NavPress - 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 NavPress - 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 NavPress Title ‘The Discipleship Opportunity’ Receives Writer of Colour Award at the 2025 Word Awards https://www.navigators.org/blog/navpress-title-the-discipleship-opportunity-receives-writer-of-colour-award-at-the-2025-word-awards/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/navpress-title-the-discipleship-opportunity-receives-writer-of-colour-award-at-the-2025-word-awards/#respond Mon, 03 Nov 2025 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=268242 Recent books by authors Daniel Im, Karen Stiller, and Christie Thomas were recognized as part of the guild’s annual awards program, which honors the best of Canadian Christian writing from the previous year.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (November 3, 2025) — A recent release from NavPress author Daniel Im was recognized at The Word Awards, an annual awards program hosted by The Word Guild to honor the best of Canadian Christian writing from the previous year. Im received the Writer of Colour Award for his 2024 book, The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World. Two other NavPress titles—Karen Stiller’s Holiness Here and Christie Thomas’ Little Habits, Big Faith—were finalists in the Christian Living – Personal Growth category.

“I’m delighted to see these gifted authors recognized for their writing,” says Deborah Sáenz, acquisition editor for NavPress, which is a business ministry of The Navigators. “All three books offer deep insight and wisdom, enriching individual readers and strengthening the Church as a whole. The recognition is well deserved.”

Daniel Im (Edmonton, Alberta) is a pastor, Bible teacher, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. In The Discipleship Opportunity, Im offers a powerful, practical resource for church leaders seeking to navigate the challenges of today’s rapidly evolving, post-pandemic, post-Christian world.


“As I was writing this book, the question that was burning in my heart, my soul, and my mind was how we could be more faithful to Jesus’ Great Commission in this ‘post-everything’ world that we’re living in,” Im shared upon receiving the Writer of Colour Award. “I’m so grateful to hear all of the stories from the pastors and the church leaders who have […] told me the ways that they have changed the way that they disciple and preach and evangelize — because the ways that we used to do it don’t work anymore.”

Holiness Here by Karen Stiller (Ottawa, Ontario) and Little Habits, Big Faith by Christie Thomas (Sherwood Park, Alberta) were included on the 2025 Word Awards Short List as finalists in the Christian Living – Personal Growth category. Holiness Here invites readers to explore how holiness pervades the Christian life, even in its seeming mundanity. Little Habits, Big Faith offers simple daily practices to support children in their spiritual growth.

Founded in 2001, The Word Guild is a diverse and growing community of Canadian writers, publishing professionals, librarians, and others who share a passion for the written word and affirm a common statement of faith. The guild’s mission is “to organize and serve Canadians who communicate through the written word from a Judeo-Christian worldview, so that they can increase in faith and excellence and inspire all readers.” The guild’s annual Word Awards program “exists to encourage writers and recognize their accomplishments over the past year,” offering awards in three primary categories: Unpublished Works or Writers, Published Works or Writers, and Specialty Awards.

To learn more about The Discipleship Opportunity and other NavPress titles, visit NavPress.com.

###

About NavPress

NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.” Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently-owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers. NavPress, the NavPress logo, and The Message® are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

About The U.S. Navigators

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2025
Mariah Franklin, Marketing and PR Content Editor
(719) 594-2563
mariah.franklin@navigators.org

]]> Recent books by authors Daniel Im, Karen Stiller, and Christie Thomas were recognized as part of the guild’s annual awards program, which honors the best of Canadian Christian writing from the previous year.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (November 3, 2025) — A recent release from NavPress author Daniel Im was recognized at The Word Awards, an annual awards program hosted by The Word Guild to honor the best of Canadian Christian writing from the previous year. Im received the Writer of Colour Award for his 2024 book, The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World. Two other NavPress titles—Karen Stiller’s Holiness Here and Christie Thomas’ Little Habits, Big Faith—were finalists in the Christian Living – Personal Growth category.

“I’m delighted to see these gifted authors recognized for their writing,” says Deborah Sáenz, acquisition editor for NavPress, which is a business ministry of The Navigators. “All three books offer deep insight and wisdom, enriching individual readers and strengthening the Church as a whole. The recognition is well deserved.”

Daniel Im (Edmonton, Alberta) is a pastor, Bible teacher, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. In The Discipleship Opportunity, Im offers a powerful, practical resource for church leaders seeking to navigate the challenges of today’s rapidly evolving, post-pandemic, post-Christian world.


“As I was writing this book, the question that was burning in my heart, my soul, and my mind was how we could be more faithful to Jesus’ Great Commission in this ‘post-everything’ world that we’re living in,” Im shared upon receiving the Writer of Colour Award. “I’m so grateful to hear all of the stories from the pastors and the church leaders who have […] told me the ways that they have changed the way that they disciple and preach and evangelize — because the ways that we used to do it don’t work anymore.”

Holiness Here by Karen Stiller (Ottawa, Ontario) and Little Habits, Big Faith by Christie Thomas (Sherwood Park, Alberta) were included on the 2025 Word Awards Short List as finalists in the Christian Living – Personal Growth category. Holiness Here invites readers to explore how holiness pervades the Christian life, even in its seeming mundanity. Little Habits, Big Faith offers simple daily practices to support children in their spiritual growth.

Founded in 2001, The Word Guild is a diverse and growing community of Canadian writers, publishing professionals, librarians, and others who share a passion for the written word and affirm a common statement of faith. The guild’s mission is “to organize and serve Canadians who communicate through the written word from a Judeo-Christian worldview, so that they can increase in faith and excellence and inspire all readers.” The guild’s annual Word Awards program “exists to encourage writers and recognize their accomplishments over the past year,” offering awards in three primary categories: Unpublished Works or Writers, Published Works or Writers, and Specialty Awards.

To learn more about The Discipleship Opportunity and other NavPress titles, visit NavPress.com.

###

About NavPress

NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.” Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently-owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers. NavPress, the NavPress logo, and The Message® are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

About The U.S. Navigators

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2025
Mariah Franklin, Marketing and PR Content Editor
(719) 594-2563
mariah.franklin@navigators.org

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/navpress-title-the-discipleship-opportunity-receives-writer-of-colour-award-at-the-2025-word-awards/feed/ 0 “How Do I Get to God’s House?” Brings the Gospel to Life for Kids with Fresh Illustrations and Faith https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-do-i-get-to-gods-house-brings-the-gospel-to-life-for-kids-with-fresh-illustrations-and-faith/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-do-i-get-to-gods-house-brings-the-gospel-to-life-for-kids-with-fresh-illustrations-and-faith/#respond Mon, 13 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=268127 A new children’s book reimagines The Navigators classic “Bridge to Life” to help kids understand God’s love, sin, and salvation.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (October 13, 2025) – The Navigators, a 92-year-old worldwide disciplemaking ministry, is excited to announce the release of How Do I Get To God’s House?, a children’s picture book that makes the gospel accessible for young readers. The book was released on October 7, 2025, and will be available for purchase at NavPress or wherever books are sold.

Written with accessible language and paired with captivating illustrations, How Do I Get to God’s House? takes children on a playful yet profound journey to discover where God is and how they can know Him. The book offers a fresh take on The Bridge to Life illustration, a classic Navigators resource, giving children a clear, relatable way to understand the gospel, sin (“mess-ups”), and salvation through Jesus Christ.

In this story, a curious child asks: “Where is God? Can I find Him in the sky? Should I swing as high as I can?” Through wonder-filled questions and everyday adventures, the book introduces young readers to big ideas: the reality of sin, the Big Lie that separated us from God, and the incredible hope of Jesus, the Way back to God’s house.

Perfect for families to read together, this book is a gentle, hope-filled guide that deepens children’s faith and understanding of God’s redemption story. With its uplifting exploration of God’s love and grace, it gives parents, teachers, and ministry leaders an invaluable tool to explain salvation in ways children can both grasp and cherish.

By building on The Bridge to Life, a tool that has helped millions share the gospel for decades, this book bridges generations offering parents, grandparents and teachers a faithful, time-tested message wrapped in charming, new illustrations and child-friendly language.

 ###

About NavPress

NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.”

Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers.

NavPress, the NavPress logo, and The Message ® are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

About The U.S. Navigators  

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2025
Contact: Angela Northamer, Communications Specialist, (719) 594-2181, angela.northamer@navigators.org

]]> A new children’s book reimagines The Navigators classic “Bridge to Life” to help kids understand God’s love, sin, and salvation.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (October 13, 2025) – The Navigators, a 92-year-old worldwide disciplemaking ministry, is excited to announce the release of How Do I Get To God’s House?, a children’s picture book that makes the gospel accessible for young readers. The book was released on October 7, 2025, and will be available for purchase at NavPress or wherever books are sold.

Written with accessible language and paired with captivating illustrations, How Do I Get to God’s House? takes children on a playful yet profound journey to discover where God is and how they can know Him. The book offers a fresh take on The Bridge to Life illustration, a classic Navigators resource, giving children a clear, relatable way to understand the gospel, sin (“mess-ups”), and salvation through Jesus Christ.

In this story, a curious child asks: “Where is God? Can I find Him in the sky? Should I swing as high as I can?” Through wonder-filled questions and everyday adventures, the book introduces young readers to big ideas: the reality of sin, the Big Lie that separated us from God, and the incredible hope of Jesus, the Way back to God’s house.

Perfect for families to read together, this book is a gentle, hope-filled guide that deepens children’s faith and understanding of God’s redemption story. With its uplifting exploration of God’s love and grace, it gives parents, teachers, and ministry leaders an invaluable tool to explain salvation in ways children can both grasp and cherish.

By building on The Bridge to Life, a tool that has helped millions share the gospel for decades, this book bridges generations offering parents, grandparents and teachers a faithful, time-tested message wrapped in charming, new illustrations and child-friendly language.

 ###

About NavPress

NavPress is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.”

Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers.

NavPress, the NavPress logo, and The Message ® are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

About The U.S. Navigators  

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2025
Contact: Angela Northamer, Communications Specialist, (719) 594-2181, angela.northamer@navigators.org

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-do-i-get-to-gods-house-brings-the-gospel-to-life-for-kids-with-fresh-illustrations-and-faith/feed/ 0 NavPress Launches Good Books, Big Questions Podcast on Faith and Writing https://www.navigators.org/blog/navpress-launches-good-books-big-questions-podcast-on-faith-and-writing/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/navpress-launches-good-books-big-questions-podcast-on-faith-and-writing/#respond Thu, 25 Sep 2025 21:24:50 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=268026 Hosted by author and editor Karen Stiller, the podcast features “bold, loving, and sensible” conversations with NavPress authors and staff on writing, ministry, and spirituality.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (September 25, 2025) — In continued celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, NavPress launched the Good Books, Big Questions podcast on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Hosted by Karen Stiller and centered on “bold, loving, and sensible conversations about faith” — a motto inspired by The Message® translation of 2 Timothy 1:5–7 — the new podcast will feature candid interviews with NavPress authors and staff on the complex issues that inform their writing, ministry, and personal spirituality.

“This podcast is for anyone who is earnestly pursuing — or rebuilding — their faith,” said Dave Zimmerman, publisher of NavPress. “Our hope is that these conversations will help people feel less alone in their questions and more hopeful about where the questions might take them.” 

Good Books, Big Questions is hosted by NavPress author Karen Stiller, former editor of Faith Today magazine and founding host of the Faith Today podcast. She says of the new podcast, “I get to speak with authors and editors who don’t hide from tough questions about faith. How does the biblical story deal with resentment, insecurity, and the other things that keep us up at night? How might Christian faith speak into experiences of racial trauma, abandonment, and grief? How can writing serve as a form of deep communion with others as we navigate the complexities of life together? This is the kind of dialogue we want to make room for.” 

Good Books, Big Questions is available on all major podcast streaming platforms. Guests featured in season one will include Joyce Koo Dalrymple, author of several LifeChange Bible studies and contributor to The Message® Women’s Devotional Bible; Jared Ayers, author of You Can Trust a God with Scars; Norman Hubbard, author of More Than Christians; and other NavPress authors and staff members. Season two will be released in early 2026. 

To learn more about the ministry of NavPress, visit  www.navpress.com.

###

About NavPress 

NavPress  is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.”

Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently-owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers.

NavPress, the NavPress logo, and The Message® are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2025
Contact: Mariah Franklin, Marketing and PR Content Editor, (719) 594-2563, mariah.franklin@navigators.org

]]> Hosted by author and editor Karen Stiller, the podcast features “bold, loving, and sensible” conversations with NavPress authors and staff on writing, ministry, and spirituality.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (September 25, 2025) — In continued celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, NavPress launched the Good Books, Big Questions podcast on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Hosted by Karen Stiller and centered on “bold, loving, and sensible conversations about faith” — a motto inspired by The Message® translation of 2 Timothy 1:5–7 — the new podcast will feature candid interviews with NavPress authors and staff on the complex issues that inform their writing, ministry, and personal spirituality.

“This podcast is for anyone who is earnestly pursuing — or rebuilding — their faith,” said Dave Zimmerman, publisher of NavPress. “Our hope is that these conversations will help people feel less alone in their questions and more hopeful about where the questions might take them.” 

Good Books, Big Questions is hosted by NavPress author Karen Stiller, former editor of Faith Today magazine and founding host of the Faith Today podcast. She says of the new podcast, “I get to speak with authors and editors who don’t hide from tough questions about faith. How does the biblical story deal with resentment, insecurity, and the other things that keep us up at night? How might Christian faith speak into experiences of racial trauma, abandonment, and grief? How can writing serve as a form of deep communion with others as we navigate the complexities of life together? This is the kind of dialogue we want to make room for.” 

Good Books, Big Questions is available on all major podcast streaming platforms. Guests featured in season one will include Joyce Koo Dalrymple, author of several LifeChange Bible studies and contributor to The Message® Women’s Devotional Bible; Jared Ayers, author of You Can Trust a God with Scars; Norman Hubbard, author of More Than Christians; and other NavPress authors and staff members. Season two will be released in early 2026. 

To learn more about the ministry of NavPress, visit  www.navpress.com.

###

About NavPress 

NavPress  is a business ministry of The Navigators. With a rich catalog of bestselling books, discipleship resources, and The Message® Bible, NavPress equips readers “to know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same®.”

Since 2014, NavPress has been in a publishing alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, one of the largest independently-owned Christian publishers in the world. NavPress resources are sold, distributed, and marketed worldwide through Tyndale House Publishers.

NavPress, the NavPress logo, and The Message® are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2025
Contact: Mariah Franklin, Marketing and PR Content Editor, (719) 594-2563, mariah.franklin@navigators.org

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/navpress-launches-good-books-big-questions-podcast-on-faith-and-writing/feed/ 0 Learning Love-Powered Evangelism: Interview with Derwin L. Gray https://www.navigators.org/blog/learning-love-powered-evangelism-interview-with-derwin-l-gray/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/learning-love-powered-evangelism-interview-with-derwin-l-gray/#respond Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:50:57 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=267850 Derwin L. Gray, author of Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World, expresses his heart for Jesus and offers wisdom for sharing your faith with others. 

Two women leaning against a wooden handrail in the outdoors. They are smiling and laughing with each other.

Q: What’s one thing you want more people to know about you that they may not realize? 

Most people know me as a pastor and author, but I’m also a big-time largemouth-bass fisherman. My personal best is 8.44 pounds! For fun, I once caught a 110-pound wels catfish in Spain. I also love grilling steaks. 

 Q: What inspired you to write the book Lit Up with Love? 

I was heartbroken by how many churches in America were closing. But deeper than that, I saw that many Christians had closed their hearts to sharing their faith. Lit Up with Love was born out of this burden. At its core, evangelism is about what you love. When you truly treasure Jesus, you want others to experience His love, too. This book is my invitation for the Church to reopen her heart, not out of guilt, but out of grace.

Q: Could you give our audience a taste of what you share in your book about love-empowered evangelism? 

Lit Up with Love is all about helping you share Jesus in a way that’s fueled by grace, not guilt.

  • Love-powered evangelism: Instead of fear tactics or pressure, I teach how to share the gospel by pointing to the overwhelming love of God and His desire to make people whole.
  • A holistic approach: Evangelism isn’t a one-time event — it’s a way of life. Your everyday actions, your story, your compassion all point to Jesus. Evangelism and discipleship belong together like roots and fruit.

Q: How have you personally experienced love-empowered evangelism and discipleship?

Back when I played in the NFL (1993-1998), I had a teammate named Steve Grant. We called him “The Naked Preacher” because after practice, with just a towel wrapped around his waist, he’d walk around the locker room sharing Jesus. It wasn’t just his words – it was also his consistent, humble life and his love for God and for us that lit a fire in me. He showed me that evangelism and discipleship aren’t about having all the answers, but about living with integrity and love.

Q: Could you share about an important disciplemaker who invested in your life?

Alan Bacon was the first man who discipled me. He didn’t just teach me Scripture; he modeled what it looked like to love God deeply and love people well. Alan taught me how to live with purpose, how to share the gospel, and how to keep Jesus at the center of everything. He passed away a few years ago, but his impact on my life still echoes in every sermon I preach and every person I disciple.

Q: How would you encourage someone who is hesitant to share their faith?

Before you ever talk to someone about Jesus, talk to Jesus about that someone. Evangelism isn’t about how clever or convincing you are, but it’s about trusting the Spirit of God to do what only He can do: open hearts. Your job is to sow seeds with joy and boldness. God will take care of the growth. So take a deep breath, pray, and then love people with your words and life.

Q: Could you share about a time when you were hesitant to share your faith and what happened next?

Most times I get the chance to share my faith, I feel some hesitation. I get nervous just like anybody else. But then I remember what Jesus has done for me, how He’s healed me, rescued me, and walked with me through every season. That’s what gives me courage. When I pray and ask the Spirit for help, He calms my heart and opens the door for real conversations that can change lives.

Q: How is God encouraging your heart these days?

My heart stays encouraged because the tomb is still empty. Jesus is alive. The kingdom of God is advancing. The gospel is still transforming lives, including mine. And that gives me hope every single day. No matter how dark the world may seem, the light of Jesus keeps breaking through.


Lit Up with Love

Want to learn more about how evangelism and discipleship intersect? Read the first chapter of Derwin’s book, Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World.

LEARN MORE

Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the co-founding and Lead Pastor of Transformation Church, just outside of Charlotte, N.C. He is also the author of several books, including How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and What the First Century Christians Knew about Racial Reconciliation, and his latest release, Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World. You can follow him at @derwinlgray on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as www.derwinlgray.com.

]]> Derwin L. Gray, author of Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World, expresses his heart for Jesus and offers wisdom for sharing your faith with others. 

Two women leaning against a wooden handrail in the outdoors. They are smiling and laughing with each other.

Q: What’s one thing you want more people to know about you that they may not realize? 

Most people know me as a pastor and author, but I’m also a big-time largemouth-bass fisherman. My personal best is 8.44 pounds! For fun, I once caught a 110-pound wels catfish in Spain. I also love grilling steaks. 

 Q: What inspired you to write the book Lit Up with Love? 

I was heartbroken by how many churches in America were closing. But deeper than that, I saw that many Christians had closed their hearts to sharing their faith. Lit Up with Love was born out of this burden. At its core, evangelism is about what you love. When you truly treasure Jesus, you want others to experience His love, too. This book is my invitation for the Church to reopen her heart, not out of guilt, but out of grace.

Q: Could you give our audience a taste of what you share in your book about love-empowered evangelism? 

Lit Up with Love is all about helping you share Jesus in a way that’s fueled by grace, not guilt.

  • Love-powered evangelism: Instead of fear tactics or pressure, I teach how to share the gospel by pointing to the overwhelming love of God and His desire to make people whole.
  • A holistic approach: Evangelism isn’t a one-time event — it’s a way of life. Your everyday actions, your story, your compassion all point to Jesus. Evangelism and discipleship belong together like roots and fruit.

Q: How have you personally experienced love-empowered evangelism and discipleship?

Back when I played in the NFL (1993-1998), I had a teammate named Steve Grant. We called him “The Naked Preacher” because after practice, with just a towel wrapped around his waist, he’d walk around the locker room sharing Jesus. It wasn’t just his words – it was also his consistent, humble life and his love for God and for us that lit a fire in me. He showed me that evangelism and discipleship aren’t about having all the answers, but about living with integrity and love.

Q: Could you share about an important disciplemaker who invested in your life?

Alan Bacon was the first man who discipled me. He didn’t just teach me Scripture; he modeled what it looked like to love God deeply and love people well. Alan taught me how to live with purpose, how to share the gospel, and how to keep Jesus at the center of everything. He passed away a few years ago, but his impact on my life still echoes in every sermon I preach and every person I disciple.

Q: How would you encourage someone who is hesitant to share their faith?

Before you ever talk to someone about Jesus, talk to Jesus about that someone. Evangelism isn’t about how clever or convincing you are, but it’s about trusting the Spirit of God to do what only He can do: open hearts. Your job is to sow seeds with joy and boldness. God will take care of the growth. So take a deep breath, pray, and then love people with your words and life.

Q: Could you share about a time when you were hesitant to share your faith and what happened next?

Most times I get the chance to share my faith, I feel some hesitation. I get nervous just like anybody else. But then I remember what Jesus has done for me, how He’s healed me, rescued me, and walked with me through every season. That’s what gives me courage. When I pray and ask the Spirit for help, He calms my heart and opens the door for real conversations that can change lives.

Q: How is God encouraging your heart these days?

My heart stays encouraged because the tomb is still empty. Jesus is alive. The kingdom of God is advancing. The gospel is still transforming lives, including mine. And that gives me hope every single day. No matter how dark the world may seem, the light of Jesus keeps breaking through.


Lit Up with Love

Want to learn more about how evangelism and discipleship intersect? Read the first chapter of Derwin’s book, Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World.

LEARN MORE

Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the co-founding and Lead Pastor of Transformation Church, just outside of Charlotte, N.C. He is also the author of several books, including How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and What the First Century Christians Knew about Racial Reconciliation, and his latest release, Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World. You can follow him at @derwinlgray on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as www.derwinlgray.com.

]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/learning-love-powered-evangelism-interview-with-derwin-l-gray/feed/ 0 Raising Disciples: Interview with Teresa Roberts https://www.navigators.org/blog/raising-disciples-interview-with-teresa-roberts/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/raising-disciples-interview-with-teresa-roberts/#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:26:25 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=266107 Teresa Roberts, author of Raising Disciples: Guiding Your Kids into a Faith of Their Own, shares her heart for cultivating a spiritual community for your kids and tips for helping them grow spiritually at all ages and stages.

A family lays on the ground together while the father lifts up his son towards the ceiling.

What inspired you to write the book Raising Disciples: Guiding Your Kids into a Faith of Their Own?

Over the last decade, I realized that while there are plenty of great books on Christian parenting, none really map out the stages of discipleship from infancy to adolescence. That’s why I wrote this book — to give parents a clear pathway to help their kids grow spiritually at every age and stage.

Drawing from 30 years of walking alongside parents and 15 years as a professor, this pathway weaves together scripture and childhood development to identify key discipleship markers. My hope is that this book becomes a practical resource for parents and anyone who works with kids, making it easier to nurture spiritual growth each year.

Could you share about who discipled you growing up?

I’m very fortunate that I was raised by Christian parents. My father is a mathematics professor and my mom is an accountant, so there’s nothing highly spiritual about them. But my parents were intentional to put us into a Christian community from the time we were infants. I was raised in a church of about 200 people in a small town in Illinois, so I had spiritual aunts and uncles and grandparents that were part of that church community. I believe this is why my two brothers and I are all serving in ministry today.

How would you encourage parents looking for a spiritual family for their kids?

Some of the best ways to create a spiritual family is to have people from your church community over to your home or accept invitations into their homes. Allow your families to get to know each other and be intentional about this time.

There is also another way to approach finding those spiritual family members for your kids: ask. When you find someone you trust, make the invitation: Would you come to my son’s soccer game; or my daughter’s musical performance; or would you mind reaching out to my daughter or son who is struggling right now? I think there are a lot of godly people who would love the opportunity to invest in and disciple children.

For example during my years on staff as a children’s minister, I was single. It was natural for families to invite me over to their homes. Also, I had time to show up for soccer games and dance recitals and loved those opportunities.

I encourage families to not forget about two potential groups that can come alongside your child in their discipleship. Single adults (and also couples without children), can become spiritual aunts and uncles to your children. Second, retired men and women, especially those who may not have family nearby, have so much to offer as spiritual grandparents.

Years ago, my parents became spiritual grandparents to a family in the church. This semester, one of those children is now a student in my classroom, studying for ministry. These are the kinds of relationships God intended.

Could you give the audience a taste of your book?

The primary premise is that every child is being discipled. However, the question is, who or what is discipling your child? To help parents think about that, I’ve identified seven stages of a child’s spiritual development, from infancy to adolescence. For each of the seven stages, I provide a variety of suggestions of how a parent can encourage a child’s spiritual growth along this pathway.

The pathway begins with laying a foundation of trust during infancy – trust with you and trust with others in your church community. Then children can be surrounded with God’s love, introduced to God’s story, and recognize they are a part of God’s community, the church. As they grow in understanding, they can be led to believe in God’s truth found in scripture and guided toward obedience of God and following Jesus. Our hope is that by the time they reach the age of 13, a child would understand who God created them to be, who they are in God, and that they belong to the community of faith. If we can build a framework of faith centered on Christ, Scripture, and community before the age of 13, then they will be more likely to live according to that framework their whole lives.

How would you encourage parents today who are seeking to disciple their kids?

Your discipleship of your children should flow naturally out of the overflow of your own continued growth as a disciple of Jesus. But also, choose something to be intentional about with your kids and their spiritual development – whether that be nighttime prayers or praying on the way to school, or perhaps a specific focus of Bible reading for a period of time. Choose something for this season and dedicate yourself and your family to it.

We started a practice in our home a couple years ago, that in the month of November, before we eat dinner together, we each write down one thing we’re thankful for that day, and we add it to a bowl. It’s a simple practice that has a lot of meaning for my family.

What is one simple next step parents could take to encourage their kids in their journey with God?

Something helpful is asking your kids open-ended questions — those that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer. Then find which of those questions your kids really respond to. Here are a couple examples: What did you feel like God encouraged you to do today? What was something that was really good about your day?

I’ve found that when you cultivate these types of conversations with your kids with simple questions, it creates a seed bed for when the harder questions come along.

Teresa Roberts is a 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.


Raising Disciples

Want to learn more about how parenting and disciplemaking intersect? Read the first chapter of Teresa’s book, Raising Disciples: Guiding Your Kids Into a Faith of Their Own, today.

LEARN MORE
]]> Teresa Roberts, author of Raising Disciples: Guiding Your Kids into a Faith of Their Own, shares her heart for cultivating a spiritual community for your kids and tips for helping them grow spiritually at all ages and stages.

A family lays on the ground together while the father lifts up his son towards the ceiling.

What inspired you to write the book Raising Disciples: Guiding Your Kids into a Faith of Their Own?

Over the last decade, I realized that while there are plenty of great books on Christian parenting, none really map out the stages of discipleship from infancy to adolescence. That’s why I wrote this book — to give parents a clear pathway to help their kids grow spiritually at every age and stage.

Drawing from 30 years of walking alongside parents and 15 years as a professor, this pathway weaves together scripture and childhood development to identify key discipleship markers. My hope is that this book becomes a practical resource for parents and anyone who works with kids, making it easier to nurture spiritual growth each year.

Could you share about who discipled you growing up?

I’m very fortunate that I was raised by Christian parents. My father is a mathematics professor and my mom is an accountant, so there’s nothing highly spiritual about them. But my parents were intentional to put us into a Christian community from the time we were infants. I was raised in a church of about 200 people in a small town in Illinois, so I had spiritual aunts and uncles and grandparents that were part of that church community. I believe this is why my two brothers and I are all serving in ministry today.

How would you encourage parents looking for a spiritual family for their kids?

Some of the best ways to create a spiritual family is to have people from your church community over to your home or accept invitations into their homes. Allow your families to get to know each other and be intentional about this time.

There is also another way to approach finding those spiritual family members for your kids: ask. When you find someone you trust, make the invitation: Would you come to my son’s soccer game; or my daughter’s musical performance; or would you mind reaching out to my daughter or son who is struggling right now? I think there are a lot of godly people who would love the opportunity to invest in and disciple children.

For example during my years on staff as a children’s minister, I was single. It was natural for families to invite me over to their homes. Also, I had time to show up for soccer games and dance recitals and loved those opportunities.

I encourage families to not forget about two potential groups that can come alongside your child in their discipleship. Single adults (and also couples without children), can become spiritual aunts and uncles to your children. Second, retired men and women, especially those who may not have family nearby, have so much to offer as spiritual grandparents.

Years ago, my parents became spiritual grandparents to a family in the church. This semester, one of those children is now a student in my classroom, studying for ministry. These are the kinds of relationships God intended.

Could you give the audience a taste of your book?

The primary premise is that every child is being discipled. However, the question is, who or what is discipling your child? To help parents think about that, I’ve identified seven stages of a child’s spiritual development, from infancy to adolescence. For each of the seven stages, I provide a variety of suggestions of how a parent can encourage a child’s spiritual growth along this pathway.

The pathway begins with laying a foundation of trust during infancy – trust with you and trust with others in your church community. Then children can be surrounded with God’s love, introduced to God’s story, and recognize they are a part of God’s community, the church. As they grow in understanding, they can be led to believe in God’s truth found in scripture and guided toward obedience of God and following Jesus. Our hope is that by the time they reach the age of 13, a child would understand who God created them to be, who they are in God, and that they belong to the community of faith. If we can build a framework of faith centered on Christ, Scripture, and community before the age of 13, then they will be more likely to live according to that framework their whole lives.

How would you encourage parents today who are seeking to disciple their kids?

Your discipleship of your children should flow naturally out of the overflow of your own continued growth as a disciple of Jesus. But also, choose something to be intentional about with your kids and their spiritual development – whether that be nighttime prayers or praying on the way to school, or perhaps a specific focus of Bible reading for a period of time. Choose something for this season and dedicate yourself and your family to it.

We started a practice in our home a couple years ago, that in the month of November, before we eat dinner together, we each write down one thing we’re thankful for that day, and we add it to a bowl. It’s a simple practice that has a lot of meaning for my family.

What is one simple next step parents could take to encourage their kids in their journey with God?

Something helpful is asking your kids open-ended questions — those that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer. Then find which of those questions your kids really respond to. Here are a couple examples: What did you feel like God encouraged you to do today? What was something that was really good about your day?

I’ve found that when you cultivate these types of conversations with your kids with simple questions, it creates a seed bed for when the harder questions come along.

Teresa Roberts is a 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.


Raising Disciples

Want to learn more about how parenting and disciplemaking intersect? Read the first chapter of Teresa’s book, Raising Disciples: Guiding Your Kids Into a Faith of Their Own, today.

LEARN MORE
]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/raising-disciples-interview-with-teresa-roberts/feed/ 2 How to Be an Everyday Leader: An Interview with Bill Mowry https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-to-be-an-everyday-leader-an-interview-with-bill-mowry/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-to-be-an-everyday-leader-an-interview-with-bill-mowry/#comments Mon, 03 Jun 2024 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=263884 Bill Mowry is a veteran staff member of The Navigators and author, currently serving with Navigators Church Ministries in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Peggy. We recently talked with Bill about his most recent book, The Ways of the Leader which unpacks four competencies for how to be an everyday leader in churches, communities, businesses, and more.

Three people, man and two women hikers taking a walk in nature together.

What prompted you to write a book on leadership?

One of the visions in my life is how do we deprofessionalize and uncomplicate disciplemaking, so the everyday Christian feels like it is something they can do. How do you make it relational, intentional, and thoughtful? Those were the themes that drove my previous books on disciplemaking — being committed to the everyday person.

So those same themes that I had for disciplemaking carried over into my thinking about leadership. How can everyday leaders lead others well in the context of where they are, in Godly and effective ways? How can people walk away and think, “God could use me as a leader right where I am with what I am doing.” I wanted to create a book about the lessons I’ve learned on leadership, particularly in a generation of wisdom, focusing on how to become an everyday leader. Someone who doesn’t have a lot of staff, money, or buildings, but who can feel empowered to lead others in their context.

When you talk about everyday heroes and leaders, what’s the difference between them and traditional leaders? Why do we need to lean more into everyday leaders?

Most of the time, books written about leadership are written by corporate or business leaders, people who are very successful and are often writing for others like themselves. We exalt CEOs or pastors of megachurches, and we put them on pedestals. And we can learn from them and the models they set for us.

However, a lot of times, they aren’t writing for the mid sized pastor, marketplace leader, or neighborhood activist who is just wanting to advance the gospel in their area. These are the everyday people, those that are leading in local, sometimes small, places, and they need just as much help and guidance. So I wanted to write for the everyday leader, helping him or her succeed in the leadership calling and challenges that they are facing on a local level.

What are the four qualities of wisdom gathering that your book discusses, and why did you choose them?

The first is being a lifelong learner, realizing that the classroom is always in session for me and my life in ministry, the workplace, and my neighborhood. With God as our teacher, we need to learn how to sit back and gather the wisdom he’s providing from our experiences.

The second is to be a collaborative leader, since there is wisdom in community and a group of believers. We need to ask ourselves how we can extract wisdom from our community and work together, realizing that we can’t do it by ourselves.

The third element is cultural wisdom. We are all placed in a context, a culture. In those cultures, there are certain values, languages, histories, and practices present, and we need wisdom on how to identify what those are.

Lastly, we need to be innovators, coming up with new approaches, resources, and strategies, and we need wisdom on how to do that. As an innovator, I can produce wisdom for the local leader to craft local solutions for local challenges.

If you could have readers take away one big point from your book, what would it be?

That God promises to give wisdom, but it might not be a quick fix solution. In my last chapter, I talk about choices we have to make to pursue wisdom. It’s often slow, like disciplemaking, and it takes a lot of hard work and thoughtfulness and searching Scripture or talking with people. So as a leader, I need to be willing to chase after wisdom, to give it the time and attention that it deserves. In the book, the four practices will not only help you apply wisdom, but they also help generate wisdom for you as a leader.


Discipleship Tip:

What does it mean to be an everyday leader? You can step up and lead others by seeking the Lord’s wisdom on how to serve and meet others’ needs in the communities and spaces you are already in. Pray and seek the counsel of other believers to find guidance on how you can lead others in new ways during your everyday life.

The Ways of the Leader


Want to learn more about how you can be an everyday leader? Read the first chapter of Bill’s book, The Ways of the Leader, today.

READ CHAPTER 1
]]> Bill Mowry is a veteran staff member of The Navigators and author, currently serving with Navigators Church Ministries in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, Peggy. We recently talked with Bill about his most recent book, The Ways of the Leader which unpacks four competencies for how to be an everyday leader in churches, communities, businesses, and more.

Three people, man and two women hikers taking a walk in nature together.

What prompted you to write a book on leadership?

One of the visions in my life is how do we deprofessionalize and uncomplicate disciplemaking, so the everyday Christian feels like it is something they can do. How do you make it relational, intentional, and thoughtful? Those were the themes that drove my previous books on disciplemaking — being committed to the everyday person.

So those same themes that I had for disciplemaking carried over into my thinking about leadership. How can everyday leaders lead others well in the context of where they are, in Godly and effective ways? How can people walk away and think, “God could use me as a leader right where I am with what I am doing.” I wanted to create a book about the lessons I’ve learned on leadership, particularly in a generation of wisdom, focusing on how to become an everyday leader. Someone who doesn’t have a lot of staff, money, or buildings, but who can feel empowered to lead others in their context.

When you talk about everyday heroes and leaders, what’s the difference between them and traditional leaders? Why do we need to lean more into everyday leaders?

Most of the time, books written about leadership are written by corporate or business leaders, people who are very successful and are often writing for others like themselves. We exalt CEOs or pastors of megachurches, and we put them on pedestals. And we can learn from them and the models they set for us.

However, a lot of times, they aren’t writing for the mid sized pastor, marketplace leader, or neighborhood activist who is just wanting to advance the gospel in their area. These are the everyday people, those that are leading in local, sometimes small, places, and they need just as much help and guidance. So I wanted to write for the everyday leader, helping him or her succeed in the leadership calling and challenges that they are facing on a local level.

What are the four qualities of wisdom gathering that your book discusses, and why did you choose them?

The first is being a lifelong learner, realizing that the classroom is always in session for me and my life in ministry, the workplace, and my neighborhood. With God as our teacher, we need to learn how to sit back and gather the wisdom he’s providing from our experiences.

The second is to be a collaborative leader, since there is wisdom in community and a group of believers. We need to ask ourselves how we can extract wisdom from our community and work together, realizing that we can’t do it by ourselves.

The third element is cultural wisdom. We are all placed in a context, a culture. In those cultures, there are certain values, languages, histories, and practices present, and we need wisdom on how to identify what those are.

Lastly, we need to be innovators, coming up with new approaches, resources, and strategies, and we need wisdom on how to do that. As an innovator, I can produce wisdom for the local leader to craft local solutions for local challenges.

If you could have readers take away one big point from your book, what would it be?

That God promises to give wisdom, but it might not be a quick fix solution. In my last chapter, I talk about choices we have to make to pursue wisdom. It’s often slow, like disciplemaking, and it takes a lot of hard work and thoughtfulness and searching Scripture or talking with people. So as a leader, I need to be willing to chase after wisdom, to give it the time and attention that it deserves. In the book, the four practices will not only help you apply wisdom, but they also help generate wisdom for you as a leader.


Discipleship Tip:

What does it mean to be an everyday leader? You can step up and lead others by seeking the Lord’s wisdom on how to serve and meet others’ needs in the communities and spaces you are already in. Pray and seek the counsel of other believers to find guidance on how you can lead others in new ways during your everyday life.

The Ways of the Leader


Want to learn more about how you can be an everyday leader? Read the first chapter of Bill’s book, The Ways of the Leader, today.

READ CHAPTER 1
]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/how-to-be-an-everyday-leader-an-interview-with-bill-mowry/feed/ 3 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 Disciple: Be One, Make One Podcast: Catch the Vision for Disciplemaking Episode https://www.navigators.org/blog/disciple-be-one-make-one-podcast-catch-the-vision-for-disciplemaking-episode/ https://www.navigators.org/blog/disciple-be-one-make-one-podcast-catch-the-vision-for-disciplemaking-episode/#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2023 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.navigators.org/?p=261558 Hearing people’s stories of how God grabbed their hearts for discipleship can be a huge encouragement. In this episode of the Disciple: Be One, Make One Podcast, host Ethan Jasso chats with his friend Loyce Nelson about how she caught the vision for disciplemaking.

Excerpt from Loyce’s Discipleship Story:

Loyce: “I’m reading the Bible and people are praying for me. They’re trying to help me to understand that I’m changing. That’s what my experience looked like after becoming a believer. I had an identity crisis, okay? Eighteen years of my life I had done things a certain way. And I believed this certain way.

I thought the world was a certain way. I thought God and the Bible were ridiculous. A month before I became a believer, I’m having a conversation with my grandmother, who was a believer at this point. I’m saying, yo, quit talking to me about this Jesus and Bible stuff. It’s nonsense.

Then, to be sitting here reading this Bible and talking about Jesus’ life–I’m a believer— What in the world? That’s how I felt. I’m reading the Bible and I’m asking questions: What is this world? What do I do with this? Why is everyone walking around like everything is okay and everything is normal? The world is not okay. I get to the New Testament and see that we’re all in darkness. We’re not aware of the reality of this spiritual fight. I’m in an identity crisis—who am I really and what am I here for?”

Disciple: Be One, Make One Podcast

Disciple: Be One, Make One is a podcast for everyday followers of Jesus who want to grow as disciples and learn to help others do the same. The goal for each episode is to bring clarity, inspiration, and practical help to the calling of making disciples. 

Join us as we hear the stories of people who have grasped the vision of discipleship and given their lives to it. Learn how God has led them on a path of sacrifice and joy, confusion and trust, as they discovered that the cost of discipling others is worth the price.

LISTEN NOW
]]> Hearing people’s stories of how God grabbed their hearts for discipleship can be a huge encouragement. In this episode of the Disciple: Be One, Make One Podcast, host Ethan Jasso chats with his friend Loyce Nelson about how she caught the vision for disciplemaking.

Excerpt from Loyce’s Discipleship Story:

Loyce: “I’m reading the Bible and people are praying for me. They’re trying to help me to understand that I’m changing. That’s what my experience looked like after becoming a believer. I had an identity crisis, okay? Eighteen years of my life I had done things a certain way. And I believed this certain way.

I thought the world was a certain way. I thought God and the Bible were ridiculous. A month before I became a believer, I’m having a conversation with my grandmother, who was a believer at this point. I’m saying, yo, quit talking to me about this Jesus and Bible stuff. It’s nonsense.

Then, to be sitting here reading this Bible and talking about Jesus’ life–I’m a believer— What in the world? That’s how I felt. I’m reading the Bible and I’m asking questions: What is this world? What do I do with this? Why is everyone walking around like everything is okay and everything is normal? The world is not okay. I get to the New Testament and see that we’re all in darkness. We’re not aware of the reality of this spiritual fight. I’m in an identity crisis—who am I really and what am I here for?”

Disciple: Be One, Make One Podcast

Disciple: Be One, Make One is a podcast for everyday followers of Jesus who want to grow as disciples and learn to help others do the same. The goal for each episode is to bring clarity, inspiration, and practical help to the calling of making disciples. 

Join us as we hear the stories of people who have grasped the vision of discipleship and given their lives to it. Learn how God has led them on a path of sacrifice and joy, confusion and trust, as they discovered that the cost of discipling others is worth the price.

LISTEN NOW
]]> https://www.navigators.org/blog/disciple-be-one-make-one-podcast-catch-the-vision-for-disciplemaking-episode/feed/ 2