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Harvest Discipleship Series

The Australian Navigators are grateful to The Navigators (international) for allowing us the use of this valuable resource: https://www.navigators.org/resource/harvest-film-series/ Harvest is a five-part series of short films on discipleship. These videos focus on casting the vision, reaching ...

What or who is a Disciple?

By Robin Dennis Discipleship is nothing new. We find the concept of a disciple – that is, a person following a master – among Plato, Socrates and Herodotus; in ancient Hebrew culture, Elisha (2 Kings 4:38), Isaiah (8:16), Samuel (1 Sam 10:5), then we know that John the Baptist had ...

The Foundation of Many Generations

By Doug Utley, Melbourne Labouring Community We escaped to Hamilton Island in August for a week. Glorious sun and warm water, beaches and coral reef. One night, I got up for a drink and was stopped in my tracks by the night sky entering through the balcony doors. It was a moonless night and with ...

Your Questions Answered - Navigator Discipleship

Fran Johnson from our Melbourne Labouring Community answers some of your questions about Navigator discipleship. Why have you enjoyed Navigator discipleship, in group and individual settings? Navigator one-to-one discipleship began my spiritual transformation. I was quite broken spiritually ...

Would You Win an Arm Wrestle?

By Philip McMaster, from their ministry newsletter, McMaster News, October 2018 Did you arm wrestle when you were growing up? I used to love arm wrestling with my brother and my dad when I was younger (and stronger!) It was great fun trying to win and you never quite knew what would happen ...

Caring Like Christ

By Grant Dibden “People are our most important asset.” I often hear that from organisations, but it’s a lot less common to see it actually being lived out. Of course, there has to be a balance with getting the task done, but the task and caring for the people can be symbiotic. Christian ...

People of Passion

The early followers of Jesus were called ‘people of the way’. This was long before the term ‘Christian’ was coined. Perhaps it came from Jesus’ words ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life' (John 14:6). People of Passion* is here to help you on your way, following Jesus, The Way. It ...

The Authority of the Word of God: A Pillar of Faith

By Grant Dibden, first published in Compass, Summer 2024. In Australia we live in a time characterised by shifting moral values and diverse worldviews. Popular culture tells us to look within to find out who we really are, to ‘be true to ourselves’, which is the key to living full and happy ...

A Life Transformed by the Gospel

By Phil McMaster I first met 'Derek', a trainee Army cadet, in January at a voluntary church service during Year One Familiarisation Training (YOFT) at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA). He came from a small regional town in Victoria. It wasn't clear whether he had any sort of faith ...

How do we care for international student graduates?

Caring for our co-labourers is a vital ingredient in keeping our communities strong. Kanini Mapperson and her husband, Tim, are community leaders in our International Student Ministry in Melbourne. June Sparks took the opportunity to sit with Kanini to get some tips on how to continue caring for ...

Viewing Human Achievement: Western Culture 4

   “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3 Each day we are surrounded by people’s incredible achievements. We can purchase almost any food at any time of the year, we have social welfare systems that assist in times of need, ...

Your Questions Answered - The Chain Illustration

This year, we look at some “discipling” tools and how we can use them for our own ministries. In the last issue, Robin Dennis discussed how we could apply The Word Hand illustration. In this issue, he looks at The Chain Illustration - How to claim a promise, with an example of how to use ...

Jordan got baptised!

By Andrew Oldfield, Canberra Labouring Community. One of the highlights of this year's ministry at ADFA was seeing one of the cadets, Jordan, get baptised. I’d met Jordan for the first time at the start of the year as I started with Navigators at ADFA. Before this he had met with Thomas, ...

Halfway There

By Paul Bailey, Melbourne Labouring Community Here we are, midway through 2025, reflecting on all the good the Lord has done, but also looking ahead in faith for what is to come. It has been a number of months since I was able to give a comprehensive update on all that's been happening! So ...

Foundations for Life

By Levi Swatzentruber, Canberra Labouring Community University students are at a pivotal time of life, they are forming convictions, making life-direction choices and often forming what they believe for the first time. Yet, one opportunity which God has given me has reminded me that there is ...

Your Questions Answered - The Word Hand

Robin Dennis, one of our lifelong labourers and disciple-makers, is doing a series this year on how to use some of the 'discipleship tools' we have available. This article first appeared in the Compass newsletter, Autumn 2023 issue. The Word Hand Illustration I don’t think one can go past ...

Run the Race: The Intentional Process of Discipleship

Discipleship isn't something that happens overnight. There is a process. It takes time. Time and intention. This video, part of the Harvest Series that explores Discipleship, is by Dave Wirgau, and is useful as a tool in discipling and fanning the flame for disciple-making.  

Get To Know Doug and Geneve Utley

Doug and Geneve Utley are lifelong labourers from our Melbourne community. Doug has served previously as National Director, and he and Geneve have worked with many students and graduates, couples and emerging leaders over the years. He has produced resources such as the Enriching Your Marriage ...

The Words of Eternal Life

By Phil McMaster (Military Community Leader) on behalf of the team, Thomas and Raylee Bielenberg (ADFA and RMC) and Julianne McMaster (Solid Rock) I don’t know about you but I love reading the Bible with children. It is a special moment as the words bring excitement, joy and amazement from ...

Who is God and what is He like?

Is God the centre of your life? Would you like to know Him better? Love Him deeper? Grow to be more like His son, Jesus? We have many resources available to you here one our website. But if you're looking specifically for studies to help you not only to know about Him but to dive deeper in your ...

Sharing Hope in Community

By Julie McIntosh, first printed in Compass, Summer 2021 Cancelled. Postponed. Online. In contrast to the event-oriented lifestyle many of us were previously accustomed to, these words seem to characterise our current schedules. Today, perhaps more than ever, we are faced with the truth that we ...

How to Read the Bible Better

By Mike Johnson, Melbourne Labouring Community (First published in Compass Autumn 2024) Have you ever thought you understood what someone was saying but, without the full picture, made a complete muddle of their meaning? I have, and it’s embarrassing. God speaks through His Scriptures and, ...

Campus Life: small windows, deep engagement

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community Something I love about campus ministries is the intensity and depth of engagement we have with people for a short window of time. As hard as it is when students move on, there is an endless influx of opportunity. I recently farewelled Isaak, who ...

Life's Unpredictability

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community There have been many ups and downs to start the year, but God is clearly working in the midst of it all. Let me share about two events impacting the student ministry at the ANU. In February, Levi, who runs the ANU ministry, was involved in a ...

A Glimpse of the Gospel Through Abraham

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community.  Two recent themes we have explored as Australian Navigators are: sharing the gospel through story and understanding the grand story of history as outlined in Scripture.  Let’s bring these two themes together and incorporate our national ...

The Harvest Continues - Paul Bailey's Apprenticeship

By Mike Johnson, Melbourne Labouring Community City Leader Jesus was a developer of kingdom workers. On one occasion (Luke 10:1-16) he appointed and sent out 72 disciples, two by two, to announce that the kingdom of God was near and to bring healing to the people they were sent to. These ...

God Behind the Scenes

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community Connecting with people during COVID-19 restrictions can be a challenge, but I wanted to share with you a story about Ethan, who I meet with online. Ethan and I started meeting a few years ago, about the time he finished high school. Although he ...

Next Door to Everywhere ... in Brisbane!

By Luke Midena, National Leadership Team The National Leadership Team met with the National Council on the first weekend of April to hear from God's Word, pray, study Job, and plan and discuss this year's priorities. Luke gives us a glimpse into what's happening in one of our communities – ...

From Grant to You

Dear Friend, Discipleship means many things to many people, and you can’t go to one verse and get the Bible’s definition of discipleship. Its root meaning is follower or pupil, a learner. Today we think of a learner as someone who wants to know what the teacher knows, but a biblical ...

The God Who Saves

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community  I wonder, have you shared about Jesus with someone who seemed to recognise the good news for what it is, but never embraced the message? I’ve often wondered where the process has broken down. Was it me – did I overlook a vital element of the ...

Campus to Career: Labouring Through Transitions

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community Our God-given vision is to see lifetime labourers raised up for God’s harvest. One of the biggest obstacles is navigating the transitions of life. A key one we regularly face is the move from university into full-time work. Why is it that students ...

Navigators’ Solid Rock Retreat 2017

On 5-7 May, 15 ladies from our Women’s Military Ministry got together for the Annual Solid Rock Retreat. It was a beautiful Autumn weekend and God richly blessed us. We spent extended time in God’s word, took a real cruise around Lake Burley Griffin and had lots of time deepening ...

The Great Commission: The Mission of The Navigators

by Lorne Sanny (former President of The Navigators), reprinted from "The Compass", September 1981 Just before Jesus left earth and ascended into heaven He gave some last instructions. These were in the form of a commission, which we call the Great Commission . . . words to be obeyed by all ...

Labouring in Hard Soil

By Mike Treneer “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” Psalm 126:5 Jesus often used agricultural metaphors to describe the growth of the Kingdom of God. • The Kingdom is like “a man sowing seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed ...

Your Questions Answered! - by Ian & Helen McIntosh

In this edition of Your Questions Answered!, Ian and Helen McIntosh tackle one of the big questions they've often been asked by other Navigator staff: How do we best care for ourselves while caring for others?  This is particularly relevant given our Covid-19 lock-down situation, both for us ...

Kingdom Community

By Frank Tully, first published in Compass, Autumn 2019 In order to follow God’s calling in our lives – To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom - we need to have a context. For Navigators, that context is authentic community deeply rooted in the Kingdom of God. We don’t consider ...

Christmas in the MER

A Christmas message from our National Director, Grant Dibden, from the Middle East Region (MER).   10 000 Afghanistan Army soldiers are killed each year that we know of. There’s probably more, and about half that number of civilians. And this doesn’t include the enemy. That was what ...

God-talk, the Gospel and the Pub

By Luke Midena, first published in Compass Winter edition 2020 Friday afternoons at the ANU campus are a highlight of every week – I get to meet with a group of believing and unbelieving students at a pub, to  discuss life’s big questions around meaning, suffering, belief, freedom and ...

Another "New" Life in 2020 - Addy

Another Story of New Life in 2020 A Personal Testimony by Adelaide Donohue Most people know me as Addy or Adelaide. Here's a little background: I was born and raised in Canberra. I have been in a Christian environment my whole life. I grew up going to church most Sundays like a lot of other ...

How Do You Begin a Grassroots Ministry?

Grassroots ministry is the starting point of advancing the gospel and building the next generation, beginning with people around you who haven’t heard the good news of Jesus. As a labourer living and discipling among the lost, how do you begin a grassroots ministry? 1. Pray for: • ...

Belonging Before Believing

By Luke Midena, Canberra Community Leader, first published in Compass Winter 2021 edition You may have heard the phrase, ‘belong before believe’. It was the catchcry of some within the Emerging Church Movement of the last few decades. Driven by a desire to share Christ with the world, ...

Q & A with Jane Sheppard

Let's get to know another one of our new Ministry Apprentices. This time from our Melbourne Labouring Community. How did you come to be with Navigators? As a young adult I had asked God to provide me with a godly woman who could be a spiritual mentor to me. After persevering 20 years in ...

From Grant to You - God's Word and the Holy Spirit

First published in Compass Winter 2024 issue. Dear Friend, In [the most recent issue] of Compass, we continue to consider God’s word. Sometimes one group can so emphasise the Bible and another the Holy Spirit, but there is an  intimate connection between the Holy Spirit and the word of ...

Another Student Receives Christ

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community Your prayer has been answered! Yesterday the Burmese student I asked you to pray for in August received Christ. I love how God brought this about. As I sat down with this student yesterday, the pressing question on his mind wasn’t, ‘How can I be ...

Mark's Gospel

By Luke Midena and Frank Mapperson, for the National Council The National Council takes seriously the need to keep God’s Word central. Together, we studied the first eight chapters of Mark’s gospel. Mark draws on the first-hand experience of Peter, and his Gospel is a fast-paced account of ...

Mark Bible Study

By Luke Midena, with Scott Brown, for the National Council In our Staff Bible studies this year, we continued to explore how Jesus made disciples in Mark’s gospel. Here are a few insights. Jesus was not simply teaching his disciples but training them, and a core focus of their training was ...

An Appealing Message?

By Luke Midena, Canberra Labouring Community Is this an appealing message? This was a question asked by a young man in our discipleship training group over dinner recently. In an era where people crave authenticity and evidence of God’s power, Simon*— who has been battling significant ...

Knowing God

By Scott Brown In the Autumn issue of the Compass, Mike Johnson clearly laid out a few simple and crucial rules to follow when reading and studying the Bible in order to interpret it accurately. If you haven’t read that article on How to Read the Bible Better, I recommend you give it a read ...

Insights from the Global Church

By Luke Midena The past few months have been unusually full of travel. While it’s been exciting, I’m looking forward to being home with family for the next while. I wanted to share some highlights from one of these recent trips. I had the privilege of attending the Lausanne Gathering in ...

For the Sake of the Nations

By Scott Brown If you closed your eyes and imagined what it means to embrace something or someone, I wonder what you might envision. Does the word embrace invoke ideas of a friendly smile and an arm over your shoulder? Or perhaps it stirs notions of a warm and hardy handshake. For me, ...

New Child of God

By June Sparks, Sydney Labouring Community “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10 There is rejoicing in heaven and in our house! We have spent time over the past several weeks meeting with K and N to read ...