College Faith

#18: How The Navigators Minister to University Students


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In this episode I continue my series on campus ministries. My guest is Ben Nugent, the National Director of the The Navigator’s campus ministry. As a Navigator staff for 21 years, Ben not only brings the perspective of a senior leader of the ministry to our conversation, but many years in Navigator campus ministry himself. He is the best person I know of to help understand how the Navigators minister to university students. 

In this podcast we discuss:

  • How Ben first got involved in The Navigators
  • How The Navigators began
  • The number and type of universities where The Navigators serve
  • The Navigators’ Mission
  • The Navigators’ activities on campus designed to fulfill their Mission
  • The Navigators’ ministry distinctives
  • How similar The Navigators’ ministries are campus-to-campus and region-to-region
  • Who is required to affirm The Navigators’ Statement of Faith
  • Where The Navigators fall on the “Conservative to Progressive” continuum
  • “Heros of the Faith” The Navigators hold up to students
  • What The Navigators believe Christian students need to flourish during college
  • The Navigators’ greatest strength and weakness in student ministry
  • How students can take advantage of this strength and compensate for this weakness
  • Whether The Navigators have as set curriculum students go through
  • How The Navigators help students develop a lifelong walk with Christ and ministry
  • The Navigators’ approach to the spiritual disciplines
  • How The Navigators teaches students to be “in the world but not of the world”
  • The Navigators’ approach to “hot button” issues on campus like Critical Race Theory
  • Why “fellowship is always missional”
  • Why students should consider being involved in The Navigators
  • Resources mentioned during our conversation:

    • The Navigators’ website
    • The Navigators’ Statement of Faith
    • Dawson Trotman, Born to Reproduce
    • Dawson Trotman, Dawson Trotman, In His Own Words
    • Jim Downing: Navigator #6
    • Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness
    • Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace
    • Jerry Bridges, The Gospel for Real Life
    • The Wheel illustration
    • NavPress
    • Navigators Summer Training Programs
    • ...more
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      College FaithBy Stan W. Wallace

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