith doesn’t even remember.”

Seeds Planted For Christ

“For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe — as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” 1 Corinthians 3:4-7 (NIV). 

For Keith, 1 Corinthians 3:4-7 sums up his story with Walt: though he planted a seed, God watered it and transformed Walt into the faithful man he is today.

Like many believers, Keith may never have known the impact of the seed he planted that day. But through God’s grace of reconnecting with Walt years later, he has now been able to catch a glimpse of heaven, seeing how the Lord used his obedience that one night when he was a young man.

“To me, this is a story about divine appointments and a glimpse of heaven,” Greg says. “Keith had no idea what happened to that broken, angry young man he led to faith that night … they might not have even met until they stepped into eternity. But now Walt can say, ‘You touched my life, you changed my life. And because of that, I was able to go on and touch others’ lives with the gospel. The seed you’ve sown in my life produced fruit.’”

You can hear more of Walt and Keith’s story of divine appointments on Greg’s podcast Gospel Addict.

Discipleship Tip:

As disciplemakers, sometimes we don’t know how God will water the seeds we plant. Like Keith, we may never know how one conversation can lead to a chain reaction of impact years later. This week, invite God into your relationships and ask Him to water the seeds that you plant.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 17, 2025) — This fall, after a careful editorial and production process spanning nearly five years, NavPress (a business ministry of The Navigators) celebrated the release of The Message Women’s Devotional Bible. 

Featuring 320 topical devotions, 52 biblical character profiles, and other supplemental content written by women for women, this expansive project pairs Eugene H. Peterson’s award-winning translation of the Bible with insights from more than 80 contributors of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, vocations, and Christian denominations. The devotional Bible has been recognized for outstanding design, as well: It received a Top Shelf Book Cover Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) at this year’s Publishing University on October 31.

“The features in this Bible are what rose to the surface when our team asked, What do women really need in a devotional Bible?” shares Olivia Eldredge, editor of The Message^® Bible. “Women need to hear from other women: diverse, trustworthy, thoughtful voices who can speak to how the Bible intersects with the lives of women. And they need to have space to bring their questions, their vulnerability, their honest wrestling — and be met by God.”

While Christian content marketed specifically to women can tend toward superficiality and stereotypes, The Message Women’s Devotional Bible pursues nuance, sensitivity, and authenticity while remaining faithful to the biblical texts. Throughout, it invites women to engage deeply with difficult or overlooked passages, offering candid reflections on the truth that women — though often unnamed in Scripture — are indeed active, vital participants in God’s story, both in the biblical narrative and today.

The Message is a contemporary translation of the Bible, created by Eugene H. Peterson and thoroughly reviewed by a team of Old and New Testament scholars to ensure accuracy and fidelity to the original biblical languages. A pastor, theologian, scholar, writer, and poet, Peterson worked directly from the Greek and Hebrew texts to craft a faithful rendering of Scripture in accessible, everyday language. It took him a full decade to complete his translation work.

Learn more about The Message Women’s Devotional Bible and other NavPress resources by visiting NavPress.com.

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About The U.S. Navigators

The Navigators is a ministry that shares the gospel of Jesus and helps people grow in their relationship with Him through Life-to-Life^® discipleship, creating spiritual generations of believers. Since its founding in 1933, The Navigators has upheld the mission “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same^®.” Our Worldwide Partnership includes around 6,000 staff of 85 nationalities, serving in 123 countries. Navigators encourage spiritual growth across life stages, serving wherever people work, live, worship, and play: on college campuses and military bases as well as in urban neighborhoods, workplaces, churches, local communities, and hard-to-reach places. To learn more, visit www.navigators.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2025
Contact: Chris Muller, Senior Vice President, Ministry Engagement, (719) 594-2269, chris.muller@navigators.org

The Holy Trinity is a mystery to me, with its three in oneness and its oneness in three, and I can just barely grasp the deep relational nature of how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit touch and spin and dance off each other and with each other. Hospitality — that generous making room for others and giving and receiving to and from each other from our plenty and sometimes from our scarcity but we do it anyway — seems to flow out of that communal and relational and so generous nature of God. Being holy as God is holy, if we can believe it, catapults us into relationship with others and the practice of hospitality. Holiness is relational, and that is why hospitality fits holiness like a soft leather glove.

Hospitality involves the holy practice of gratitude.

All of this is made easier alongside the holy practice of gratitude. I have this place, this food, this book; please take it and enjoy it as well. We try to believe that everything we have comes from God, and so it is ours not to own but to share. So hospitality is almost always best when it is gratitude adjacent. However, the discipline of hospitality can happen also while you are still a grouchy, miserly mess. Disciplines take discipline. Not everything is easy or feels good right away, but that might mean it’s even more worth doing, and not less.

Hospitality invites humility.

In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus tells us how to throw a dinner party. Dinner parties are, after all, what most of us think of first when we think about hospitality: “‘When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,’ he said, ‘don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you’” (NLT). In Luke 14:8-10, He even discusses seating plans: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor … Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table” (NLT).

Jesus knows me so well. He predicts my thirst for status. When we practice hospitality as part of our holiness, we will come face-to-face with our desire to invite first our friends, the people we especially like or those whom we want to especially like us, along with the relatives we are most comfortable with, and, of course, our rich neighbors. We might strut around like a peacock in our own dining room and not even realize we are doing it. Again, our intentional moves toward holiness will show us how far we have yet to travel. Our efforts to do good on the outside will show us how far we are from good on the inside, and in that gap, we learn again of our need for the forgiving, restoring love of God in our own lives and hearts, and how much we need him, even when we are serving macaroni to friends.

We learn something about ourselves — and therefore move deeper into our holiness journeys — when we pay attention to whom we want to welcome in and how we want to welcome them to our homes, our tables, and our lives.

Hospitality helps us to examine our hidden motivations.

As we consider ourselves, we can confess ourselves to God and ask for help. Why am I making this so fancy? we can ask our inner hostess, in an examination of motivation that is a daily part of pushing into our holiness. What is my motivation? Also, Why am I talking about myself so much? And why can’t I stop?

Our honest answers do not bring the dinner party, the coffee date, or the open house to a screeching halt, but instead provide us another opportunity to be honest with ourselves and with God — who is the ultimate and gracious host of heaven and earth now and the new earth that is to come. Make me holy in my hospitality, we might pray. Kill off my show-off-ness, we might ask. Help me listen more than I speak, as my blunt spouse has said I need to work on.

Help me not to be so needy, I can pray as I juice blood oranges for udon noodles with fried tofu and orange nam jim from my expensive hardcover Ottolenghi Flavour cookbook propped open on the counter. Perhaps for a little while, as part of our own healing, we will make a simple spaghetti Bolognese, accept the offer of our guest to bring store-bought garlic bread and let Maureen help with the cleanup, like she always wants to do. We will resist the temptation to offer our guests a tour of our new barbeque and satisfy our thirst for thanks by turning it outward to gratitude to God. What if whenever we yearn for someone to say, “Thank you, you are marvelous for all you have done,” we accept that as a prompt to whisper, “Thank You. You are marvelous for all You have done.”

Hospitality exercises a variety of spiritual disciplines.

Food is just one expression of hospitality. Conversation is another. When we practice holiness through hospitality, we create a space in which other pursuits of holiness can be practiced, such as listening well and not interrupting, putting others first, and offering encouragement and companionship to the person God has placed and we have invited in front of us. From the way Jesus tells us to invite, and the humility presumed in His recommended seating plan, we can assume that we don’t invite people to our table so we can imprison them to hear all and only about us. We don’t tie them to their chairs with our story and our glory.

We can stretch our ability to put others first, and to forgive.

We can practice patience, a fruit of the Spirit we get to work with, toward friends who arrive late (or even worse, early) and those who stay too long. We practice not biting off the heads of those with whom we disagree. If we do bite their heads off at dinner, we can practice the art of unequivocal apology. Apologizing is a holy act. I’m sorry are holy, healing words. Through hospitality’s gift of space opened up and time slowed down, we can “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep,” which Paul told us to do only two verses after he reminded us to “always be eager to practice hospitality” in Romans 12:13-15.

Discipleship Tip:

Hospitality isn’t about impressing others — it’s about making space for them. This week, invite someone into your home or life with gratitude and humility, focusing on listening and encouraging rather than showcasing. Ask the Lord for opportunities to be hospitable in your community in order to point others to Jesus.

About the Author

Karen Stiller is a senior editor of Faith Today magazine and writes frequently for magazines like Reader’s Digest, Ekstasis, In Trust, and other publications across North America. Stiller is a three-time winner of the prestigious A.C. Forrest Memorial Award from the Canadian Church Press for excellence in socially conscious religious journalism. She is author of The Minister’s Wife (2020, Tyndale Momentum); co-author of Craft, Cost & Call (2019), Shifting Stats Shaking the Church (2015) and Going Missional (2010); editor of The Lord’s Prayer (2015) and coeditor of Evangelicals Around the World (2015). She lives in Ottawa and has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction from University of King’s College, Dalhousie.

This article was originally published on the DiscipleMaker Blog by NavPress. You can also hear more from Karen Stiller through her book Holiness Here and NavPress’ new podcast, “Good Books, Big Questions,” where Karen hosts bold, loving, and sensible conversations about faith.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 5, 2025) — The Navigators Collegiate Mission is experiencing a season of growth with the launch of 26 new campus ministries in the past year alone. A ministry of The Navigators, Navigators Collegiate has now established Christian disciplemaking communities on nearly 200 college campuses around the United States, reaching approximately 25,000 college students each year. This momentum reflects a notable trend: As recent Barna Group research confirms, today’s young people are demonstrating an increased openness and commitment to Christian faith compared to previous generations.

Among the many organizations reaching college students with the Good News of Jesus, The Navigators is known for its distinct focus on fostering Life-to-Life^® discipleship relationships: intentional, one-to-one connections that offer students a model for how to follow Jesus in daily life, and how to help others –– roommates, classmates, teammates, friends, and family members –– do the same.

Accordingly, The Navigators Collegiate aims to equip students to be lifelong disciplemakers who will make Christ known not only on campus, but wherever they go after graduation.

“The campus environment is one of the most strategic places to reach people because nobody stays a student forever,” Navigators Collegiate Mission Director Ben Nugent explains. “So, Lord willing, our Collegiate work is sending out ‘workers for the Kingdom,’ ‘next door to everywhere.’”

Along with Life-to-Life^® discipleship, Navigators Collegiate ministries offer students a variety of on-campus events, community groups, retreats, and Bible studies, as well as service opportunities like U.S.-based Summer Training Programs and international short-term mission trips.

The Navigators campus-based ministries differ in form depending on what resources best suit the unique location, size, and demographic makeup of a given student body. In many cases, a Navigator staff couple will move to an area and become established in the local community before launching a campus ministry. Other ministries operate with less formal organizational frameworks: For instance, a team of EDGE Corps staff (Navigator interns) may visit the campus twice weekly, or a Bible study group may develop organically within other established groups, such as sororities and fraternities. Additionally, students who are passionate about their faith and friendships may volunteer to launch new ministry initiatives; many of these individuals benefit from resources provided by the Navigators Discipleship app.

To learn more about The Navigators Collegiate Mission, visit https://www.navigators.org/ministry/navigators-collegiate/.

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About The U.S. Navigators

The Navigators is a ministry that shares the gospel of Jesus and helps people grow in their relationship with Him through Life-to-Life^® discipleship, creating spiritual generations of believers. Since its founding in 1933, The Navigators has upheld the mission “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same^®.” Our Worldwide Partnership includes around 6,000 staff of 85 nationalities, serving in 123 countries. Navigators encourage spiritual growth across life stages, serving wherever people work, live, worship, and play: on college campuses and military bases as well as in urban neighborhoods, workplaces, churches, local communities, and hard-to-reach places. To learn more, visit www.navigators.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2025
Contact: Chris Muller, Senior Vice President, Ministry Engagement, (719) 594-2269, chris.muller@navigators.org

Little did they know, but God would answer their prayers in an incredible way.

Over the last school year, Navigators at the University of Wisconsin have experienced a surge of fruitful ministry — simply through the momentum of students leading other students to Christ.

“There’s this generational disciplemaking happening,” Navigator Brian VanZante says. “These students — it’s on their heart to not just convert people and leave them, but to help them grow to a place where they can help others.”

This was the case for two students, Eli and Alyssa. Having grown in their faith through discipleship throughout their college experiences, they both took up the call this past year to pass on what they’ve learned to incoming freshmen. From hosting Bible studies to meeting weekly in discipleship, Eli and Alyssa have watched the Lord transform the lives of those they lead.

Eli’s story

Eli first got plugged in with The Navigators as a freshman when he showed up to an outreach event. Immediately, he was struck by the intentionality of the leaders in the ministry. “I joined a Bible study, and it just blew me away,” he remembers. “I never expected to find a group like that in college.”

As Eli started to get more involved, he was discipled by an upperclassman named Parker. Parker walked Eli through different books of the Bible, helping him memorize Scripture and navigate whatever Eli was going through in life at the time.

“There was this unique aspect of sharing lives and someone pouring into me individually that I had never experienced before,” Eli remembers. “It was a huge blessing to me, and it inspired me to want to do the same for others.”

As Eli neared the end of his college experience, he started praying a specific prayer in the months leading up to his senior year: “God, don’t just make this a year where I enjoy college. Can you do something with my life? Can you help me have a permanent effect on campus?”

The first week of the fall semester, Eli was playing volleyball at a Navigators event when a new student, Joseph, came up to him. Joseph, who had already signed up for Eli’s Bible study, asked Eli, “You’re going to be my Bible study leader, right? So should we start reading the Bible together?”

Eli was taken aback — he had never seen that kind of initiative before. Eli agreed, and before their official Bible study even started, he and Joseph started reading the Bible together every morning. At the time, Joseph said that he had an interest in the gospel, but wasn’t entirely sure about God. However, soon after, he gave his life to Christ. Eli later had the opportunity to baptize Joseph in front of the whole ministry.

During that time, Eli also met another new freshman named Caden. Eli asked Caden to meet up, and before they met, Eli felt the Holy Spirit telling him that Caden was ready to hear the gospel — he was low hanging fruit ready to be picked. Eli shared The Bridge to Life illustration with Caden, and right then and there, Caden accepted Christ. Eli continued to disciple him throughout the rest of the year.

However, the chain of discipleship didn’t stop there. Later in the semester, Joseph shared his faith with a classmate, Paul, leading him to Christ and discipling him the rest of the year. Over this past summer, Joseph served at Eagle Lake Camps in Colorado, and has led a few campers to Christ as well. Similarly, Caden shared the gospel with his family, and now his parents are going to church with him.

“My prayer was 2 Timothy 2:2, which talks about entrusting what you’ve learned to faithful men,” Eli says. “I wanted to entrust the teaching of Christ that I received to them, so that they could pass it along and teach it to others. That was my prayer for Joseph and Caden — and God has been answering it.”

Alyssa’s story

Though Alyssa was raised Catholic, she didn’t really know Jesus as her Lord and Savior. In high school, she sought worldly fulfillment, looking to partying and feeling like she had to prove herself by meeting the expectations laid out in front of her. However, through her involvement with a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) group at her high school, she started to seek the Lord, even though she wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for.

“I didn’t have Jesus then, but I can see the ways He intentionally put things into my life to flourish and know His name,” Alyssa remembers.

When Alyssa arrived at University of Wisconsin as a freshman, she had never heard of The Navigators. She started to slip into the party scene on campus, but felt empty and thought that it might be good to join a campus ministry to make friends. When she discovered The Navigators, she was drawn in by how caring the students were.

“They kept being so intentional with me, showing the love of Christ to me so I could get to know Him,” she says. “I just really wanted a friend to talk to, and I’ve never been sought out in that way before. The world never did that for me.”

Later that semester, Alyssa had fully given her life to Christ. She started being discipled by a leader named Ali, who walked with her through the highs and lows of life while also shepherding her heart towards Christ.

“She met me exactly where I was at,” Alyssa recalls. “She wasn’t pushing me too hard or letting me wander too far without following along. She was stewarding me well.”

Over the next couple of years, Alyssa started to get more involved, leading Bible studies and even attending a Summer Training Program (STP) in Colorado Springs, where she led kids at Eagle Lake Camp. 

As she went into her junior year of college, Alyssa was intentionally praying for the Lord to help her connect and disciple other students on campus.

The Lord answered her prayer. Over her junior year, Alyssa has gotten to disciple multiple women, guiding them the way that Ali once led her. Beyond that, in a Bible study she leads, three women have given their lives to Christ! She’s watched as they’ve grown confident in their faith, becoming disciplemakers and leaders themselves.

“When I meet with someone, I want to give them the tools they need to be more successful and steward the gifts that God’s given them,” Alyssa says. “It’s been so inspiring to see these women who were very much in worldly ways — like I once was — turning towards Jesus and professing their faith.”

Now a senior, Alyssa continues to passionately pursue hearts for Christ on campus — a calling that will stick with her long after graduation. “Wherever I go, The Navigators will always have a place in my heart,” she says. “They’ve taught me core truths about God’s Word and what my soul really needs.”

Laborers for a Lifetime

Alyssa and Eli’s stories are just a small picture of the work God is doing on campus at the University of Wisconsin. As this new generation of believing underclassmen continue to grow, they will only fuel the momentum of passionate disciplemakers in years to come.

“We can attribute the fruit of this year to God working in these freshmen’s hearts before they even arrive on campus,” Brian says. “The prayers of these students are powerful, and they are asking for the souls of their classmates. We are seeing students who are going to be laborers of Christ for a lifetime, not just four years of college.”

Discipleship Tip:

Eli and Alyssa both prayed for the Lord to move in the lives of students and provide them with discipleship opportunities before the school year even began. Like them, you can start your discipleship journey by praying for the Lord to guide you and your relationships. Take some time this week and pray for the Lord to open doors for you to share your faith with someone new!

A driven athlete from California, he entered college at the University of Washington (UW) focused on earning a spot as a Division I football player and proving himself within the rigorous and image-driven fraternity culture. Parties, status, and outward appearances defined his identity.

“I just wanted to be known as one of the guys,” Brian remembers. “I wanted to be an awesome guy in their image.”

But with one simple invitation, everything changed.

When Navigator Nathaniel Beck — an alumni of Brian’s fraternity — reached out to the house and asked if anyone wanted to join a Bible study, Brian found himself interested. He showed up — and kept showing up. Gradually, the Lord transformed his heart for Christ.

Through weekly Bible studies and being discipled by other believers, Brian experienced a shift in his priorities and identity. As Brian’s understanding of the gospel deepened, so did his boldness and courage.

“As I grew in my faith, I became a lot more proud of it,” Brian says. “I started being willing to take risks and have tough conversations with guys because I know this is the way and the truth in my life.”

Wanting to pass on what he’d learned to others, Brian began to share his faith with his fraternity brothers, leading a summer Bible study at his house with a friend. One of their fraternity brothers, Louie, grew curious and decided to check out the group. Over the summer, Brian watched as Louie’s faith grew, developing from a place of doubt into a certain and dedicated belief in Jesus.

“I used to be this guy that wanted to control everything and everyone in terms of how I wanted to navigate my life,” Louie says. “After finally letting that go and accepting God’s plan, it gave me this ease that if I can just follow him, I know I’m going to be alright.”

A Generational Gospel Movement in Fraternity Row

Brian and Louie’s story is just one chapter in a much larger narrative of what God is doing in UW’s Greek system.

Long before Brian stepped foot on campus, God was already at work. Since the 1990s, the Lord has been planting seeds of faith in the fraternities, weaving a multigenerational chain of discipleship. Some seasons were fast and fruitful, others slow and unseen — but the legacy continued.

Over the past three decades, at least seven fraternity brothers have carried the torch, passing on the gospel from one brother to another. Brian and Louie are the most recent links in that chain — and their spiritual generations will only continue to multiply in the years to come.

“This is just one little snapshot of what God’s been doing over the years at UW,” Navigator Keith Pepsny, The Navigators regional director for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, says. “Sometimes it’s slow, sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s a few people, sometimes it’s a lot of people. But the Lord is moving — one generation at a time.”

Join us in praying over the Greek ministry at UW, as the Lord softens hearts at fraternities and sororities and passes the torch of the gospel from one house to the next.

“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:

As Brian grew in his faith, he practiced boldness by sharing the gospel with his friends in Greek life and starting a summer Bible study. What would it look like for you to start a Bible study in your community? Think about who you could reach out to or how you could lead a Bible study, creating a space where you can invite your non-believing friends to learn more about Jesus.

Once a semester, Navigators at Rowan University in New Jersey carry out a campaign called “Text for Chick-fil-A,” where students can text in a spiritual question in order to be delivered a free Chick-fil-A sandwich later that day. As students involved with The Navigators ministry on campus drop off sandwiches, they take the opportunity to answer the students’ questions, sparking gospel conversations and opening the door for future relationships.

“We’re using the desire for hunger — physical hunger — to have all kinds of conversations with people about spiritual hunger,” Navigator Cameron Jones says.

The idea started four years ago when Cameron was first launching the collegiate ministry at Rowan University. As he and his team started building relationships with students from scratch, they wondered how they could best engage non-believing students on campus. Cameron remembered hearing about a campaign some Navigators in the United Kingdom did several years back, where they asked students to text a spiritual question in order to receive a free “toastie” (a grilled cheese sandwich) and an answer to their question.

“I thought that idea could work, but wondered how I could shape it for an American context,” Cameron recalls. “What would people respond to? A Chick-fil-A sandwich.”

The “Text for Chick-fil-A” campaign

The event was a success that first semester, and since then, the campaign has grown alongside the campus’ thriving student ministry. This past fall, over 160 students texted in questions, asking deep spiritual questions. Each of these students were then hand-delivered a chicken sandwich that night, visited by Navigator students who personally answered their questions.

Sometimes the exchange is short and sweet, but for many, it sparks longer conversations about faith that allow for further dialogue and relationship. The event always happens on a Tuesday so that students can be invited to the weekly Bible study the following night, and usually, several new faces show up after being met the night before.

For one student, Davis*, the Text for Chick-fil-A event couldn’t have come at a better time. Raised in a Christian family, Davis believed in God but fell into partying and a worldly lifestyle once he got to college. Though he was feeling convicted about what he was doing, he didn’t know how to move forward. When he saw the event, he texted in a question and was surprised by how well the conversation with Navigators students went that night. Since then, he has been a part of The Navigators ministry on campus and has been growing in his faith.

“Our believing Navigator students get so excited about the event every semester as it’s taken off,” Cameron says. “They send the event to their sports teams, dorm floors, and fraternities. It’s partially how our ministry has grown.”

Another impact from the event is the effect that it has had on the believing students in the ministry. In order to engage with student’s questions, they are having to prepare themselves to answer difficult topics, as well as grow comfortable with navigating faith-based conversations. For many of the students, this has developed an attitude of evangelism, instilling them with the confidence to share Christ in their everyday lives.

“I grew up scared to share my faith as a college student,” Cameron says, “but these students are having spiritual conversations in their majors and sports teams. They are inviting new people to our Bible study all the time. It’s this culture that, hey, it’s not that big of a deal to share your faith with others.”

Reaching the lost, one question at a time

For Cameron, the Text for Chick-fil-A event is a way to create a landing place for non-believing students to feel comfortable, whether they are asking hard questions or trying out Bible study for the first time. The event has opened doors to engage students who might typically be hard to reach. “I’ve spent a whole evening in a frat house, having awesome spiritual conversations, and there’s no way I’m in that house that night if the chicken sandwich didn’t get me there,” Cameron says.

“I’ve done a lot of evangelism over the years with The Navigators, and this is by far the best form that I’ve found,” he continues. “Because it’s so clear, right? This student asked a spiritual question, and I have the chicken sandwich. And I can meet them in that space.”

Discipleship Tip:

Asking questions can go a long way to building trust in relationships and starting gospel conversations. Consider inviting those around you to ask spiritual questions they may have — even if you don’t fully know the answer. By being open to questions, you can create space for candid discussions that can point back to Christ.

This past summer, 58 students from across the Mid America and Central Plains regions gathered in Jacksonville, Florida, for a life-changing experience with The Navigators Summer Training Program (STP). For eight weeks, they not only received biblical and discipleship training, but were challenged to live out their faiths in real time.

For many, the summer wasn’t just training — it was a transformation that changed their confidence in disciplemaking long after the STP ended.

Turning Theory Into Action

Living in dorms at the University of North Florida, the students balanced full-time jobs with an intense discipleship curriculum. Between Bible studies, worship nights, speaker sessions, and one-on-one mentorship, they dug deeply into what it truly means to follow Jesus.

“Every week, we’d focus on a different topic, whether it was the Word, walking with Jesus, or what it means to have an identity in Christ,” Navigator Cassidy Purdy says. Cassidy and her husband, Adam, were the STP directors for the summer and are full-time Navigators staff at Northwest Missouri State University.

On Saturdays, however, discipleship theory turned into action. Armed with newfound skills and the Bridge to Life illustration, students headed to the beach to evangelize — approaching strangers with the gospel and stepping far outside their comfort zones.

“We wanted to give them reps to build their confidence, letting them see how God shows up and that they can actually share their faith,” Cassidy says. “Coming into it, they were afraid, but when they left, it’s what they were most thankful for. They saw how God met them in their fear, showing them that He is the God of the universe — and that includes Jacksonville Beach.”

From Fear to Boldness: Stories of Transformation

This past summer, the students had over 700 gospel conversations with strangers. From those discussions, 22 people gave their lives to Christ and were connected with local churches.

“One pair of students went out sharing and ended up leading a whole family to Christ,” Cassidy explains. “The parents and the kids, too. It’s so powerful, and now those students will have that story in their heads for the rest of their lives.”

For one student, Ethan, sharing his faith on the beach led to a renewed heart for evangelism back home. At the beginning of the summer, Ethan was nervous about sharing his faith with strangers. After sharing his feelings with Adam, Adam gave him a challenge: “Do it scared.”

His first day on the beach, Ethan was terrified. However, the Lord showed up, and Ethan ended up leading a man to Christ. “Ethan’s whole attitude towards sharing his faith shifted after that,” Cassidy says. “He realized that it could actually change people’s lives.”

Ethan went back to Northwest Missouri State University this fall semester after the STP with a new energy for sharing the gospel with his friends. Since then, he has led four guys on his cross country team to Christ. “He’s now got this confidence that God can use him anywhere, and four men’s eternities have been changed here at Northwest because of that,” Cassidy says. “It’s really powerful to see how his life looks so different from before.”

Similarly, another student, Karinne, has seen the ripple effects of her summer experience back at her university. Asked to be a team leader for the summer, Karinne accepted but didn’t feel qualified for the leadership position.

“She felt like her whole life needed to be perfect, living up to the standards that she or someone else has set for her,” Cassidy shares.

“We explained that the reality of her work is defined by Jesus and not what she does, and that really sunk in for her.”

As she led women over the summer, her confidence grew as she discovered what it meant to lead from a place of weakness and submission to God’s plan, not perfection. Now, she has taken that attitude back to her sorority at Northwest Missouri State University, and she has become an instrumental part of the women’s ministry there.

“The other girls want to follow her,” Cassidy says. “It’s so sweet because she is leading out of that place of weakness, finding her identity and worth in Christ instead of what she does. And now she’s accepted a position with us on EDGE Corps!”

A Ripple Effect of Impact

The lessons the students learned at the Jacksonville STP will stick with them for the rest of their lives, impacting countless others along the way. For Cassidy, this group of special students is just a small example of how the younger generation is on fire for the Lord, representing the powerful ways the Lord is moving through them.

“I see God doing awesome things in this generation of college students,” she says. “Gen Z’s desire to impact the world is so strong, and they want to make the world a better place. When you add following Jesus to that, the world will actually change. I want to fan the flames because God is going to use them.”

Join The Navigators in praying for the next generation of believers, that the Lord continues to give them a heart for discipleship and reaching the lost — changing the world one campus at a time.

Discipleship Tip:

For many of the students at the Jacksonville STP, sharing their faith with strangers was uncomfortable, if not terrifying. However, we can all learn from Adam’s advice to “do it scared.” What fears are holding you back from discipling others? Consider how you can lean in further, instead of backing out when you are presented with an opportunity that makes you nervous.

How to Prepare Your Personal Testimony

One of the most effective pathways to sharing the gospel is to tell your testimony to others. By sharing your experience with the Lord and how He has transformed your life, you can show others that God is active and there is hope in Christ! Are you new to sharing your testimony? Learn a couple helpful tips in our resource, How to Prepare Your Personal Testimony.

LEARN MORE

]]> What does it look like to step out of your comfort zone into bold faith?

This past summer, 58 students from across the Mid America and Central Plains regions gathered in Jacksonville, Florida, for a life-changing experience with The Navigators Summer Training Program (STP). For eight weeks, they not only received biblical and discipleship training, but were challenged to live out their faiths in real time.

For many, the summer wasn’t just training — it was a transformation that changed their confidence in disciplemaking long after the STP ended.

Turning Theory Into Action

Living in dorms at the University of North Florida, the students balanced full-time jobs with an intense discipleship curriculum. Between Bible studies, worship nights, speaker sessions, and one-on-one mentorship, they dug deeply into what it truly means to follow Jesus.

“Every week, we’d focus on a different topic, whether it was the Word, walking with Jesus, or what it means to have an identity in Christ,” Navigator Cassidy Purdy says. Cassidy and her husband, Adam, were the STP directors for the summer and are full-time Navigators staff at Northwest Missouri State University.

On Saturdays, however, discipleship theory turned into action. Armed with newfound skills and the Bridge to Life illustration, students headed to the beach to evangelize — approaching strangers with the gospel and stepping far outside their comfort zones.

“We wanted to give them reps to build their confidence, letting them see how God shows up and that they can actually share their faith,” Cassidy says. “Coming into it, they were afraid, but when they left, it’s what they were most thankful for. They saw how God met them in their fear, showing them that He is the God of the universe — and that includes Jacksonville Beach.”

From Fear to Boldness: Stories of Transformation

This past summer, the students had over 700 gospel conversations with strangers. From those discussions, 22 people gave their lives to Christ and were connected with local churches.

“One pair of students went out sharing and ended up leading a whole family to Christ,” Cassidy explains. “The parents and the kids, too. It’s so powerful, and now those students will have that story in their heads for the rest of their lives.”

For one student, Ethan, sharing his faith on the beach led to a renewed heart for evangelism back home. At the beginning of the summer, Ethan was nervous about sharing his faith with strangers. After sharing his feelings with Adam, Adam gave him a challenge: “Do it scared.”

His first day on the beach, Ethan was terrified. However, the Lord showed up, and Ethan ended up leading a man to Christ. “Ethan’s whole attitude towards sharing his faith shifted after that,” Cassidy says. “He realized that it could actually change people’s lives.”

Ethan went back to Northwest Missouri State University this fall semester after the STP with a new energy for sharing the gospel with his friends. Since then, he has led four guys on his cross country team to Christ. “He’s now got this confidence that God can use him anywhere, and four men’s eternities have been changed here at Northwest because of that,” Cassidy says. “It’s really powerful to see how his life looks so different from before.”

Similarly, another student, Karinne, has seen the ripple effects of her summer experience back at her university. Asked to be a team leader for the summer, Karinne accepted but didn’t feel qualified for the leadership position.

“She felt like her whole life needed to be perfect, living up to the standards that she or someone else has set for her,” Cassidy shares.

“We explained that the reality of her work is defined by Jesus and not what she does, and that really sunk in for her.”

As she led women over the summer, her confidence grew as she discovered what it meant to lead from a place of weakness and submission to God’s plan, not perfection. Now, she has taken that attitude back to her sorority at Northwest Missouri State University, and she has become an instrumental part of the women’s ministry there.

“The other girls want to follow her,” Cassidy says. “It’s so sweet because she is leading out of that place of weakness, finding her identity and worth in Christ instead of what she does. And now she’s accepted a position with us on EDGE Corps!”

A Ripple Effect of Impact

The lessons the students learned at the Jacksonville STP will stick with them for the rest of their lives, impacting countless others along the way. For Cassidy, this group of special students is just a small example of how the younger generation is on fire for the Lord, representing the powerful ways the Lord is moving through them.

“I see God doing awesome things in this generation of college students,” she says. “Gen Z’s desire to impact the world is so strong, and they want to make the world a better place. When you add following Jesus to that, the world will actually change. I want to fan the flames because God is going to use them.”

Join The Navigators in praying for the next generation of believers, that the Lord continues to give them a heart for discipleship and reaching the lost — changing the world one campus at a time.

Discipleship Tip:

For many of the students at the Jacksonville STP, sharing their faith with strangers was uncomfortable, if not terrifying. However, we can all learn from Adam’s advice to “do it scared.” What fears are holding you back from discipling others? Consider how you can lean in further, instead of backing out when you are presented with an opportunity that makes you nervous.

How to Prepare Your Personal Testimony

One of the most effective pathways to sharing the gospel is to tell your testimony to others. By sharing your experience with the Lord and how He has transformed your life, you can show others that God is active and there is hope in Christ! Are you new to sharing your testimony? Learn a couple helpful tips in our resource, How to Prepare Your Personal Testimony.

LEARN MORE

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-to-build-boldness-sharing-the-gospel-in-jacksonville/feed/ 8 https://www.navigators.org/blog/a-city-rooted-in-scripture-the-21-day-bible-reading-challenge-in-nashville/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/a-city-rooted-in-scripture-the-21-day-bible-reading-challenge-in-nashville/#respond Mon, 21 Oct 2024 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=264810 How do you get thousands of college students rooted in Scripture and reading the Bible — all at the same time? For Dave Bachman, The Navigators City Director for Nashville, it came down to creating a challenge.

Several years ago, Dave’s friend did a 21-day challenge to read the entirety of the book of John with The Navigators at Penn State. Years later, Dave was considering his own ministry in Nashville, and he was talking with a pastor in the city about what it would look like to do a similar challenge there, inviting local colleges and churches to work together to reach students with the gospel.

“My friend got pretty fired up about doing it in Nashville,” Dave remembers. “But it was a big undertaking. Having another person excited about doing it was motivating, and it pushed the challenge from an idea that we might do one day to something we want to do right now.”

The idea was simple, yet effective: print 10,000 Gospel of John booklets and hand them out to students across all the college campuses in Nashville. Each interested student would receive two booklets — one for themselves and an extra copy to invite a non-believing friend to do the challenge with them. The student and their friend would read one chapter of John a day for 21 days, completing the book within a month.

“The challenge mobilizes Christians to reach their friends for Christ in a simple way, seeking those who are hungry and thirsty for the Word and can engage with Jesus through grabbing a tiny booklet,” Dave says.

Partnering with churches rooted in Scripture

Dave decided the perfect time to launch the challenge in Nashville was February 2024. However, to spread the word and distribute as many booklets as possible to the student community, he needed help.

Over 25 churches and ministry partners came out of the woodworks to join The Navigators, helping fund the purchase of the 10,000 booklets and share the challenge with their communities. Dave was surprised to find that many of the churches he worked with were already leading their congregations through the book of John or were preaching sermon series on courageously reaching friends for Christ. It felt like the Lord had already been preparing a way.

“We’ve always had a heart for partnering with churches and Christian organizations to do something evangelistically, whether that’s outreach oriented to campuses or a sense of stewardship between us and the larger body of Christ in the city,” Dave explains. “So when we connected the dots and worked together, it was a win for all these Christian ministries to partner over something that was focused on advancing the gospel.”

When the challenge officially kicked off, Dave was surprised with the response. Almost everyone that was invited to read the Bible said yes. “People had excitement and eagerness to jump in,” he says. “It stood out that, man, God’s on this.”

Softening student hearts for Christ

Almost all of the 10,000 copies were handed out, meaning that nearly 5,000 students and community members in Nashville were inspired and dedicated to read the Bible with a friend for 21 days. Throughout the challenge, Dave saw the Lord move in incredible ways as students formed relationships and doors were opened for non-believing students to take steps closer to Jesus.

One of these stories comes from two students named Dylan* and Kyle*. Dylan is a student with one of The Navigators campus ministries in Nashville, and he met Kyle on the bus going to the airport for Christmas break. Knowing about the upcoming challenge, Dylan invited Kyle — a stranger — to read the book of John with him. Kyle, curious about the Bible, said yes.

After doing the challenge together in February, Kyle felt drawn in by Scripture, though he was still hesitant to fully give his life to Christ. For spring break, he ended up joining a Navigators trip to Glen Eyrie, where he learned more about discipleship. “Throughout the trip, Kyle kept saying he felt so alive to be around our group and the conversations we were having,” Dave recalls. “We told him, ‘Kyle, that’s the Spirit of God among us.’”

After the trip, Dave met up with Kyle to share the Bridge to Life Illustration and gospel message. “I asked him, ‘Kyle, is there any reason why you wouldn’t pray to receive Christ?’” Dave says. “He said, ‘This is going to change everything for me, so I need to make sure I’m ready before I make this decision.’” Dave is still praying for Kyle to lay down his life for the Lord, but he sees so clearly how God is working in his heart.

“There’s something about the way that doors are opening that is highly relational,” Dave says. “We’re reading together, discussing together. Relationships with other disciplemakers are being established and strengthened, and they are being built for the next step in their journey.”

Looking ahead to the next challenge

As Dave looks back over the 21-day challenge, he is encouraged by the ways the Lord worked in the lives of students like Kyle and impacted the greater Nashville community. Looking ahead, Dave is envisioning replicating the challenge with a broader scope.

“We’re interested in doing this again in the fall of 2025, but reaching even more college students,” Dave says. “We’re praying and dreaming about ordering 25,000 copies of the Gospel of John. I think this is something that could be used really anywhere to mobilize believers.”

Join us in praying for The Navigators in Nashville, that the Lord would continue to bless their ministry on college campuses and in the community. Pray that students discover a heart for reading the Bible, discipling their friends, and growing Christ’s kingdom.

Discipleship Tip:

Through the 21-Day Challenge, thousands of students were inspired to not only read the Bible, but also invite non-believing friends to read with them. Sometimes, a simple invite like that can change someone’s life, like Kyle. Think through your networks and community — who could you ask to read the Bible with you?

A Life-Changing Encounter with the Gospel of John

In the 21-Day Challenge, students across Nashville were encouraged to read the book of John. Are you feeling inspired to also take up the challenge? Check out our resource, “A Life-Changing Encounter with the Gospel of John,” to read through the book yourself, guided with study prompts and reflection questions.

READ MORE

---

Now, you can join in this incredible movement!

With a gift of $25 or more, we’ll send you two copies of the same booklet that sparked change in Nashville – 21 Days in John. One copy is for you, the other is an invitation for a friend to join – just like the students in Nashville did. Let’s continue to spread the gospel, one relationship at a time.

SEND ME TWO COPIES

---

]]> How do you get thousands of college students rooted in Scripture and reading the Bible — all at the same time? For Dave Bachman, The Navigators City Director for Nashville, it came down to creating a challenge.

Several years ago, Dave’s friend did a 21-day challenge to read the entirety of the book of John with The Navigators at Penn State. Years later, Dave was considering his own ministry in Nashville, and he was talking with a pastor in the city about what it would look like to do a similar challenge there, inviting local colleges and churches to work together to reach students with the gospel.

“My friend got pretty fired up about doing it in Nashville,” Dave remembers. “But it was a big undertaking. Having another person excited about doing it was motivating, and it pushed the challenge from an idea that we might do one day to something we want to do right now.”

The idea was simple, yet effective: print 10,000 Gospel of John booklets and hand them out to students across all the college campuses in Nashville. Each interested student would receive two booklets — one for themselves and an extra copy to invite a non-believing friend to do the challenge with them. The student and their friend would read one chapter of John a day for 21 days, completing the book within a month.

“The challenge mobilizes Christians to reach their friends for Christ in a simple way, seeking those who are hungry and thirsty for the Word and can engage with Jesus through grabbing a tiny booklet,” Dave says.

Partnering with churches rooted in Scripture

Dave decided the perfect time to launch the challenge in Nashville was February 2024. However, to spread the word and distribute as many booklets as possible to the student community, he needed help.

Over 25 churches and ministry partners came out of the woodworks to join The Navigators, helping fund the purchase of the 10,000 booklets and share the challenge with their communities. Dave was surprised to find that many of the churches he worked with were already leading their congregations through the book of John or were preaching sermon series on courageously reaching friends for Christ. It felt like the Lord had already been preparing a way.

“We’ve always had a heart for partnering with churches and Christian organizations to do something evangelistically, whether that’s outreach oriented to campuses or a sense of stewardship between us and the larger body of Christ in the city,” Dave explains. “So when we connected the dots and worked together, it was a win for all these Christian ministries to partner over something that was focused on advancing the gospel.”

When the challenge officially kicked off, Dave was surprised with the response. Almost everyone that was invited to read the Bible said yes. “People had excitement and eagerness to jump in,” he says. “It stood out that, man, God’s on this.”

Softening student hearts for Christ

Almost all of the 10,000 copies were handed out, meaning that nearly 5,000 students and community members in Nashville were inspired and dedicated to read the Bible with a friend for 21 days. Throughout the challenge, Dave saw the Lord move in incredible ways as students formed relationships and doors were opened for non-believing students to take steps closer to Jesus.

One of these stories comes from two students named Dylan* and Kyle*. Dylan is a student with one of The Navigators campus ministries in Nashville, and he met Kyle on the bus going to the airport for Christmas break. Knowing about the upcoming challenge, Dylan invited Kyle — a stranger — to read the book of John with him. Kyle, curious about the Bible, said yes.

After doing the challenge together in February, Kyle felt drawn in by Scripture, though he was still hesitant to fully give his life to Christ. For spring break, he ended up joining a Navigators trip to Glen Eyrie, where he learned more about discipleship. “Throughout the trip, Kyle kept saying he felt so alive to be around our group and the conversations we were having,” Dave recalls. “We told him, ‘Kyle, that’s the Spirit of God among us.’”

After the trip, Dave met up with Kyle to share the Bridge to Life Illustration and gospel message. “I asked him, ‘Kyle, is there any reason why you wouldn’t pray to receive Christ?’” Dave says. “He said, ‘This is going to change everything for me, so I need to make sure I’m ready before I make this decision.’” Dave is still praying for Kyle to lay down his life for the Lord, but he sees so clearly how God is working in his heart.

“There’s something about the way that doors are opening that is highly relational,” Dave says. “We’re reading together, discussing together. Relationships with other disciplemakers are being established and strengthened, and they are being built for the next step in their journey.”

Looking ahead to the next challenge

As Dave looks back over the 21-day challenge, he is encouraged by the ways the Lord worked in the lives of students like Kyle and impacted the greater Nashville community. Looking ahead, Dave is envisioning replicating the challenge with a broader scope.

“We’re interested in doing this again in the fall of 2025, but reaching even more college students,” Dave says. “We’re praying and dreaming about ordering 25,000 copies of the Gospel of John. I think this is something that could be used really anywhere to mobilize believers.”

Join us in praying for The Navigators in Nashville, that the Lord would continue to bless their ministry on college campuses and in the community. Pray that students discover a heart for reading the Bible, discipling their friends, and growing Christ’s kingdom.

Discipleship Tip:

Through the 21-Day Challenge, thousands of students were inspired to not only read the Bible, but also invite non-believing friends to read with them. Sometimes, a simple invite like that can change someone’s life, like Kyle. Think through your networks and community — who could you ask to read the Bible with you?

A Life-Changing Encounter with the Gospel of John

In the 21-Day Challenge, students across Nashville were encouraged to read the book of John. Are you feeling inspired to also take up the challenge? Check out our resource, “A Life-Changing Encounter with the Gospel of John,” to read through the book yourself, guided with study prompts and reflection questions.

READ MORE

---

Now, you can join in this incredible movement!

With a gift of $25 or more, we’ll send you two copies of the same booklet that sparked change in Nashville – 21 Days in John. One copy is for you, the other is an invitation for a friend to join – just like the students in Nashville did. Let’s continue to spread the gospel, one relationship at a time.

SEND ME TWO COPIES

---

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/a-city-rooted-in-scripture-the-21-day-bible-reading-challenge-in-nashville/feed/ 0