Generational, Relational, Intentional, Personal
posted by Navigators on December 2nd, 2025 in Discipleship | Generations | Gospel
By Dustyn McLaren, South-East Queensland Labouring Community
It is such a privilege to serve the Lord in the Great Commission and, even more so, to enjoy His friendship. John 15:15 says, “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” These friendships extend in many other directions too. Towards those whom we have the responsibility of fathering in discipleship and to those we are reaching with the gospel. And just as importantly, to you, those who partner with us, holding the rope of support as we advance in the mission to which God is continually calling us.
I often share with people how important it is that God’s discipleship GRIPs us. Discipleship that is Generational, Relational, Intentional and Personal:
Michael is a student at UniSC. This year we celebrated the joy of his newfound friendship with his Creator. We met at “O-Week” 2024 and over time built a connection that was Relational; he’s not just a personal project or a tick list of topics, but now a brother in the Lord, a friend.
The Bridge Illustration
We have also been Intentional by considering many aspects of God and His gospel, that Jesus is fully God and fully man, what Jesus accomplished through his life, death and resurrection. Over that year and a half, I shared the Bridge Illustration three times, aiming to share the gospel as clearly as possible. In May, he surrendered to Jesus, realising that there was no longer anything holding him back.
Our discussions are Personal to him and where he’s at. Questions and struggles that are pressing to him. At one stage he asked what the Bible meant by “fearing God” and we took the time to look into it.
Now that he’s a believer, he’s preparing to share the Gospel and praying for God to lead him to someone he can invest into, sharing what “the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19), to be Generational in his thinking and approach to people. I look forward to seeing discipleship continue to GRIP him as he grows in the Lord, and our friendship sharpens one another.
These opportunities are available through the Lord and because of your prayers and financial support. You are our fellow workers as expressed in the third letter of John, partnering with us as friends. You are truly involved, and you continue to encourage us.
3 John 1:7-8, “For they have gone out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore, we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”
Thank you for your friendship.
Dustyn and Hannah McLaren
Dustyn and Hannah McLaren live with their family on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland and joined the Australian Navigators Staff in 2022. Dustyn has recently finished being partially supported by an Endowment Fund which helped to establish his ministry for the first three years, and now has some way to go in being fully funded to continue his community and university ministries. If you would like to find out more about the McLarens, and to prayerfully consider contributing to funding their work with Navs, please visit: navigators.org.au/staff/mclarendh/
Your prayers are always appreciated. Don’t forget to subscribe to his newsletter!
Featured image of silhouette of group of people/generations: Tyler Nix on Unsplash.