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:
