Latest News

South-East day report

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:04:38 +0100

On Saturday 28th April nearly 200 people gathered at the FBC Centre for the Navigator South-East Discipleship day conference. Read the report of the day here

Latest copy of Reach available now

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:03:11 +0100

The latest copy of Reach is available now. Click here to download

Deadline extended

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:06:17 +0100

The deadline for signing up for the South-East Discipleship day conference has been extended to the 15th April.

A new iphone app by Damaris for Christians talking about Jesus

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:30:57 +0000

A new app for Christians talking about Jesus

In the UK alone there are over 1,500,000 regular church-goers with smartphones. This number is only likely to increase in coming years. Christians are becoming switched on to new technologies, and looking for innovative ways to share the Gospel and use technology to do so. In my church home group, for example, leather-bound bibles are being replaced by sleek electronic models with the Bible in over 30 versions. I admit, an iPad might not hold as much sentimental attachment as a well-thumbed NIV that you’ve studied for years, but it can be handy when searching for the number of times ‘grace’ is mentioned in Romans, or when comparing the subtle differences between versions. Just me? Never mind. But this digital revolution isn’t just being led by the digital native 16-30 age group; we all seem to be adopting technology into our lives to greater or lesser degrees. And here it plays a small part in making Christians more culturally relevant.

I work for the Damaris Trust, which is named after a woman who Paul preached to in Athens (Acts 17), when he used cultural reference points in pagan Greece to talk about the Jewish Messiah. As a result she became a Christian. One of the Damaris Trust’s key missions is to use this model of engaging with culture to present the Gospel. One of the most ubiquitous reference points in today’s society is our love of technology. That’s why Damaris has come up with the ‘Talking About Jesus App’, an app for iPhone designed to help Christians and non-Christians understand key issues about Jesus in a way that is easy to understand and use. It contains over an hour's specially-filmed video content, (all instantly available within the app and without a data connection being required). These short videos feature insightful speakers such as Philip Yancey, Anna Robbins, Andrew White, Krish Kandiah, Nick Pollard and Gary Habermas talking in clear, down-to-earth ways about important issues related to following Jesus.

The app also provides the option to ‘gift’ the app to other people, making it an easy way of sharing the Christian faith with friends or family members. Nick Pollard, co-founder of Damaris, talks about how apps can be to the 21^st century what tracts were to the 19^th and 20^th, ‘What could be better for busy people than exploring the big questions of life through thought-provoking videos that they can watch anywhere, at any time?’ Of course, the interesting thing about tracts is that they’re best accompanied by a human being, on hand to answer questions and explain difficult issues. The same is definitely true about our app, it’s there to complement relational evangelism, not replace it!

I guess my main hope and prayer is that people will find the app useful. The app can be bought for only £0.69 and is available at the Apple AppStore or through the Damaris website at www.talkingaboutjesus.org/app.

Andy Skinner works for the Damaris Trust

South-East Regional Day Sign Up

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:09:53 +0000

The deadline for signing up for the South-East Discipleship Conference is March 31st. To find out more, including how to sign up, click here

Reach

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:08:48 +0000

The latest Reach is now available to be downloaded. Find it here

January Sign Up Deadline for Big Weekend

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:31:40 +0000

Please note that the deadline for signing up for the Big Weekend is 31 January. Click here to sign up

Reach

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:57:00 +0100

The latest copy of our prayer diary Reach is now available. Download it from here

Big Weekend Appeal

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:27:00 +0100

The Big Weekend Appeal has just been launched. We hope to raise enough money to subsidise 150 students to attend Big Weekend 2012. Click here to find out more.

South-East Regional Day

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:24:00 +0100

There is a South-East Regional day planned for 28 April 2012. This will be at the FBC centre in Finchampstead (near Reading). Click here for more details.

Super Saturday, West Midlands event

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:54:00 +0100

The Navigators Super Saturday November 19^th 2011

An event organised by The Navigators in the West Midlands

-"You shall raise up the foundations of many generations." Isaiah 58:12 NKJV

It is 41 years since Navs first arrived in the West Midlands and this verse continues to be an inspiration to us. God continues to challenge, strengthen and guide us as we seek to raise up the foundations of new generations from students, to graduates, working people and beyond!

This will be our first regional event since The Navigators reorganised into a new structure. The day will give opportunities to connect with past and present generations of Navigators, to see old friends, to be resourced in your mission and personal ministry and to hear about some of the new initiatives and plans of Navs in this region. We are aiming for it to be informative, challenging and fun! Please feel free to invite some of your friends you are close to and work with in your areas of neighbourhood, ministry, church or work. They would be most welcomed and the day will be for them too.

The event will take place on Nov 19^th at Christchurch, Selly Park, Birmingham. The day will run from 10am-4:30pm. There will be a cost of £10 for adults and £5 for concessions and lunch will be provided. You can secure your place by returning the reply slip along with your payment.

We will be delighted to see you on November 19^th. In the meantime, for more information or if you have any questions about this event you can contact me via email at jon.gallagher@navigators.co.uk

Yours,

Jon Gallagher

The Navigators West Midlands Team Leader

and on behalf of Allan, Cathie, Gillian, Judi, Leihlyn, Pete, Pippa, Sam and Tom

Big Weekend 2012

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:29:00 +0100

Big Weekend 2012 in Blackpool! More details coming soon...

Summer Mission trip to Norway & Latvia

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 09:28:00 +0100

NORWAY & LATVIA REPORT 2011

SPIRITUAL GENERATIONS OF LABOURERS LIVING AND DISCIPLING AMONGST THE LOST

Thank you so much for your support this past summer; we are very thankful for your prayers and support, without which none of the good things that we were involved with could have happened. Below are some highlights from the trip and some stories of what God has been doing in us and through us. We are deeply indebted to those who have ministered in this country and especially at this camp over many generations and we are privileged to co-labour with the Lord in this work and have been acutely aware of His help, presence and power.

Testimonies from the team

"It was a very challenging but also rewarding time. I have never felt so broken before (which was not much fun at all) but I am so glad that God did break my heart for them. I learned more about God's heart. I got a glimpse of how much it hurts Him to see His children sad. I also learned to take comfort in the fact that these kids are in the Lords hands."

"I've been really seeing that God can use me for His work. I also found that I do have it within me to trust and depend on God. Being an older role model for others has been a big issue for me having not had any myself and so I've worried that I would have no clue or be inferior in some way. I believe God has shown me that I can be, through relationships with one of the kids at camp. The bond we developed together was very special."

"I learned that God is a patient God who is willing to wait until I'm ready to open my heart to Him but also a God who is firm in reminding me that I have to! I learned that His plans for me are perfect but sometimes confusing and scary; He's answered a lot of prayers these past few weeks with an answer that was not at all what I was thinking but it always worked out for the best."

"I learned a lifestyle of living with the people you minister to. I saw how important it was to just hang out with the guys and have fun. It shows them that you're interested in them and their hearts...and I'm more inspired to redouble my efforts to have quality time with my non-Christian friends back home."

Fruit in the lives of our Latvian Friends

Many of the relationships we have in Latvia stretch back up to six years. One such relationship is with Cos who we first met in 2006 and who became a Christian a few years ago. When we first met him he acknowledged that "his God was distant but our God was near" having had a background in the Russian Orthodox Church like many we meet at the camps. One evening towards the end of the week after campfire another young man Philippe (18) who has just left the orphanage shared that he wanted to commit his life to Jesus. He had actually committed his life to Jesus the previous year but he acknowledged that he had done so with wrong motives. This time was different and after several of us prayed with him he asked Cos (who had been translating for us) if he would disciple him. What a blessing to be part of that critical moment in both Philippe and Cos's lives!!

Towards the end of the trip we had the opportunity to attend the lake-side baptism of four of our good friends (Tima, Katija, Ivan & Julija). This was such an unexpected blessing but such a joy to be there for. Tima is one of the children of Anatoly and Ruslana Koval who are responsible for the camps that we help at. These are young people who we have known for many years and it has been so encouraging to see them come to faith. This was a significant step for all of them to take and for Tima especially as he finally committed His life to Jesus during the past year after years of resisting. It is people like them that have been our motivation to keep going back to Latvia and it is a great privilege to see them growing in their faith in the Lord.

We could write about many others but space does not allow... suffice to say that God is developing a growing number of young believers who are starting to impact the next generation.

Please pray for the ongoing work in Latvia

- Please pray for Philippe in these early days of following Jesus and especially as he looks for permanent work & accommodation having left the orphanage at the start of the summer. Please pray Cos as well as he seeks to draw alongside Philippe and help him grow in his faith.

- Please pray for those baptised (Tima & Katija and Ivan & Julija) as they continue their journeys with the Lord. These young people (amongst others) have huge potential to be foundational in reaching their generation and the next. Please pray for us (and others) as we seek to help them grow as disciples themselves and be fruitful as disciple-makers.

- Please pray for Patrick Noonan (Maine, USA) who is preparing to move to Latvia on a four year assignment with the US Navigators. Pray for God's provision, timing and all that needs to happen before he moves. Pray too for Patrick as he will be travelling to Latvia in October for several weeks, Norway for a few days and then joining us in UK in November where he will be speaking at our weekend away.

- Pray to for us as a family (pictures alongside) as we continue to evaluate our ongoing role and responsibility in Latvia and seek God for how He would have us continue to serve there. Currently that has been through summer trips, several trips to Latvia during the year visiting friends, as well as having those friends visit us in the UK each November. We don't envisage this changing imminently, indeed God seems to be continuing to affirm a calling to this country but we have been ministering in Latvia for the past six years and feel it is healthy to evaluate this alongside our responsibilities back in Southampton.

- Pray against spiritual opposition; once again we (and the team) have found ourselves right on the frontline of a spiritual battle. The experiences connected with this continue to be a huge challenge for us and so we would ask you to pray for protection both for us and for others who we are taking into Latvia during the coming year.

- Thank God for His provision of finances for all those participating in this year's trip. The UK team really enjoyed tackling the Three Peaks Challenge as a fund-raiser and are so grateful that God answered our prayers for safety both in transit between the mountains and on the mountains themselves...suffice to say we faced some 'less than ideal' weather conditions on the peaks. After all it is not much fun climbing Scafell Pike in darkness, rain and gales!

- Finally please pray for others involved in the ministry in Latvia; please pray especially for Ole-Magnus and Kari Olafsrud who are responsible for the Navigators ministry in the Baltics and pray too for others who God has clearly been giving a heart for Latvia (Olav Humlebrekke & Ingvill Aa, Adam Collett & Kate Marshall, Derek & Eva Leaf and more).Thanks again for your prayers and support...we all appreciate it!!

Latest copy of Reach now available

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:57:00 +0100

The latest copy of our prayer diary Reach is now available. Download it from here

Scottish Disciple-Making Summer School

Thu, 05 May 2011 16:32:00 +0100

The Scottish Disciple-Making Summer school is a conference organised by the Navigators in Scotland in partnership with other organisations.

Its VISION is to see this GENERATION wholeheartedly give their lives to the MISSION OF GOD in Scotland and worldwide; equipped to disciple people towards real Christian maturity.

Click here for more details. You can also download the talks from last year's conference by clicking on the above link.

Latest copy of Reach now available

Thu, 05 May 2011 10:32:00 +0100

The latest copy of our prayer diary Reach is now available. Download it from here

Sue Richardson

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:10:00 +0000

We recently received news of the death of Sue Richardson. Roy and Sue Richardson have been long-term friends of the Navigators and for a number of years Roy was our Office Manager in New Malden.

Roy wrote: -

This is where she wanted to be and looked forward to with some intensity. Whenever Sue heard about the death of a Christian she herself would remark "nice for them". Let us remember that truth in our sorrow sadness and present numbness.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. " 2 Cor:4:16-18

Oxford Conference with Bill Hull

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 10:01:00 +0000

Bill Hull is an American pastor who has had a number of books on disciple-making published by Navpress. He is leading a conference in Oxford this August focused on "Discipleship" looking at: -

The Teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
CS Lewis - Imagination Transformation
How to Create a Disciple-making Church
Christianity and the Arts

Details are can be found here. Mention you have accessed the information via the Navigators UK for a 50% discount on your tuition fees.

Big Weekend update

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:22:00 +0000

The Big Weekend has happened! Read our report on how it went here

You can also listen to the talks Mark Greene gave at the weekend here

Latest copy of Reach now available

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:38:00 +0000

The latest copy of our prayer diary Reach is now available. Download it from here