We may be quite familiar with the apostle Paul\u2019s description of \u201cspiritual teamwork\u201d from 1 Corinthians 3:7, but we sometimes forget that God often still uses that same approach today. When it comes to advancing the Kingdom of God, there are no \u201clone wolves.\u201d That\u2019s something Tom and Dana Steers, who work with The Navigators Asian American Ministries, understand first-hand.<\/p>\n
Tom and Dana launched the ministry for The Navigators in 1989. \u201cIt started slowly, like the mustard seed Jesus talked about,\u201d Tom says. \u201cThat little seed was planted in 1976, when Dana and I started working with Asian Americans in Los Angeles. By 1989, we were asked us to develop the ministry nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ministry now has 16 Navigator staff, 171 active volunteers in the United States, and 283 active volunteers in Asia. That core group is reaching out to the 18.5 million Asian Americans residing in the United States, and roughly 4.5 billion people of Asian descent scattered throughout the world. And Tom says this harvest field is ripe for spiritual revival.<\/p>\n
\u201cGod\u2019s Spirit is moving and bringing people of Asian descent to Himself like never before in history,\u201d Tom says. \u201cIt\u2019s happening now! And we are experiencing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Asian American community presents lots of opportunity. \u201cThese are people,\u201d says Tom, \u201cwho value families and relational networks. Those are very desirable characteristics when you\u2019re goal is to disciple the nations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom and Dana, however, aren\u2019t working alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cTen years ago, I discovered there were around 15,000 immigrants from a certain unreached Asian people group living in the United States,\u201d Tom says. \u201cGod gave me a deep burden for prayer\u2014that He would raise up culturally-relevant laborers to work with this group.\u201d So Tom began to pray.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year, God brought a Mongolian student to study here in the U.S. and we became friends. This student is now befriending a community of people from the unreached group I\u2019d been praying for.\u201d Tom says this is one big way God is reaching the nations from here within the United States. \u201cOften, He moves us<\/em> to pray<\/em>, and then He uses laborers from outside<\/em> our nation to reach the people groups living here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGod is blessing our focus on prayer,\u201d Tom says. \u201cMany family members within our network have been reached, but it\u2019s not simple or easy. We are interacting with Asian American families who have followed other religious traditions for centuries. We really have to pay attention to cultural context as we relate. We\u2019re constantly on a learning curve when it comes to advancing the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom in a culturally relevant, but biblical way.\u201d<\/p>\n The good news is that they don\u2019t have to do it alone. They may plant the seed, but others water it, and God makes it grow!<\/p>\n