Navigators Discipling for Development - The Navigators https://www.navigators.org To Know Christ, Make Him Known, and Help Others Do the Same® Tue, 16 Dec 2025 16:32:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.navigators.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-Navigators-Favicon-150x150.png Navigators Discipling for Development - The Navigators https://www.navigators.org 32 32 What is the One Thing Necessary for Raising Disciples of Jesus? https://www.navigators.org/blog/what-is-the-one-thing-necessary-for-raising-disciples-of-jesus/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/what-is-the-one-thing-necessary-for-raising-disciples-of-jesus/#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=268319 When I was a child, a couple of times a year, my family would journey from our home in central Illinois to visit my grandmother in southern Minnesota. Because we traveled that path so frequently, I knew the six-hour route very well. I knew when we would cross the Mississippi River and pass the Quaker Oats sign — which was important when you were searching for that illusive Q in the alphabet game. I knew how many hours in the car were left when we passed through certain towns or that our trip would be extended when we turned down a road that led to my aunt and uncle’s farm. Even today, I can point out the location where our family van exceeded the speed limit early one Thanksgiving morning, and my dad received his first traffic ticket.

A family walks through a forest trail together, with the father carrying a child on his shoulders and the mother and daughter walking beside them.

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:

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.


4 Truths for Becoming Like Jesus

According to Scripture, becoming like Jesus is not only possible, but is God’s intended purpose for His adopted children. This Bible study includes four truths to guide you toward becoming like Jesus in your day-to-day life. Reflect on these truths and discover what God reveals about His divine plan for your life by checking out The Navigators resource, “4 Truths for Becoming Like Jesus.”

LEARN MORE

*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/.

]]> When I was a child, a couple of times a year, my family would journey from our home in central Illinois to visit my grandmother in southern Minnesota. Because we traveled that path so frequently, I knew the six-hour route very well. I knew when we would cross the Mississippi River and pass the Quaker Oats sign — which was important when you were searching for that illusive Q in the alphabet game. I knew how many hours in the car were left when we passed through certain towns or that our trip would be extended when we turned down a road that led to my aunt and uncle’s farm. Even today, I can point out the location where our family van exceeded the speed limit early one Thanksgiving morning, and my dad received his first traffic ticket.

A family walks through a forest trail together, with the father carrying a child on his shoulders and the mother and daughter walking beside them.

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:

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.


4 Truths for Becoming Like Jesus

According to Scripture, becoming like Jesus is not only possible, but is God’s intended purpose for His adopted children. This Bible study includes four truths to guide you toward becoming like Jesus in your day-to-day life. Reflect on these truths and discover what God reveals about His divine plan for your life by checking out The Navigators resource, “4 Truths for Becoming Like Jesus.”

LEARN MORE

*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/.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/what-is-the-one-thing-necessary-for-raising-disciples-of-jesus/feed/ 1 Inspiration for Practicing Hospitality https://www.navigators.org/blog/inspiration-for-practicing-hospitality/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/inspiration-for-practicing-hospitality/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2025 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=268166 Hospitality is holiness lived out in practicality. It is the pillow, the food and drink, and the hot shower of our practical love. The spiritual is practical. The practical is spiritual.

Older couple joyfully greeting family at the door.

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 is holiness lived out in practicality.

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).

Holiness is relational, and that is why hospitality fits holiness like a soft leather glove.

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.


Opening Doors to the Gospel Through Generosity

By showing the love of God to meet people’s practical needs, the Holy Spirit can open new and unexpected opportunities to share the gospel. Through this free resource, discover how living a life of generosity could lead to meeting someone’s practical need and their deep spiritual need as well.

LEARN MORE

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.

]]> Hospitality is holiness lived out in practicality. It is the pillow, the food and drink, and the hot shower of our practical love. The spiritual is practical. The practical is spiritual.

Older couple joyfully greeting family at the door.

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 is holiness lived out in practicality.

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).

Holiness is relational, and that is why hospitality fits holiness like a soft leather glove.

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.


Opening Doors to the Gospel Through Generosity

By showing the love of God to meet people’s practical needs, the Holy Spirit can open new and unexpected opportunities to share the gospel. Through this free resource, discover how living a life of generosity could lead to meeting someone’s practical need and their deep spiritual need as well.

LEARN MORE

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.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/inspiration-for-practicing-hospitality/feed/ 5 Planting Seeds for Growth: How a Village in Uganda was Transformed https://www.navigators.org/blog/planting-seeds-for-growth-how-a-village-in-uganda-was-transformed/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/planting-seeds-for-growth-how-a-village-in-uganda-was-transformed/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=266955 In Uganda, there’s a village called Muyembe that has been slowly transformed over the past 30 years.

In the early 1990s, missionaries from Mission: Moving Mountains (M:MM), now called Navigators Discipling for Development (D4D), started meeting with leaders in Muyembe’s community to teach them how to practice whole-life discipleship, address poverty alleviation, and help families experience God’s restoration in all areas of life.

A diverse group of people gather in a circle of blue chairs under trees for a discussion, with a Bible open on a small wooden table in the center.
Navigator Scott Purser meeting with the community in Uganda

At the time, faith was very minimal in the village’s day-to-day life. Though they knew they could go to church for prayer, many didn’t know anything about salvation. However, when D4D came to train the local church, the spiritual climate began to shift. Through short dramas, reading Scripture verses, and asking people questions from the Bible, the community started to accept Jesus into their lives.

“Before D4D, the only Christian was the leader in the church,” Aidah, an older woman in Muyembe’s community, remembers. “We thank the Lord that, through this ministry, we now have more than 100 people in the community who are saved.”

As more and more people came to Christ, the need for more churches grew. “When we got saved, we had to travel five miles to go to a church, so we decided to start a new church,” Nathan, a member of the community, says. “Now about 11 churches have been built because of the efforts of D4D.”

On the first Friday of every month, these churches all meet for communal prayer, with as many as 300 people attending.

Building a Thriving Community, Right Where They Are

The spiritual revival in Muyembe has not only shaped individuals’ hearts for the Lord, but it has also transformed their hearts for their families. Back when D4D first came to Muyembe, there was a lot of confusion — fighting between husbands and wives and stealing between members in the community. Now, Aidah says there is no fighting in families, and the amount of theft has reduced significantly.

“We worship God in a holistic way,” she says. “We thank D4D for this holistic gospel that has brought us to this level. We now go to other communities and spread the news so that Jesus will be accepted there, as well.”

Beyond family impact, D4D has also set up groups in the community addressing topics such as financial saving, agriculture, youth, health, and more.

For example, when D4D saw that mothers in the community were having problems giving birth, they started to refer mothers to a health center for prenatal care, teaching them how to eat balanced diets while pregnant and how to deliver a baby if a mother couldn’t get to the hospital in time.

“Death was reduced,” Aidah says. “After giving birth, the women were taught to take the babies in for immunization, and they learned how to be ready to be pregnant and where to go for their health. Now, some of these women are working in the health centers.”

Similarly, when it came to agriculture, the D4D missionaries talked about how the Bible and agriculture can go hand in hand. Where they used to grow only maize, now farmers in Muyembe grow coffee, tomatoes, and bananas. These crops help their community to earn money and provide for their families. Though the surrounding area is bare for miles, this small community now houses a tree nursery, which attracts customers from across Africa who are looking to buy seeds.

Recently, Navigator Scott Purser visited Muyembe on his trip to Kenya and Uganda. As he was sitting in a circle with community leaders, they felt a strong wind approach from the horizon. They began to wonder if they should move into a local church or home for coverage, but they noticed how the trees planted around the community dispersed the wind and provided coverage for their meeting.

“See all these trees?” one of the leaders asked. “D4D taught us these things, and they work! That wind came, and we saw how these trees withstood and protected us. What a wonderful God!”

Pray for D4D Around the World!

The village of Muyembe is just one of the many communities that have been radically impacted by D4D’s teaching of the gospel and holistic health and development. From small-scale farmers using “Farming God’s Way” methods to improve their small crops to families preserving precious rainwater to use in creative ways throughout the year, the Lord is using D4D to help villages build sustainable and thriving communities, centered around the gospel.

Join us in praying over these communities around the world, as the light of the Lord spreads from village to village and heart to heart.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” Luke 4:18 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:

Through the community in Muyembe, the gospel has spread from church to church, village to village. Sometimes, all it takes to have great impact is being willing to pass on the Good News to those around you. Who is around you that you can share Christ with? What are areas in your community where you could spread the gospel?


Abiding Growth: How Community Influences Your Spiritual Impact

Like the village of Muyembe, our faith is meant to be experienced and developed in the presence of community. Are you curious about the purpose of community, and how the body of Christ can impact your spiritual journey? Check out The Navigators resource, “Abiding Growth: How Community Influences Your Spiritual Impact,” where you can take a deeper dive into the value of community through reading John 15.

LEARN MORE

]]> In Uganda, there’s a village called Muyembe that has been slowly transformed over the past 30 years.

In the early 1990s, missionaries from Mission: Moving Mountains (M:MM), now called Navigators Discipling for Development (D4D), started meeting with leaders in Muyembe’s community to teach them how to practice whole-life discipleship, address poverty alleviation, and help families experience God’s restoration in all areas of life.

A diverse group of people gather in a circle of blue chairs under trees for a discussion, with a Bible open on a small wooden table in the center.
Navigator Scott Purser meeting with the community in Uganda

At the time, faith was very minimal in the village’s day-to-day life. Though they knew they could go to church for prayer, many didn’t know anything about salvation. However, when D4D came to train the local church, the spiritual climate began to shift. Through short dramas, reading Scripture verses, and asking people questions from the Bible, the community started to accept Jesus into their lives.

“Before D4D, the only Christian was the leader in the church,” Aidah, an older woman in Muyembe’s community, remembers. “We thank the Lord that, through this ministry, we now have more than 100 people in the community who are saved.”

As more and more people came to Christ, the need for more churches grew. “When we got saved, we had to travel five miles to go to a church, so we decided to start a new church,” Nathan, a member of the community, says. “Now about 11 churches have been built because of the efforts of D4D.”

On the first Friday of every month, these churches all meet for communal prayer, with as many as 300 people attending.

Building a Thriving Community, Right Where They Are

The spiritual revival in Muyembe has not only shaped individuals’ hearts for the Lord, but it has also transformed their hearts for their families. Back when D4D first came to Muyembe, there was a lot of confusion — fighting between husbands and wives and stealing between members in the community. Now, Aidah says there is no fighting in families, and the amount of theft has reduced significantly.

“We worship God in a holistic way,” she says. “We thank D4D for this holistic gospel that has brought us to this level. We now go to other communities and spread the news so that Jesus will be accepted there, as well.”

Beyond family impact, D4D has also set up groups in the community addressing topics such as financial saving, agriculture, youth, health, and more.

For example, when D4D saw that mothers in the community were having problems giving birth, they started to refer mothers to a health center for prenatal care, teaching them how to eat balanced diets while pregnant and how to deliver a baby if a mother couldn’t get to the hospital in time.

“Death was reduced,” Aidah says. “After giving birth, the women were taught to take the babies in for immunization, and they learned how to be ready to be pregnant and where to go for their health. Now, some of these women are working in the health centers.”

Similarly, when it came to agriculture, the D4D missionaries talked about how the Bible and agriculture can go hand in hand. Where they used to grow only maize, now farmers in Muyembe grow coffee, tomatoes, and bananas. These crops help their community to earn money and provide for their families. Though the surrounding area is bare for miles, this small community now houses a tree nursery, which attracts customers from across Africa who are looking to buy seeds.

Recently, Navigator Scott Purser visited Muyembe on his trip to Kenya and Uganda. As he was sitting in a circle with community leaders, they felt a strong wind approach from the horizon. They began to wonder if they should move into a local church or home for coverage, but they noticed how the trees planted around the community dispersed the wind and provided coverage for their meeting.

“See all these trees?” one of the leaders asked. “D4D taught us these things, and they work! That wind came, and we saw how these trees withstood and protected us. What a wonderful God!”

Pray for D4D Around the World!

The village of Muyembe is just one of the many communities that have been radically impacted by D4D’s teaching of the gospel and holistic health and development. From small-scale farmers using “Farming God’s Way” methods to improve their small crops to families preserving precious rainwater to use in creative ways throughout the year, the Lord is using D4D to help villages build sustainable and thriving communities, centered around the gospel.

Join us in praying over these communities around the world, as the light of the Lord spreads from village to village and heart to heart.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” Luke 4:18 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:

Through the community in Muyembe, the gospel has spread from church to church, village to village. Sometimes, all it takes to have great impact is being willing to pass on the Good News to those around you. Who is around you that you can share Christ with? What are areas in your community where you could spread the gospel?


Abiding Growth: How Community Influences Your Spiritual Impact

Like the village of Muyembe, our faith is meant to be experienced and developed in the presence of community. Are you curious about the purpose of community, and how the body of Christ can impact your spiritual journey? Check out The Navigators resource, “Abiding Growth: How Community Influences Your Spiritual Impact,” where you can take a deeper dive into the value of community through reading John 15.

LEARN MORE

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/planting-seeds-for-growth-how-a-village-in-uganda-was-transformed/feed/ 4 Believers in Burundi: How D4D Training Has Led to Generations of Impact https://www.navigators.org/blog/believers-in-burundi-how-d4d-training-has-led-to-generations-of-impact/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/believers-in-burundi-how-d4d-training-has-led-to-generations-of-impact/#respond Mon, 22 Jul 2024 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=264289 In a village in Burundi, a woman named Deborah* has watched God transform her family and community. 

By using the Navigators Discipling for Development (D4D) lessons, she has seen significant impact. Starting with raising goats to pay for her four childrens’ school fees, she eventually bought a house. Then, she started to think bigger.

Three pairs of hands that are folded in prayer over eachother in agreement.

Hoping to start a church, she traveled to a nearby village. Deborah walked through the community beating a drum and singing, and gradually more and more people started to gather. Her method was unconventional, but effective. A group was formed, and together they decided to farm a field together to raise crops to fund the building of a new church.

One by one, they completed walls and a roof, and gathered toilets for the church. Her vision was achieved, and the gospel found a new presence in the nearby village.

Deborah’s story of rising up and inviting the Lord to work in the lives of her community, is just one of the hundreds of stories that have come out of Africa and around the world through the D4D program — a Navigators ministry that trains people to practice whole-life discipleship, address poverty alleviation, and work with their communities to experience God’s restoration in all areas of life.

The Impact of D4D Around the World

In 1979, Navigator Merri Lee Hipp’s father created an organization called Mission Moving Mountains, a group designed to bring holistic and spiritual discipleship to impoverished and marginalized communities. Starting in Uganda, they worked to mentor local leaders to meet the needs of communities and train them how to improve their lives through economics, health care, agriculture, marriages, spiritual health, and more.

After a couple decades, The Navigators contacted Merri Lee and her husband, Gary, and they merged Mission Moving Mountains with The Navigators ministry to form the D4D ministry in 2007. Now, D4D has mentorship programs in over 300 communities, and has seen people come to faith in Jesus and communities transform.

“The Navigators would talk about the three E’s: evangelism, establishing, and equipping,” Gary says. “And then the next level beyond that is building local leaders. So when we merged with The Navigators, we told them to give us those local leaders who are already established and equipped, and we will build them up, helping them go into communities and discipling them to become all that God intended them to be.”

The D4D process is broken into a series of stages — first, they will find leaders to train, helping them create a healthy team. Then they go into the communities to work with local leaders to discover the specific and unique needs of their area. “We ask them what resources they already have, and what problems they need to overcome,” Gary says. “They can often identify an area where they say, ‘If we get training in this area, we will be able to flourish.’ So then we disciple, mentor, and coach them in a relational way.”

This model of whole-life discipleship has a tendency to multiply from community to community. “They see how their community has been transformed, so they will go to one another’s homes and give advice,” Gary remarks. “Suddenly, we have generations of disciplemaking.”

Impact in Rwanda, Burundi, and Beyond

This model is what the Hipps implemented when they held a D4D training in Africa in 2007. 13 different countries were represented, including missionaries serving in Rwanda who had over 60 churches from their denomination across the country. For seven years, the Hipps continued to mentor these missionaries as Navigator alongsiders — people who come alongside The Navigator mission — coaching them on how to bring holistic discipleship to their church members and communities.

These missionaries eventually spread their reach to Burundi and Eastern Congo to continue practicing and teaching the D4D process in their churches. It was in Burundi that one of those missionaries discipled a pastor, who eventually discipled Deborah. Over 20 years later, the impact of the Hipps’ D4D training and mentorship has continued to multiply and bear fruit.

Though Deborah succeeded in building a church, she is still continuing to support and build up her community. She and her friends work to aid widows by helping them raise livestock. “Recently, we helped five widows in our church build homes,” she says.

Through the D4D training and discipleship, Deborah has witnessed her community change through the strategic use of their resources. “I have experienced transformation in my family and in the church,” she says.

Join The Navigators as we pray for our D4D ministry, that other local leaders like Deborah can impact and build up impoverished communities, continuing the chain reaction of growth and the spread of the Lord’s kingdom around the world.

“Our prayer is that this would become a desired approach, and we are ready to mentor and coach folks that want to do this kind of ministry,” Merri Lee says. “Spiritual life, marriage, agriculture, health, business — all of those things, the people are getting skills that they can pass on to their neighbors. Good things aren’t fully accomplished until people have a capacity to pass it on to others.”

*Name changed for privacy.


Discipleship Tip:

The D4D ministry is so successful partially because disciples continue to pass on the skills and lessons they’ve learned to other communities. Think about what lessons you’ve been taught by mentors over the years. How can you pass on what you’ve learned to others?

7 Tips for Discipling the Next Generation: Lessons from Apostle Paul

Generations of disciplemaking is taking place around the world through the D4D ministry. How can you be multiplying disciples within your own community? Check out our resource, “7 Tips for Discipling the Next Generation: Lessons from Apostle Paul,” to learn how you can help others know Christ, make him known, and help others do the same®.

 DOWNLOAD NOW
]]> In a village in Burundi, a woman named Deborah* has watched God transform her family and community. 

By using the Navigators Discipling for Development (D4D) lessons, she has seen significant impact. Starting with raising goats to pay for her four childrens’ school fees, she eventually bought a house. Then, she started to think bigger.

Three pairs of hands that are folded in prayer over eachother in agreement.

Hoping to start a church, she traveled to a nearby village. Deborah walked through the community beating a drum and singing, and gradually more and more people started to gather. Her method was unconventional, but effective. A group was formed, and together they decided to farm a field together to raise crops to fund the building of a new church.

One by one, they completed walls and a roof, and gathered toilets for the church. Her vision was achieved, and the gospel found a new presence in the nearby village.

Deborah’s story of rising up and inviting the Lord to work in the lives of her community, is just one of the hundreds of stories that have come out of Africa and around the world through the D4D program — a Navigators ministry that trains people to practice whole-life discipleship, address poverty alleviation, and work with their communities to experience God’s restoration in all areas of life.

The Impact of D4D Around the World

In 1979, Navigator Merri Lee Hipp’s father created an organization called Mission Moving Mountains, a group designed to bring holistic and spiritual discipleship to impoverished and marginalized communities. Starting in Uganda, they worked to mentor local leaders to meet the needs of communities and train them how to improve their lives through economics, health care, agriculture, marriages, spiritual health, and more.

After a couple decades, The Navigators contacted Merri Lee and her husband, Gary, and they merged Mission Moving Mountains with The Navigators ministry to form the D4D ministry in 2007. Now, D4D has mentorship programs in over 300 communities, and has seen people come to faith in Jesus and communities transform.

“The Navigators would talk about the three E’s: evangelism, establishing, and equipping,” Gary says. “And then the next level beyond that is building local leaders. So when we merged with The Navigators, we told them to give us those local leaders who are already established and equipped, and we will build them up, helping them go into communities and discipling them to become all that God intended them to be.”

The D4D process is broken into a series of stages — first, they will find leaders to train, helping them create a healthy team. Then they go into the communities to work with local leaders to discover the specific and unique needs of their area. “We ask them what resources they already have, and what problems they need to overcome,” Gary says. “They can often identify an area where they say, ‘If we get training in this area, we will be able to flourish.’ So then we disciple, mentor, and coach them in a relational way.”

This model of whole-life discipleship has a tendency to multiply from community to community. “They see how their community has been transformed, so they will go to one another’s homes and give advice,” Gary remarks. “Suddenly, we have generations of disciplemaking.”

Impact in Rwanda, Burundi, and Beyond

This model is what the Hipps implemented when they held a D4D training in Africa in 2007. 13 different countries were represented, including missionaries serving in Rwanda who had over 60 churches from their denomination across the country. For seven years, the Hipps continued to mentor these missionaries as Navigator alongsiders — people who come alongside The Navigator mission — coaching them on how to bring holistic discipleship to their church members and communities.

These missionaries eventually spread their reach to Burundi and Eastern Congo to continue practicing and teaching the D4D process in their churches. It was in Burundi that one of those missionaries discipled a pastor, who eventually discipled Deborah. Over 20 years later, the impact of the Hipps’ D4D training and mentorship has continued to multiply and bear fruit.

Though Deborah succeeded in building a church, she is still continuing to support and build up her community. She and her friends work to aid widows by helping them raise livestock. “Recently, we helped five widows in our church build homes,” she says.

Through the D4D training and discipleship, Deborah has witnessed her community change through the strategic use of their resources. “I have experienced transformation in my family and in the church,” she says.

Join The Navigators as we pray for our D4D ministry, that other local leaders like Deborah can impact and build up impoverished communities, continuing the chain reaction of growth and the spread of the Lord’s kingdom around the world.

“Our prayer is that this would become a desired approach, and we are ready to mentor and coach folks that want to do this kind of ministry,” Merri Lee says. “Spiritual life, marriage, agriculture, health, business — all of those things, the people are getting skills that they can pass on to their neighbors. Good things aren’t fully accomplished until people have a capacity to pass it on to others.”

*Name changed for privacy.


Discipleship Tip:

The D4D ministry is so successful partially because disciples continue to pass on the skills and lessons they’ve learned to other communities. Think about what lessons you’ve been taught by mentors over the years. How can you pass on what you’ve learned to others?

7 Tips for Discipling the Next Generation: Lessons from Apostle Paul

Generations of disciplemaking is taking place around the world through the D4D ministry. How can you be multiplying disciples within your own community? Check out our resource, “7 Tips for Discipling the Next Generation: Lessons from Apostle Paul,” to learn how you can help others know Christ, make him known, and help others do the same®.

 DOWNLOAD NOW
]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/believers-in-burundi-how-d4d-training-has-led-to-generations-of-impact/feed/ 0 A Weekend of Inspiration at the 2023 National Staff Gathering https://www.navigators.org/blog/a-weekend-of-inspiration-at-the-2023-national-staff-gathering/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/a-weekend-of-inspiration-at-the-2023-national-staff-gathering/#comments Mon, 18 Dec 2023 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=262117 Imagine this — you’re in a large room filled with people. A speaker asks everyone to pull out their phones to find a photo of someone they’ve discipled or are discipling. You look around and every person in the room is holding up their devices, pictures of those they’ve led to Christ showcased on their screens. 

The glow of thousands of faces lights up the room, a powerful testament to the spread of the gospel from generation to generation. 

Many Navigators staff hold up their phones, showing people who they have discipled in the past.
A team leads worship on stage at The Navigators National Staff Gathering.
Two women embrace each other and smile at the camera.
Navigators staff sit around a table at the National Staff Gathering.
A group of men sit together at The Navigators National Staff Gathering.

This was one of the many special moments from The Navigators 2023 National Staff Gathering.

Last month, over 1,300 Navigator staff came together in Irving, Texas. The theme of the weekend was Heartbeat: A Vital Movement of the Gospel, focusing on 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV).

The gathering held five plenary sessions, which were designed to inspire, uplift, and challenge staff attendees to continue the work to which they’ve been called. Staff heard insights on the Lord’s vision for grace, necessary aspects of prayer, and how He works through each and every one of us to reach the nations and spread His mission.  

Staff members also enjoyed times of fun and laughter, along with encouraging ministry stories from new and old friends, breakouts to equip and multiply disciplemakers, precious times of prayer and worship, and motivational messages from fellow Navigators and international leaders. 

For many, the National Staff Gathering was a reminder of why they became Navigators — to be a part of a vital movement of the gospel by connecting, resourcing, and developing everyday disciplemakers. 

Though this conference looked back over the past four years since our last National Staff Gathering, we also took time to look forward to the work that is ahead of us as a ministry. You can partner with us as we continue this work for years to come! 

Pray that the Lord works through The Navigators to reach the unreached and create new disciplemakers. Come alongside us to spread the gospel and disciple those in your circles, from family members to coworkers to neighbors and beyond.

Whether you serve on staff or through your everyday life, we are excited to see how the Lord moves through this next season of ministry!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:  

Pull out your phone and find a photo of someone you’re discipling or have discipled. Pray for that person and reach out to offer them encouragement.

3 Ways To Help Someone Grow Spiritually

Would you like to invite someone to follow Jesus with you, but aren’t quite sure where to begin? Depending on where they are on their faith journey, here are three ways you can encourage someone in their faith. Click the link below to download your copy of “3 Ways To Help Someone Grow Spiritually” resource and be encouraged and equipped to take your next step as a disciplemaker.

DOWNLOAD NOW

]]> Imagine this — you’re in a large room filled with people. A speaker asks everyone to pull out their phones to find a photo of someone they’ve discipled or are discipling. You look around and every person in the room is holding up their devices, pictures of those they’ve led to Christ showcased on their screens. 

The glow of thousands of faces lights up the room, a powerful testament to the spread of the gospel from generation to generation. 

Many Navigators staff hold up their phones, showing people who they have discipled in the past.
A team leads worship on stage at The Navigators National Staff Gathering.
Two women embrace each other and smile at the camera.
Navigators staff sit around a table at the National Staff Gathering.
A group of men sit together at The Navigators National Staff Gathering.

This was one of the many special moments from The Navigators 2023 National Staff Gathering.

Last month, over 1,300 Navigator staff came together in Irving, Texas. The theme of the weekend was Heartbeat: A Vital Movement of the Gospel, focusing on 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV).

The gathering held five plenary sessions, which were designed to inspire, uplift, and challenge staff attendees to continue the work to which they’ve been called. Staff heard insights on the Lord’s vision for grace, necessary aspects of prayer, and how He works through each and every one of us to reach the nations and spread His mission.  

Staff members also enjoyed times of fun and laughter, along with encouraging ministry stories from new and old friends, breakouts to equip and multiply disciplemakers, precious times of prayer and worship, and motivational messages from fellow Navigators and international leaders. 

For many, the National Staff Gathering was a reminder of why they became Navigators — to be a part of a vital movement of the gospel by connecting, resourcing, and developing everyday disciplemakers. 

Though this conference looked back over the past four years since our last National Staff Gathering, we also took time to look forward to the work that is ahead of us as a ministry. You can partner with us as we continue this work for years to come! 

Pray that the Lord works through The Navigators to reach the unreached and create new disciplemakers. Come alongside us to spread the gospel and disciple those in your circles, from family members to coworkers to neighbors and beyond.

Whether you serve on staff or through your everyday life, we are excited to see how the Lord moves through this next season of ministry!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:  

Pull out your phone and find a photo of someone you’re discipling or have discipled. Pray for that person and reach out to offer them encouragement.

3 Ways To Help Someone Grow Spiritually

Would you like to invite someone to follow Jesus with you, but aren’t quite sure where to begin? Depending on where they are on their faith journey, here are three ways you can encourage someone in their faith. Click the link below to download your copy of “3 Ways To Help Someone Grow Spiritually” resource and be encouraged and equipped to take your next step as a disciplemaker.

DOWNLOAD NOW

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/a-weekend-of-inspiration-at-the-2023-national-staff-gathering/feed/ 2 Life-to-Life® Discipleship Transforms the Most Diverse Square Mile in the U.S. https://www.navigators.org/blog/discipleship-transforms-diverse-mile/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/discipleship-transforms-diverse-mile/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2022 19:00:48 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=255991 When Amari* was 7 years old his family moved from Ethiopia to Clarkston, Georgia. (See below “A Global City to Train Disciplemakers” for information on the unique diversity in Clarkston). He grew up in an Orthodox Christian home and grew spiritually through Navigators Collegiate at University of Georgia.  

Amari shares his heart for Ethiopia, “I visited Ethiopia during the summer while I was in college. I prayed for the Spirit to help me see what God sees when He looks at people. As I was driving from the airport into the city, I saw a woman and her children by the side of the road, she seemed to have lost hope. Throughout my trip I saw brokenness, but also hope as I met people who were working to bring change for those on the margins.” 

Amari was introduced to Eric Ketcham, Lane Lareau, and the Discipling for Development (D4D) team in Atlanta by Navigators at University of Georgia. Amari joined a D4D Foundations workshop in the fall of 2017. 

The whole-life emphasis of D4D resonated with Amari and his heart for his home country. Whole-life discipleship is meeting community members where they are and mentoring them to grow as whole persons into all God intends for them to be. Amari knew that it would take whole-life discipleship and a biblical approach to community transformation that he learned through D4D to alleviate the poverty he saw among the street children of Addis Ababa. Two years ago, he moved from Atlanta to Ethiopia and has connected with Navigators who are there to come alongside their ministry. Eric and Lane are still actively mentoring Amari from a distance, connecting regularly to equip and encourage him in his work and ministry. 

Life-to-Life Discipleship Moves from Atlanta, to Portland, to Ethopia

Taye* met Lane and the D4D team through a deacon at his Ethiopian church in the Atlanta area. He resonated with the whole-life discipleship idea and was particularly struck by the idea that discipleship starts with a relationship with God and as He transforms your heart, it transforms your life and your family. Then as families are changed, transformation spreads from homes to communities. The D4D training has helped Taye integrate his faith and work. He was finishing a training program in the pharmaceutical industry while he was being mentored in discipleship principles of The Navigators. 

Now living in Portland, Oregon, Taye feels called to apply what he learned through D4D to the Ethiopian diaspora in that city. He also sees his work as a place that God can use him in ministry. He transitioned from working for a pharmaceutical company to providing home care support for families who have children on the autism spectrum. As with Amari, Lane continues to mentor Taye long-distance, helping him integrate whole-life discipleship into his faith and work.

Kofi* lived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before coming to the United States for seminary studies at Columbia International University in South Carolina. As he was completing his seminary studies, he learned about the D4D residential training experience in Atlanta and was able to extend his student visa for this internship experience.

“For me joining D4D enhanced my understanding about community,” shares Kofi. “I remember the first lesson was about a broken relationship with God, self, others, and creation, and how restored relationships are the redemptive work of Christ. The whole-life discipleship model shaped my perspective about community and God’s plan, which is to create God-glorifying households and communities. It was challenging to move directly from seminary study into the combination of more training and working with the Ethiopian church in Clarkston. Being able to connect with church pastors and the community was encouraging.”

Now back in Ethiopia, Kofi continues to intentionally live out the discipleship principles he learned in his daily life. He is considering ways to serve in the community, even as his next steps have been slowed by the impact of COVID-19 and unrest in his country. 

The Life-to-Life connection of Lane Lareau with each of these Ethiopian men is exemplary of the interactions Lane has had with the international community in the Atlanta area since he relocated there six years ago. When he moved to Atlanta, Lane was finishing up a master’s degree in Global Studies and was looking for experience in working with an international community. He connected with the Atlanta Navigators city team which was doing research into the possibility of doing focused D4D training in Atlanta, because of its makeup as a global city. The D4D whole-life discipleship emphasis of empowering individuals to grow as whole persons physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually was a good fit for the needs in Atlanta. The D4D team in Atlanta was formed in 2016 and Lane became the project leader in 2019.

“Our emphasis is coming alongside the local community and providing training,” shares Lane. “As we bring new people in for training, we are always considering how to release them into their next steps. Sometimes that means a new expression of ministry locally, and sometimes they are called elsewhere to serve. But our role is to come alongside what God is doing through local leaders, mentoring them, and then releasing them to serve.”

Pray that God continues to multiply the impact of the Discipling for Development team in Atlanta and around the world. Praise God for the way He is using those who have been trained to bring whole-life discipleship to communities in Ethiopia and beyond. 

*Names changed.

A Global City to Train Disciplemakers

The town of Clarkston, Georgia, in the eastern part of metropolitan Atlanta, has been dubbed the most diverse square mile in the United States. Many refugees have resettled in the area, with good access to the Atlanta labor market and affordable housing. More than five years ago, the Navigators World Missions Discipling for Development (D4D) team selected Atlanta as a pilot area in the United States. In addition to the local international communities, Atlanta is a city with linkages around the world.  Previously all the D4D ministry had been in other countries, mostly in Africa and Southeast Asia. 

The D4D team in Atlanta offers training opportunities that include practical experience along with biblical and community development principles to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs:

  • 1-week Introductory training program on-site in Atlanta in March.
  • Summer program – online 9-week virtual program to provide an understanding of doing whole-life discipleship alongside vulnerable populations in a local context.
  • 10-month training program with curriculum, field placements, and mentoring. Currently online, but potentially residential again in the future.

For short-term missions opportunities with The Navigators go to navlink.org/short-term.

 

]]> When Amari* was 7 years old his family moved from Ethiopia to Clarkston, Georgia. (See below “A Global City to Train Disciplemakers” for information on the unique diversity in Clarkston). He grew up in an Orthodox Christian home and grew spiritually through Navigators Collegiate at University of Georgia.  

Amari shares his heart for Ethiopia, “I visited Ethiopia during the summer while I was in college. I prayed for the Spirit to help me see what God sees when He looks at people. As I was driving from the airport into the city, I saw a woman and her children by the side of the road, she seemed to have lost hope. Throughout my trip I saw brokenness, but also hope as I met people who were working to bring change for those on the margins.” 

Amari was introduced to Eric Ketcham, Lane Lareau, and the Discipling for Development (D4D) team in Atlanta by Navigators at University of Georgia. Amari joined a D4D Foundations workshop in the fall of 2017. 

The whole-life emphasis of D4D resonated with Amari and his heart for his home country. Whole-life discipleship is meeting community members where they are and mentoring them to grow as whole persons into all God intends for them to be. Amari knew that it would take whole-life discipleship and a biblical approach to community transformation that he learned through D4D to alleviate the poverty he saw among the street children of Addis Ababa. Two years ago, he moved from Atlanta to Ethiopia and has connected with Navigators who are there to come alongside their ministry. Eric and Lane are still actively mentoring Amari from a distance, connecting regularly to equip and encourage him in his work and ministry. 

Life-to-Life Discipleship Moves from Atlanta, to Portland, to Ethopia

Taye* met Lane and the D4D team through a deacon at his Ethiopian church in the Atlanta area. He resonated with the whole-life discipleship idea and was particularly struck by the idea that discipleship starts with a relationship with God and as He transforms your heart, it transforms your life and your family. Then as families are changed, transformation spreads from homes to communities. The D4D training has helped Taye integrate his faith and work. He was finishing a training program in the pharmaceutical industry while he was being mentored in discipleship principles of The Navigators. 

Now living in Portland, Oregon, Taye feels called to apply what he learned through D4D to the Ethiopian diaspora in that city. He also sees his work as a place that God can use him in ministry. He transitioned from working for a pharmaceutical company to providing home care support for families who have children on the autism spectrum. As with Amari, Lane continues to mentor Taye long-distance, helping him integrate whole-life discipleship into his faith and work.

Kofi* lived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before coming to the United States for seminary studies at Columbia International University in South Carolina. As he was completing his seminary studies, he learned about the D4D residential training experience in Atlanta and was able to extend his student visa for this internship experience.

“For me joining D4D enhanced my understanding about community,” shares Kofi. “I remember the first lesson was about a broken relationship with God, self, others, and creation, and how restored relationships are the redemptive work of Christ. The whole-life discipleship model shaped my perspective about community and God’s plan, which is to create God-glorifying households and communities. It was challenging to move directly from seminary study into the combination of more training and working with the Ethiopian church in Clarkston. Being able to connect with church pastors and the community was encouraging.”

Now back in Ethiopia, Kofi continues to intentionally live out the discipleship principles he learned in his daily life. He is considering ways to serve in the community, even as his next steps have been slowed by the impact of COVID-19 and unrest in his country. 

The Life-to-Life connection of Lane Lareau with each of these Ethiopian men is exemplary of the interactions Lane has had with the international community in the Atlanta area since he relocated there six years ago. When he moved to Atlanta, Lane was finishing up a master’s degree in Global Studies and was looking for experience in working with an international community. He connected with the Atlanta Navigators city team which was doing research into the possibility of doing focused D4D training in Atlanta, because of its makeup as a global city. The D4D whole-life discipleship emphasis of empowering individuals to grow as whole persons physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually was a good fit for the needs in Atlanta. The D4D team in Atlanta was formed in 2016 and Lane became the project leader in 2019.

“Our emphasis is coming alongside the local community and providing training,” shares Lane. “As we bring new people in for training, we are always considering how to release them into their next steps. Sometimes that means a new expression of ministry locally, and sometimes they are called elsewhere to serve. But our role is to come alongside what God is doing through local leaders, mentoring them, and then releasing them to serve.”

Pray that God continues to multiply the impact of the Discipling for Development team in Atlanta and around the world. Praise God for the way He is using those who have been trained to bring whole-life discipleship to communities in Ethiopia and beyond. 

*Names changed.

A Global City to Train Disciplemakers

The town of Clarkston, Georgia, in the eastern part of metropolitan Atlanta, has been dubbed the most diverse square mile in the United States. Many refugees have resettled in the area, with good access to the Atlanta labor market and affordable housing. More than five years ago, the Navigators World Missions Discipling for Development (D4D) team selected Atlanta as a pilot area in the United States. In addition to the local international communities, Atlanta is a city with linkages around the world.  Previously all the D4D ministry had been in other countries, mostly in Africa and Southeast Asia. 

The D4D team in Atlanta offers training opportunities that include practical experience along with biblical and community development principles to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs:

  • 1-week Introductory training program on-site in Atlanta in March.
  • Summer program – online 9-week virtual program to provide an understanding of doing whole-life discipleship alongside vulnerable populations in a local context.
  • 10-month training program with curriculum, field placements, and mentoring. Currently online, but potentially residential again in the future.

For short-term missions opportunities with The Navigators go to navlink.org/short-term.

 

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/discipleship-transforms-diverse-mile/feed/ 4 Discipleship and Heart Transformation in Uganda https://www.navigators.org/blog/discipleship-and-heart-transformation-in-uganda/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/discipleship-and-heart-transformation-in-uganda/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2021 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/come-help-us/ “Come help us! We are killing each other!” That was the urgent message Sam Soita (Executive Director of The Navigators Discipling for Development in Uganda) heard on the radio five years ago. Despite the desperation in the plea, he was hesitant to get involved.

Sam’s team learned that Bukhalu, Uganda — the community from which this urgent request had come—had been formed by former criminals. It was rife with witches, murderers, and other wicked people who had been driven out of their previous homes by neighbors who hated them.

“We had never worked with people like this before,” said Sam. “Witchcraft, drunkenness, adultery, and murder (especially through poisoning) were their specialties.”

Discipleship and Heart Transformation in Uganda The Navigators Discipling for Development

Every other non-governmental organization (NGO) in the area had avoided Bukhalu. In addition to the utterly corrupt character of the inhabitants, the community was extremely difficult to access. In the rainy season it was virtually impossible to reach when the primitive roads that led to the village became nothing more than mud sloughs.

Sam’s team was understandably fearful when he asked them to consider becoming involved with the residents of Bukhalu, but, after several weeks of prayer, they concluded that God was indeed calling them to minister there. The team has now been working in the village for several years and they are seeing some remarkable transformation.

The team began visiting villagers at home—explaining the Gospel to them and urging them to repent and believe in Christ. One of the villagers who came to faith in Jesus is Stephen.

“When we asked Stephen (who is also a local government leader) about the ways that the Bible had brought change to his life and community, he lit up with enthusiasm, says Sam.

“The Bible has told us about our sin and how we can receive Christ,” said Stephen. “We’ve learned that drunkenness wastes time and money and if we stop we find better lives. We’re also learning how to love our wives.” As a government leader, Stephen was often called upon to settle domestic disputes between husbands and wives. Where he once had to do that several times each week, he now only has to intervene a couple of times a month.

In addition to changes in character, the villagers are also seeing changes in their day-to-day lifestyles. “We’re learning how to clean our compounds,” says Stephen, “to remove standing water, and to get our drinking water from the borehole [well] instead of the river.”

One result is that the number of children suffering from diarrhea has been dramatically reduced. “We are learning how to have better lives—spiritually, physically, socially, and environmentally,” says Stephen.

Sam agrees. “Bukhalu, Uganda used to be the kind of community we would show to people as a prime example of a non-transformed community—one that needs the Gospel. Now, by the power of the Gospel and the discipling work of the Ugandan team, Bukhalu is being transformed into a showcase of the glory of God!”

Learn more about Navigators World Missions.

What is Discipling for Development?

Discipling for Development (D4D) is a ministry of The Navigators dedicated to discipling people, developing communities, and transforming lives in impoverished communities. Many small villages lack even basic necessities like healthy living conditions, sufficient food, and economic hope. We empower people to create solutions for their own communities.

Whole-life discipleship with D4D has the following components:

  • Disciple people: Offer whole-life discipleship and hope to those struggling in poverty, mentoring them in community to grow into all that the Father intends them to be and do.
  • Develop communities: Gain experience in empowering communities to solve their problems, gain control of their lives, and help other communities do the same.
  • Transform lives:  See community members grow as whole persons—physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually—as the Spirit of God transforms their lives.

Get Connected with Discipling for Development

Pray for Discipling for Development teams who are committed to empowering people through whole-life discipleship that transforms local communities.

]]> “Come help us! We are killing each other!” That was the urgent message Sam Soita (Executive Director of The Navigators Discipling for Development in Uganda) heard on the radio five years ago. Despite the desperation in the plea, he was hesitant to get involved.

Sam’s team learned that Bukhalu, Uganda — the community from which this urgent request had come—had been formed by former criminals. It was rife with witches, murderers, and other wicked people who had been driven out of their previous homes by neighbors who hated them.

“We had never worked with people like this before,” said Sam. “Witchcraft, drunkenness, adultery, and murder (especially through poisoning) were their specialties.”

Discipleship and Heart Transformation in Uganda The Navigators Discipling for Development

Every other non-governmental organization (NGO) in the area had avoided Bukhalu. In addition to the utterly corrupt character of the inhabitants, the community was extremely difficult to access. In the rainy season it was virtually impossible to reach when the primitive roads that led to the village became nothing more than mud sloughs.

Sam’s team was understandably fearful when he asked them to consider becoming involved with the residents of Bukhalu, but, after several weeks of prayer, they concluded that God was indeed calling them to minister there. The team has now been working in the village for several years and they are seeing some remarkable transformation.

The team began visiting villagers at home—explaining the Gospel to them and urging them to repent and believe in Christ. One of the villagers who came to faith in Jesus is Stephen.

“When we asked Stephen (who is also a local government leader) about the ways that the Bible had brought change to his life and community, he lit up with enthusiasm, says Sam.

“The Bible has told us about our sin and how we can receive Christ,” said Stephen. “We’ve learned that drunkenness wastes time and money and if we stop we find better lives. We’re also learning how to love our wives.” As a government leader, Stephen was often called upon to settle domestic disputes between husbands and wives. Where he once had to do that several times each week, he now only has to intervene a couple of times a month.

In addition to changes in character, the villagers are also seeing changes in their day-to-day lifestyles. “We’re learning how to clean our compounds,” says Stephen, “to remove standing water, and to get our drinking water from the borehole [well] instead of the river.”

One result is that the number of children suffering from diarrhea has been dramatically reduced. “We are learning how to have better lives—spiritually, physically, socially, and environmentally,” says Stephen.

Sam agrees. “Bukhalu, Uganda used to be the kind of community we would show to people as a prime example of a non-transformed community—one that needs the Gospel. Now, by the power of the Gospel and the discipling work of the Ugandan team, Bukhalu is being transformed into a showcase of the glory of God!”

Learn more about Navigators World Missions.

What is Discipling for Development?

Discipling for Development (D4D) is a ministry of The Navigators dedicated to discipling people, developing communities, and transforming lives in impoverished communities. Many small villages lack even basic necessities like healthy living conditions, sufficient food, and economic hope. We empower people to create solutions for their own communities.

Whole-life discipleship with D4D has the following components:

  • Disciple people: Offer whole-life discipleship and hope to those struggling in poverty, mentoring them in community to grow into all that the Father intends them to be and do.
  • Develop communities: Gain experience in empowering communities to solve their problems, gain control of their lives, and help other communities do the same.
  • Transform lives:  See community members grow as whole persons—physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually—as the Spirit of God transforms their lives.

Get Connected with Discipling for Development

Pray for Discipling for Development teams who are committed to empowering people through whole-life discipleship that transforms local communities.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/discipleship-and-heart-transformation-in-uganda/feed/ 15 Whole-Life Transformation: Never Too Late For Education https://www.navigators.org/blog/whole-life-transformation/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/whole-life-transformation/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2021 18:00:26 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=184613 David Kordorwu (senior International Mentor for over a decade) met Peter* in barren and desert-like northern Ghana years ago, when Peter was 17 years old. David led Peter to faith in Christ and baptized him.

Whole-Life Transformation: Never Too Late For Education | The Navigators Discipling for Development | Beira Mozambique July 13, 2010 Class in elementary in Beira.

More than 15 years ago, Peter attended a Discipling for Development (D4D) whole-life discipleship training in Tamale along with 50 other participants. The discipleship training Peter attended includes spiritual growth components of prayer and Bible study, along with an emphasis on empowering people to create a healthy community. Out of them all, Peter is the only one who continued, recruited a team, and started a D4D program in his home village.

Since then, he reproduced D4D in his area by pioneering the opening of other three communities. David and Peter are now coaching four Discipling for Development teams in the surrounding area.

When Peter began D4D training, he had only completed primary school. But because Peter is determined to be a lifelong learner, along with being a disciplemaker, he enrolled in junior high classes as a 27-year-old. Later David and Jane Kordorwu helped him to enter a private secondary school where he wrote and passed his West Africa Secondary School education examinations.

Peter now has his Diploma degree in Primary Education from University of Education, Winneba! He is deployed by the Ghanaian Government to do a one-year National service teaching.

 As God would have it, his government assignment is in the same community where his Navigator D4D Mentor-in-Training program is located. God’s hand is evident in how He provided this opportunity where Peter can be present in this community to coach mentors-in-training and teach school.

The Community Development Committee for his area knows Peter and the many transformations his team has brought to their community and other surrounding communities in north Ghana.

His growth has impacted his own children so much that two of them have completed Senior High School. His only daughter is planning to enter Nursing Training College to become a midwife so that she can one day serve her community like her father.

Peter has developed into a Kingdom leader and a skillful Discipling for Development Mentor since 2017. He is called into training and igniting others to be disciplemakers through whole life discipleship.

Praise God for people like Peter who are committed to empowering people for whole-life discipleship that impacts their local communities. Pray that the work of mentors flourishes.

*Name changed.

]]> David Kordorwu (senior International Mentor for over a decade) met Peter* in barren and desert-like northern Ghana years ago, when Peter was 17 years old. David led Peter to faith in Christ and baptized him.

Whole-Life Transformation: Never Too Late For Education | The Navigators Discipling for Development | Beira Mozambique July 13, 2010 Class in elementary in Beira.

More than 15 years ago, Peter attended a Discipling for Development (D4D) whole-life discipleship training in Tamale along with 50 other participants. The discipleship training Peter attended includes spiritual growth components of prayer and Bible study, along with an emphasis on empowering people to create a healthy community. Out of them all, Peter is the only one who continued, recruited a team, and started a D4D program in his home village.

Since then, he reproduced D4D in his area by pioneering the opening of other three communities. David and Peter are now coaching four Discipling for Development teams in the surrounding area.

When Peter began D4D training, he had only completed primary school. But because Peter is determined to be a lifelong learner, along with being a disciplemaker, he enrolled in junior high classes as a 27-year-old. Later David and Jane Kordorwu helped him to enter a private secondary school where he wrote and passed his West Africa Secondary School education examinations.

Peter now has his Diploma degree in Primary Education from University of Education, Winneba! He is deployed by the Ghanaian Government to do a one-year National service teaching.

 As God would have it, his government assignment is in the same community where his Navigator D4D Mentor-in-Training program is located. God’s hand is evident in how He provided this opportunity where Peter can be present in this community to coach mentors-in-training and teach school.

The Community Development Committee for his area knows Peter and the many transformations his team has brought to their community and other surrounding communities in north Ghana.

His growth has impacted his own children so much that two of them have completed Senior High School. His only daughter is planning to enter Nursing Training College to become a midwife so that she can one day serve her community like her father.

Peter has developed into a Kingdom leader and a skillful Discipling for Development Mentor since 2017. He is called into training and igniting others to be disciplemakers through whole life discipleship.

Praise God for people like Peter who are committed to empowering people for whole-life discipleship that impacts their local communities. Pray that the work of mentors flourishes.

*Name changed.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/whole-life-transformation/feed/ 3 Fruitful Partnerships Advance the Gospel https://www.navigators.org/blog/fruitful-partnerships/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/fruitful-partnerships/#respond Mon, 04 May 2020 18:00:48 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=22995 Faithful service to their local communities means that in times of crisis, the positive reputation of The Navigators for service and integrity makes them trusted local partners to offer practical help. Navigators Discipling for Development (D4D) has worked in almost 20 countries in Africa, Asia, North America, and Eastern Europe. The reputation of D4D workers means that local health officials call on them for help in training citizens in sanitation and prevention of COVID-19 spread—especially hand washing and social distancing.

Fruitful Partnerships Advance the Gospel | Discipling for Development | man washing hands in a sink

Wency de la Vina and his team have spent 15 years of serving and equipping communities in the Philippines in a way that equips and empowers disciples. Along with their existing ministry, the Navigators in the Philippines have recently mobilized to cook hundreds of meals for health workers who serve those impacted by the pandemic. This kind of spontaneous response is repeated around the world, as Navigators step up to meet new needs due to COVID-19 in their local areas.

The faithful service and care for community started many years ago, in Wency’s garage. He tells the story of how God has been working.

A Light of Hope Shining from Wency’s Garage

In 2005, two small brothers from a nearby community of informal settlers kept coming to our house in the Philippines for free food and recyclable materials. We knew that we had to do more to help them and that we could do move working together as a team. So, we talked with the five couples in our Navigator Bible study group. Each week in our garage, our team—sometimes including our children—provided meals for 15 children from the brothers’ poor community.

Inspired by Isaiah 58:6-12, which is about helping those in need, we saw our efforts expand. Within a couple of months, we had about 50 children coming to our garage for meals and conversations. Lacking space, we transferred to a bigger venue in the village. Then we started providing the children with school supplies. We soon discovered that a small group of believers, knitted together by a common purpose in Christ, could use its resources to help the poor. We started to imagine how ministry could multiply if many small groups like ours started serving and equipping the people in their communities!

In light of the widespread unemployment and poverty in the Philippines, we registered Community Hope Alternatives, Inc. (CHAI). Today our small organization establishes small, biblical communities where people grow spiritually and help one another become economically productive and socially responsible.

Renz Rivera, a health-care practitioner, joined our team. He turned out to be a prolific evangelist. Early on, Renz led a girl named Erika to Christ. At the time she was eight-years-old and living in a poor community. A decade later, at age 18, she rejoined his group. Erika started serving CHAI as a volunteer. Our Study Now Pay Later assistance allowed her to fulfill her dream of going to college. She obtained a degree in social work and passed the national board examination.

After much prayer, Erika has recently decided to work full-time with CHAI. Armed with gifts of leadership and service, plus a happy disposition, Erika is a vital, energetic, innovative, and caring member of the team that ministers to young and old in several communities.

What have we learned over the years?

We have learned that to minister to the marginalized—and even to people who are not materially poor—we need a holistic mindset. Simple solutions that only focus on spiritual life usually cannot empower people. Poverty is complex, the result of broken relationships between God and humans, between individuals, between people and the environment. Many even experience a broken relationship with themselves. We’ve learned that effective ministry addresses all of these areas.

We have also learned the importance of international partnership, which is a strength of our Navigator disciplemaking movement. Through an international partnership with U.S. Navigators Discipling for Development leaders we have received coaching and tools to effectively empower the people we serve. Many of the principles they taught us were ideas they learned from their ministry in Africa. This is truly an example of the effectiveness of our worldwide partnership working together!

Discipling for Development is building on ministry foundations to face the current crisis.

Now, as marginalized communities around the world face the coronavirus pandemic, along with all the existing challenges of daily life, relational ministry is even more important. Navigators in the Philippines and around the world have a strong basis of local trust and connection so they can continue to empower people to transform lives and communities.

Pray that God will use Navigators in communities around the world to bring hope and help to many people!

Wency de la Vina became Navigator staff in the Philippines in 1986. He started CHAI, an NGO that works with the poor, in 2008. He and his wife, Celia, have three adult sons and two grandsons.

Discipling for Development is a ministry of The Navigators dedicated to discipling people, developing communities, and transforming lives in impoverished communities. Many small villages lack even basic necessities like healthy living conditions, sufficient food, and economic hope. We empower people to create solutions for their own communities.

This article was first published in Worldwide, the international newsletter of The Navigators.

]]> Faithful service to their local communities means that in times of crisis, the positive reputation of The Navigators for service and integrity makes them trusted local partners to offer practical help. Navigators Discipling for Development (D4D) has worked in almost 20 countries in Africa, Asia, North America, and Eastern Europe. The reputation of D4D workers means that local health officials call on them for help in training citizens in sanitation and prevention of COVID-19 spread—especially hand washing and social distancing.

Fruitful Partnerships Advance the Gospel | Discipling for Development | man washing hands in a sink

Wency de la Vina and his team have spent 15 years of serving and equipping communities in the Philippines in a way that equips and empowers disciples. Along with their existing ministry, the Navigators in the Philippines have recently mobilized to cook hundreds of meals for health workers who serve those impacted by the pandemic. This kind of spontaneous response is repeated around the world, as Navigators step up to meet new needs due to COVID-19 in their local areas.

The faithful service and care for community started many years ago, in Wency’s garage. He tells the story of how God has been working.

A Light of Hope Shining from Wency’s Garage

In 2005, two small brothers from a nearby community of informal settlers kept coming to our house in the Philippines for free food and recyclable materials. We knew that we had to do more to help them and that we could do move working together as a team. So, we talked with the five couples in our Navigator Bible study group. Each week in our garage, our team—sometimes including our children—provided meals for 15 children from the brothers’ poor community.

Inspired by Isaiah 58:6-12, which is about helping those in need, we saw our efforts expand. Within a couple of months, we had about 50 children coming to our garage for meals and conversations. Lacking space, we transferred to a bigger venue in the village. Then we started providing the children with school supplies. We soon discovered that a small group of believers, knitted together by a common purpose in Christ, could use its resources to help the poor. We started to imagine how ministry could multiply if many small groups like ours started serving and equipping the people in their communities!

In light of the widespread unemployment and poverty in the Philippines, we registered Community Hope Alternatives, Inc. (CHAI). Today our small organization establishes small, biblical communities where people grow spiritually and help one another become economically productive and socially responsible.

Renz Rivera, a health-care practitioner, joined our team. He turned out to be a prolific evangelist. Early on, Renz led a girl named Erika to Christ. At the time she was eight-years-old and living in a poor community. A decade later, at age 18, she rejoined his group. Erika started serving CHAI as a volunteer. Our Study Now Pay Later assistance allowed her to fulfill her dream of going to college. She obtained a degree in social work and passed the national board examination.

After much prayer, Erika has recently decided to work full-time with CHAI. Armed with gifts of leadership and service, plus a happy disposition, Erika is a vital, energetic, innovative, and caring member of the team that ministers to young and old in several communities.

What have we learned over the years?

We have learned that to minister to the marginalized—and even to people who are not materially poor—we need a holistic mindset. Simple solutions that only focus on spiritual life usually cannot empower people. Poverty is complex, the result of broken relationships between God and humans, between individuals, between people and the environment. Many even experience a broken relationship with themselves. We’ve learned that effective ministry addresses all of these areas.

We have also learned the importance of international partnership, which is a strength of our Navigator disciplemaking movement. Through an international partnership with U.S. Navigators Discipling for Development leaders we have received coaching and tools to effectively empower the people we serve. Many of the principles they taught us were ideas they learned from their ministry in Africa. This is truly an example of the effectiveness of our worldwide partnership working together!

Discipling for Development is building on ministry foundations to face the current crisis.

Now, as marginalized communities around the world face the coronavirus pandemic, along with all the existing challenges of daily life, relational ministry is even more important. Navigators in the Philippines and around the world have a strong basis of local trust and connection so they can continue to empower people to transform lives and communities.

Pray that God will use Navigators in communities around the world to bring hope and help to many people!

Wency de la Vina became Navigator staff in the Philippines in 1986. He started CHAI, an NGO that works with the poor, in 2008. He and his wife, Celia, have three adult sons and two grandsons.

Discipling for Development is a ministry of The Navigators dedicated to discipling people, developing communities, and transforming lives in impoverished communities. Many small villages lack even basic necessities like healthy living conditions, sufficient food, and economic hope. We empower people to create solutions for their own communities.

This article was first published in Worldwide, the international newsletter of The Navigators.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/fruitful-partnerships/feed/ 0 Prayers for Strength: Lifesaving Truths from God https://www.navigators.org/blog/prayers-for-strength-lifesaving-truths-from-god/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/prayers-for-strength-lifesaving-truths-from-god/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2018 15:00:32 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=5519 I suppose we all have those times when life seems to be full of crisis, challenge, or conflict. During one difficult season, facing what some have called a “dark night of the soul,” I lay awake repeatedly crying out to God. My prayers were rooted in what He had said in the past. God provided help in that season, and continues to do so. His grace sustains us with timely promises and answers to prayer.

One praying activity that has been a foundation for many Christians as they have pressed into God’s presence over the centuries is attention to the promises He makes in the Scriptures. The list of men and women of faith who believed that God’s promises were for them is long and noteworthy. Some of the names you might recognize are Martin Luther, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, J. O. Fraser, D. L. Moody, Elisabeth Elliot, and the founder of The Navigators, Dawson Trotman.

God’s Word is filled with His promises to His people and to each of His followers who put their trust in Him. Peter speaks of the power and blessing the promises are to those of us in Christ:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3,4)

Here are a few of the specific lifesaving truths from God that have carried my wife, Pam, and me through difficult seasons:

  • I am your strength. (Psalm 18:1,2)
  • I am with you and delight and rejoice in you. (Zephaniah 3:17)
  • I walk with you through the challenges. (Isaiah 41:13)

To become a person of influence for God’s Kingdom we must first become people who know God and spend time with Him. And as we appeal to God for help, guidance, and protection, we learn more about Him and about ourselves. We can also remind Him of the promises He has made in His Word. As we walk with Him in prayer, we come to know Him more deeply, and the refreshing, abundant life He gives us overflows to others.

]]> I suppose we all have those times when life seems to be full of crisis, challenge, or conflict. During one difficult season, facing what some have called a “dark night of the soul,” I lay awake repeatedly crying out to God. My prayers were rooted in what He had said in the past. God provided help in that season, and continues to do so. His grace sustains us with timely promises and answers to prayer.

One praying activity that has been a foundation for many Christians as they have pressed into God’s presence over the centuries is attention to the promises He makes in the Scriptures. The list of men and women of faith who believed that God’s promises were for them is long and noteworthy. Some of the names you might recognize are Martin Luther, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, J. O. Fraser, D. L. Moody, Elisabeth Elliot, and the founder of The Navigators, Dawson Trotman.

God’s Word is filled with His promises to His people and to each of His followers who put their trust in Him. Peter speaks of the power and blessing the promises are to those of us in Christ:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3,4)

Here are a few of the specific lifesaving truths from God that have carried my wife, Pam, and me through difficult seasons:

  • I am your strength. (Psalm 18:1,2)
  • I am with you and delight and rejoice in you. (Zephaniah 3:17)
  • I walk with you through the challenges. (Isaiah 41:13)

To become a person of influence for God’s Kingdom we must first become people who know God and spend time with Him. And as we appeal to God for help, guidance, and protection, we learn more about Him and about ourselves. We can also remind Him of the promises He has made in His Word. As we walk with Him in prayer, we come to know Him more deeply, and the refreshing, abundant life He gives us overflows to others.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/prayers-for-strength-lifesaving-truths-from-god/feed/ 19