from July 5, 2015 prayer update

I am participating in a 12 month life & leadership coaching certification process through NCM. In August, after attending a three day training event in DFW with several dozen others, I will be officially certified as a coach.

An essential part of that process has been connecting twice a month with one of my NCM colleagues, Bill Mowry, who is modeling and mentoring me through the coaching process over the phone. I have read and processed through several good books as part of the training. Most recently I read Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. A quick and helpful read. He outlines five interrelated dysfunctions that teams commonly face. As I have reflected back on my experience as part of a wide variety of teams through the years, both as a team member and as a team leader, I have seen each of these dysfunctions significantly limit team effectiveness.

In April I was appointed as the regional field director for NCM for Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. I inherited a small group of staff and volunteers. Over a period of many years, they have been conditioned to function as individuals contributors rather than as a team. I am working and praying toward each of us becoming part of a highly effective ministry team. The first step in this process is seeking to build trust.

Our regional staff currently includes Judy Miller in Austin, Anna Marie Peterson and Dee Seifert in DFW, Steve Stahl in Houston, 2 Nav associates (Oklahoma and Louisiana), and several NCM partners. I am asking the Lord for 12 additional staff and dozens of Nav associates and NCM partners over the next several years.

I envision and am praying daily that in five years we will have seven empowered ministry teams serving church leaders in this four state region. A ministry team will consist of at least two staff units and several Nav associates and NCM partners. Six ministry teams will be geographically focused (central Texas, DFW area, Houston area, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma) and one will be focused on Hispanic churches.

The vision that God has put on my heart is to meaningfully impact outreach and disciplemaking in 1% of the Protestant churches in this four state region (600 out of 60,000 churches). In addition, God has impressed on my heart eight critical success factors that will be our focus during the next five years. More on those factors at another time.

I welcome your prayers as we move toward building a strong south central regional team that will be powerfully used by God to advance the great commission through hundreds of local churches in this part of the U.S.

from June 7, 2015 prayer update

I recently read David & Paul Watson’s (father / son) 2014 book, Contagious Disciple Making. These men serve with an organization called CityTeam. Their stories are drawn from their experiences with disciplemaking / church planting movements in northern India and in isolated settings in the U.S.

The disciplemaking / church planting process they describe has been used very successfully in a variety of settings around the world. Jerry Trousdale’s (also with CityTeam) 2012 book, Miraculous Movements, is an account of the impact of these practices in Muslim north Africa. I had the privilege of participating in a small interactive conference featuring Trousdale a few years ago, when I worked with Pioneers. Many of Pioneers’ field workers practice the principles described in these two books.

Over the past decade, I have attended several multi-day training sessions involving this approach (or very similar approaches) to disciplemaking / church planting. I have been intrigued by it, but have remained somewhat skeptical about its applications in the Western Church, perhaps with the exception of the house church movement. Even though there are emerging examples in the U.S. in a variety of contexts, most success stories are among poor, oral learners, with people far from Christ and Christianity, in a simple church, house church context.

There is much in the book to commend it. I am convinced that chapter 6, on obedience-based disciplemaking, should be a core component of any disciplemaking model. Chapter 12 on prayer is excellent. This is a simple truth that most in the Western Church badly neglect. I believe it is foundational for the spiritual power to give birth to a movement or anything with a lasting impact. I appreciated the authors’ insights in chapter 13 into the limitations of “extraction evangelism and discipleship” as opposed to seeking to reach entire “silos” of people. Chapter 14 builds on the concepts introduced in chapter 13 as it describes the importance of identifying a “person of peace” as the doorway into silos. And chapter 15 describes the use of “discovery groups” as vehicles for evangelism, disciplemaking, and church planting. Small groups built around a fairly rigid, but very simple church model that is easily reproducible. And which can be facilitated by a very young believer with very limited knowledge of the Scriptures. This methodology is perhaps the most controversial piece of the disciplemaking model described in the book. It runs counter to almost all of our adult education, leadership development, and church planting models in the West.

How about you. Have you identified and been trained in a particular disciplemaking model? A model that you are seeking to practice regularly and with intentionality. If so, how is it going? And if not, would you benefit from getting some help in intentional disciplemaking? Either way, I would love to hear from you.

from May 3, 2015 prayer update

I made a new friend this month. His name is Ghasem. He was born and raised in Iran. I would guess he is a few years older than I am. He moved to the U.S. in the early 70s to attend college and has lived here since. He has been an American citizen for many years now. Let me share the story of how we became friends.

I am a big BBQ lover. There is a new BBQ restaurant that opened near my home 13 months ago. I have been going there for lunch on a regular basis for several months now. I came in for a late lunch recently, so business was slow. I took advantage of that slowness to engage the cashier in conversation. I suspected from his behavior that he was the business owner, so I asked him if he was. He affirmed that this was true. I then asked him several questions about how the business had been going and communicated my appreciation for their food. I could tell from his appearance and his demeanor that he was probably not born in the U.S. He was far more gentle, low key, and gracious than most Americans. So I asked him where he was born. After learning he was from Iran, we talked briefly about Iran. I then sat down to enjoy my lunch.

I was not more than a few bites into my lunch when Ghasem came by the table where I was sitting and wanted to talk further. So we talked for about 15 minutes about Iran and his experience in the U.S. for the past four decades. I told him that I would like to hear more stories from his life in future visits to the restaurant. He gave me his business card, and he returned to work. I was not even half way through my meal when Ghasem returned to my table and wanted to talk more. We talked briefly, then he asked for one of my business cards. He indicated his desire to connect outside of work. He said that he really enjoyed talking with me.

Why did Ghasem respond this way to me? First let me say why he did not. It is not because I am a skillful conversationalist and highly relational. Nor is it because I am a gifted evangelist. Anyone who has known me for a while can easily confirm that these statements are true. So why did he? I can’t say with certainty, but I believe it was for four reasons.
1) I pray for myself in the area of evangelism every day, that God would give me a heart for the lost, especially for those with little or no access to the gospel. Because evangelism does not come naturally for me.
2) I took the initiative to seize a small window of time to interact with Ghasem in the natural flow of life
3) I demonstrated a genuine interest in Ghasem as a person and asked questions about things that were important to him.
4) Even after more than 40 years in the U.S., Ghasem probably has few traditionally American friends. Because few Americans take the initiative to cultivate a relationship with people like Ghasem. Which is very sad.

I have added Ghasem to my list of people (I now have two couples and five individuals on my list) in my spheres of influence that I pray for daily to come to know Christ. I look forward to getting to know him and his family, learning about their worldview and religious heritage, and sharing with him in a very natural way the good news of the gospel.

I love to travel and would love to visit Iran some day. But chances are that will never happen. And the likelihood of me ever living there and serving as a missionary is very close to zero. In fact, only a handful of missionaries do serve in Iran. And those who do must have a legitimate business purpose to be there and keep an extremely low profile. Only 1/5th of 1% of the population know Christ. And yet less than two miles from where I live, God has placed a strategic opportunity with an Iranian (in all likelihood, a nominal Muslim) in my pathway. And he responded strongly and positively to my small actions. He visits Iran regularly and still has family there. What a privilege it would be to see Ghasem come to know Christ, become established in his faith, and then represent Christ to his family and friends back in Iran in a way that I never could.

I would love to hear your stories. What strategic opportunities has God placed in your pathway (where you live, work, and play) to share the hope that lives within you? If you are not aware of any strategic opportunities, begin to regularly ask God to open your eyes to see them. I promise you that they are there.

from April 5, 2015 prayer update

Easter is not the highest profile Christian holiday, but it is the most important. On Good Friday we celebrated Christ’s substitutionary death for us on the cross. Today, Easter, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Please don’t let the world rob you of the richness of this deeply significant day by focusing on silly distractions like bunnies and candy eggs.

If Christ did in fact die for our sins and rise from the grave, the implications are profound. We have the hope of forgiveness, reconciliation with an offended God, power to live life well and for the glory of God, and eternal hope for the future. Good news indeed. News that needs to be clearly and unashamedly shared with others.

There are more than 40 million first generation immigrants in the U.S. Included among them are 856 thousand Asian international students (331 thousand from China, 146 thousand from India, 81 thousand from Saudi Arabia)? Saudi Arabia is one of the most closed countries on the planet. A very difficult place to make inroads with the gospel. And yet there are no limitations placed on what you can share with Saudis studying in the U.S. There are growing and wonderful opportunities to impact the nations, even the least reached globally, right in our backyard. We are the largest immigrant nation in the world. God is bring the nations to us!

A couple of years back I had the privilege to serve as an English conversation partner for six months for a young Muslim man from Saudi Arabia. He is now an undergraduate at a university in San Francisco. This semester I have been meeting regularly with a UT student (Xuebin) from a small community in central China. He is an all-but-dissertation PhD student in geography. He recently introduced me to one of his friends (Yatong), a visiting professor at UT. He is dean of the department of electronic and information engineering at Hebei University in Tianjin, China (one of the world’s largest cities), but he is here in Austin for a year. I am now serving as an English conversation partner for him. Both men are atheists, but are remarkably open to conversations we have had about Christianity. In fact Xuebin will be visiting a good evangelical church for Easter today. I am praying that both men (and their wives) will come to know Christ, and that I can play a part in that process.

How about you? Who are you bringing the good news of Easter to. I would love to hear your stories. We all know lost people where we live, work, and play. That is a natural place to start. Take a few small steps and allow God to surprise you by what He does. Who knows, He may even lead you to engage the nations, perhaps starting with opportunities that He has brought right to our doorstep.

from March 3, 2015 prayer update

Last month I shared with you about a class I am taking this spring through Columbia International University titled “the mission of God”. I shared a little about the mission of God in the world from one of our texts, edited by Mike Barnett and Robin Martin titled Discovering the Mission of God. I would like to continue with that theme in this month’s personal reflections.

My class is divided into four sections, with a focus on God’s mission in the Bible, God’s mission in history, the role of culture in God’s mission, and the role of strategy in God’s mission. We have wrapped up the Biblical and historical sections of the class (some great stuff) and are now considering the role of culture in God’s mission.

As I reflect back on this past month, it has been a wonderful adventure in joining with God in a marvelous variety of ways in His mission in the world. I am convinced that each month can be a wonderful adventure in joining with God in His mission in the world for each of us. All it requires is a basic understanding of what that mission is, followed up with a resolve to intentionally seize opportunities that He provides. Mix in some focused prayer, meaningful relational engagement, and a willingness to extend yourself outside your comfort zone and you have the makings for an exciting and purposive life. A life that aligns with what God is already at work doing.

In January I had the opportunity to participate in a meeting of Hispanic leaders in the San Antonio area. Last weekend we had a series of similar meetings with Hispanic church leaders in the McAllen area. We had a number of wonderful opportunities to connect with Hispanic church pastors wanting very much to see their churches meaningfully engage the lost and make life-long disciples and laborers of those who come to faith. We may even have a new NCM staff member coming out of these meetings who will significantly expand our ability to impact Hispanic churches in Texas. Did you know there are nearly 10 million Hispanics in the state of Texas?

Back in January I also had the opportunity to begin developing a relationship with Xuebin, a graduate student at UT from central China. Xuebin is a newlywed (separated by ten thousand miles from his new bride) and does not yet know Christ. But he is seeking. Last time we met he had just had his first long distance fight with his new bride over Skype and was still stinging from the conversation. We talked about marriage, forgiveness, and he gave me permission to pray for he and his wife (which I did with him). Xuebin and I connect again this evening.

In mid-February I spent a few days in snowy Manhattan, Kansas speaking three times as part of Grace Baptist Church’s annual missions conference. A medium sized church with a long history of sending workers into the harvest fields of the world. A church currently partnering with a denomination in Ethiopia to send African workers into the 10-40 window.

A week ago, I had the opportunity to help with a training clinic for the Houston area, focused on one of NCM’s excellent disciple making resources, The Ways of the Alongsider. The clinic was a great mix of pastors and laymen, young and old, men and women. It was fun to interact with two older widow women who had roots that go way back into Navigator history. Individuals, who many would write off as well past their prime, but are still walking with God, living a vibrant faith, and are continuing to learn how to be more useful Kingdom servants.

Since September I have been meeting at 6am every Wednesday morning in a study with a couple hundred other men in my home church. We are studying Gene Getz’s book, The Measure of a Man. We are spending a week on each of the 20 character qualities highlighted in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 that should be present in the life of a church leader. I facilitate discussion for one of the small groups. A good time with these men every week.

This morning, I had the opportunity to participate for an hour with 15-20 others as part of a 24 hour prayer time for the persecuted church (think ISIS martyrs) sponsored by my home church. We prayed for the persecuted, the persecutors, for government leadership, and for the Church. Doing what Jesus told us to do, “pray for those who persecute you”.

Life is an adventure, an adventure that can have the mission of God right at its center. Would love to hear from you regarding how you have been joining with God in His mission in the world.

from February 2, 2015 prayer update

I am taking my sixth class this spring as part of a graduate program in intercultural studies at Columbia International University. The class is titled “the mission of God”. We are using a reader titled Discovering the Mission of God, edited by Barnett and Martin as our primary text. In the introduction to the reader there are some excellent points made regarding God’s mission in the world. I will share a few thoughts with you.

Barnett asks and answers a number of important questions. First, whose mission is it? “It is not the church’s mission. Neither is it primarily the missionary’s mission, nor just the mission agency’s mission. It is God’s mission. … we should be both humbled and disturbed by the fact that God has chosen the church as His instrument, His agent, in accomplishing His mission.”

Second, Barnett asks, what is the mission of God? (Latin: misseo dei) He points out that “misseo means a sending of someone with a duty or purpose to perform.” It is a mission that is first described not in the great commission, but given to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. The mission is that all peoples on earth will be blessed. “Everything between Genesis and Revelation is directly related to this mission of God, this sending of Himself and His people to bless all the peoples on earth.”

Third, Barnett asks, why this mission? The answer is simple: God’s glory. An answer that is very different than the man centered answers we usually hear. In Isaiah 48:11 we are reminded, “For My own sake, for My own sake, I do it, for how should My name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.”

Fourth, Barnett asks, where do we see it? He points out that we find it both in the Scriptures and in history. He claims that the Bible itself exists because of the mission of God. He goes on to say that everything we do as Christ-followers, as the church, and as para-church should connect with the mission of God.

Fifth, Barnett asks, how does God do it? His response is five-fold: God’s love, people-to-people, discipling all people, equipping the saints, and through the church.

Sixth Barnett asks, by what power? The apostle Paul says “according to His power” and then goes on to discuss the power of the gospel. I would add to that the repeatedly promised presence and power of God’s Spirit at work in and through the lives of His children.

Finally Barnett asks, where do we fit? He states that “After discovering the mission of God, we can no longer say that we do not fit. We are unable to pass the responsibility to missionaries or mission pastors. We are all called by God to participate in His mission of blessing to all people.”

Some great questions and some insightful responses. Where are you in your life-long journey of partnering with God in His mission in the world?

from January 4, 2015 prayer update

Happy New Year! January 1 always provides great opportunities for a fresh start. As I look forward to all that 2015 will hold, I do so looking to a God who delights in exceeding our expectations, but often in unexpected ways.

When I think about areas for personal goal setting, I think about things like character, family, finances, health, school, service, spiritual life, work. I have set personal goals for 2015 in all of the areas mentioned above. The things God has laid on my heart to focus on this year are not new. They are areas that I have been looking to God for growth in for some time. I have decided to focus on a few, with hopes of keeping these central and of making meaningful forward progress. Three I am highlighting in 2015 are:
• my character (dealing with impatience and a critical spirit)
• my health (consistency in exercise – 3x per week)
• my spiritual life (consistency in intercessory prayer – 3x per day).

I turned 60 in October. Entering a new decade of life is a not so subtle reminder of the brevity of life. This important truth is a great reminder of the need to live life with intentionality. This cannot be done well apart from personal goal setting. The apostle Paul states in Philippians 3 that “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” He goes on to say “Let those of us who are mature think this way”.

How about you? What personal goals have you set for 2015? I would love to hear from you. Happy New Year!

* * * * * * * *

“Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day.”
Denis Waitley

* * * * * * * *

“If you’re not sure where you are going, you're liable to end up someplace else.”
Robert Mager

* * * * * * * *

from December 7, 2014 prayer update

November 20-22 our NCM south central regional team met in Austin for a time of interaction and training. Our NCM national directors from Colorado, Roy & Margaret Fitzwater, joined with us to facilitate our time together.

Included in the photo are: front row (Cindy & Vincent Escandell, Wayne Lott, Dee Seifert, Judy Miller, AnnaMarie & Willie Peterson), back row (Blake McDaniel, Roy & Margaret Fitzwater, Steve Stahl), not pictured (Jen Howat, Kathy McDaniel, Cheryl Stahl). The Escandells recently joined our team and serve in Louisiana. Jen also recently joined our team and serves in Oklahoma. Dee, Judy, Wayne, the McDaniels, the Petersons, and the Stahls all serve in Texas.

I am praying daily for new NCM staff, primarily in their 30s and 40s, to join with our team of seasoned servants. I am also praying for a Hispanic couple to join our team to better serve the growing number of Spanish speaking churches in our region. There are two top 5 cities in our region (DFW – 6.8 million and Houston – 6.3 million). There are five additional cities (Austin, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Tulsa) of a million or more. And five more cities (Baton Rouge, El Paso, Fayetteville, Little Rock, McAllen) of 500 thousand or more. I am asking God for a NCM staff presence in all 12 of these key cities, and for a strong team in DFW and Houston to effectively serve many hundreds of churches of all sizes and theological bents in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Judy Miller wonderfully hosted our time together in her home in Cedar Park. We had good time together as a team in the Scriptures, sharing from our personal lives and ministries, and interacting over good meals. We also received some helpful training called “deep dive”. This training was designed to enhance our skills as certified coaches in our work with local church leaders toward NCM’s goal of helping create a culture of outreach and disciplemaking in the local churches we serve.

from November 2, 2014 prayer update

Emporia is a community of 25,000 located on IH35 about halfway between Wichita and Kansas City. It is home to Emporia State University, the 2010 division 2 national champions in women’s basketball and the 2009 division 2 national runners up in men’s baseball. This past week I had the privilege of serving as the speaker at 12th Avenue Baptist Church's annual missions conference in Emporia.

The theme for the conference was “redeemed, equipped, light of the world”. I spoke four times as part of this important event in the life of TABC. I spoke twice on Sunday morning on the topic, “we are redeemed” (link to the message), on Sunday evening I spoke on “we are equipped”, and on Tuesday evening I spoke on “we are the light of the world”. Each message was drawn from the book of Ephesians. Al Areheart has served for 20 years as the senior pastor at TABC. He is a graduate of Columbia International University, where I am currently involved in a graduate program in intercultural studies.

On Wednesday I traveled from Emporia to Tulsa to speak at the 10th anniversary gathering of Tulsa Mission Movement on the topic “church missions strategy for unreached people engagement”. TMM is a local missions leader network that I had the privilege of helping launch back in 2004 in partnership with a long-time missions mobilizer, John McVay. A number of Tulsa area churches have recently covenanted through TMM to partner together around a vision of reaching 100 UPGs (unreached people groups) by the year 2040. WOW! What a compelling vision. TMM facilitators: Jerry Lout, Justin Schell, John McVay.

Following the time with TMM, I had the opportunity to meet with a pastor from one of my supporting churches in Tulsa. Nate Nauman, is the new discipleship pastor at Fellowship Bible Church. Neil Beasley, who I have known for a number of years through the global outreach efforts at FBC, joined with Nate and me as we interacted around issues related to future discipleship efforts at the church. We discussed how Navigator Church Ministry’s GIDC (growing intentional disciplemaking cultures) process might serve FBC in pursuing the discipleship related dreams and goals they have.

I am grateful that I am not on the road all the time. I always enjoy myself, but I miss my family when I am gone. The five days on the road this past week proved to be an enjoyable and fruitful time for kingdom service and advancement. It is exciting and humbling to play a small role with what God is doing with many great commission focused local churches across the U.S.

from October 5, 2014 prayer update

One of my primary areas of focus since coming on board with NCM (Navigator Church Ministries) in the spring has been my personal training. Getting familiar with resources, processes, and training that will enable me to be effective in coming alongside local church leaders as they seek to create a disciplemaking culture within their congregations. Coaching is a significant component of this personal training.

Within NCM we have a coaching process that has been developed over a period of many years in partnership with Building Champions (www.buildingchampions.com) and Ministry Coaching International (www.ministrycoaching.org). The training takes place in the context of a reproducible coaching relationship.

My coach is Bill Mowry. Bill serves as the Great Lakes regional field director for NCM and is the author of one of our key resources, The Ways of the Alongsider. We will connect long distance every other week for the next year, as he coaches me personally and models for me how to coach others.

The coaching provided by NCM is more directive and intentional than the coaching I have seen used by others outside of NCM. It utilizes a traditional coaching process, but does so within well defined areas of focus. There is a limited version and a more comprehensive version of the coaching.

Tbe limited version focuses on a developing a life plan by developing a life mission statement and exploring with your coach seven important life areas (faith, priorities, health, family, friends, finances, and service). Each coaching session is preceded by a meaningful time of preparatory study and personal reflection. Accountability for follow through with past actions items is also an important part of the process.

The more comprehensive version is in four stages. The first stage is the development of a life plan. Stage two is the development of a vision plan, stage three the development of a ministry plan, and stage four addresses priority management.

Much of the work that I will be doing with church leaders will be conducted within a coaching framework, utilizing principles and practices I am currently learning. Please pray for me as I engage in this process. First, pray for a strong relationship to develop between Bill and myself. Second, pray that I would personally benefit from the coaching. Third, pray that I would master the reproducible aspects of the coaching and use them well in my work with church leaders.

from September 7, 2014 prayer update

In August I had the opportunity to participate in two Texas based Nav events, a gathering of DFW staff and laborers on 8/16 in Plano and the NavVida Hispanic national conference in San Antonio on 8/29-31.

Darrell and Cindy Jolley were recently appointed as our Nav city leaders for DFW. Darrell came out of the Nav work at UT Austin a few years after I did. He is a layman, is actively involved in his home church in Grapevine, has a personal ministry to Muslim immigrants in DFW, and serves as CFO for a business in Dallas. Cindy was one of Kathy’s roommates years ago, and came out of the college ministry that I led at Grace Covenant Church in Austin 30 years ago. It was a delight to stay overnight with the Jolleys while in Dallas and catch up on what is happening in their lives. The half-day gathering was a cross-mission event, designed to bring DFW Nav staff and alumni together who serve across the 10 U.S. based missions of The Navigators. Rob Mahon shared three messages with us out of Matthew 9:35-38. Rob has served with the Navs in Japan and Thailand, and has led the Nav city work in Albuquerque for past 20 years. He is the brother of John Mahon, who led the Nav collegiate work at UT when I was an undergraduate there in the early 70s.

It had been 8 years since the last NavVida (Nav Life) national conference. We spent three days together in a hotel on the San Antonio riverwalk. 5 main sessions, 3 workshop sessions, and 2 affinity group gatherings focused around ministry to the 1 in 6 Americans who are Hispanic. Old friends from my college days spoke in 2 of the 5 main sessions. Eddie Broussard, senior VP for U.S. field ministries for the Navs, was our opening night speaker. Eddie was involved with the Navs at Texas A&M when I was at UT. We co-led a Nav summer training program for UT and A&M students in Dallas in 1979, and were roommates that summer. Eddie has become a gifted communicator and has spent many years in cross-cultural ministry in the U.S. and Eurasia. Alex Mandes and I were involved with the Navs together at UT and then attended Dallas Theological Seminary together. Alex lives in San Antonio, is a former church planter, and currently serves as the national director for ethnic ministries for the Evangelical Free Church of America. It was a pleasure to reconnect with these old friends.

One of the big perks in rejoining with the Navs has been reconnecting as colleagues with friends that I have known for many years.

from August 3, 2014 prayer update

I have had the opportunity to spend time at Glen Eyrie, The Navigators national and international headquarters in Colorado Springs, twice this summer. First for a week of new staff orientation and fundraising training, and second for several days of interactions with NCM’s regional field leaders.

Colorado has had more rain than usual this year, so everything is green. With the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, it is a beautiful setting. But greater than the physical beauty of the location, is the spiritual beauty of my new colleagues.

the castle on the Glen Eyrie campus
I have lots of first impressions from these first four months with The Navigators. I will share about three that stand above the rest. A passion for Christ and His mission, a passion for digging deep into the Word of God, and a passion for intentional disciple making.

First, a passion for Christ and His mission. The Navigators motto is “to know Christ and to make Him known”. Passion for Jesus’ mission should flow out of passion for Jesus. If we love Him, we also love what He loves. This is at the very core of who The Navigators are, and it is evident in the lives of our staff as you get to know them personally. The apostle Paul, the model cross-cultural evangelist and church planter, speaks of his passion for Christ in Philippians 3:8. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”.

Second, a passion for digging deep into the Word of God. Depth in the Word in our personal times alone with God, in our discipling work with individuals, and in our coaching and training work with church leaders is central. It is the Scriptures studied, grappled with, and lived out that transforms lives. “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” – James 1:25.

Third, a passion for intentional disciple making. This is what The Navigators do best. I believe we do this better and with greater enthusiasm than anyone else. For the 130 staff serving with NCM, we have a passion for seeing this happen in the 400 thousand Protestant churches in the U.S. II Timothy 2:2 says, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” The Navigators believe that Biblical reproduction has not occurred until you see a solid third generation in place. The proof of reproduction is seeing someone you have invested deeply in turn around and do the same with someone else.

from July 6, 2014 prayer update

In June I read a book that was recommended to me in my new role with The Navigators. Real-Life Discipleship is written by Jim Putman, senior pastor at Real Life Ministries in Idaho. It is a NavPress publication. It describes the lessons learned and principles applied in disciple making in the planting and growth of the church where he serves as senior pastor.

In the book he describes disciple making as intentional, relational, and reproducible. He describes the disciple making process in five stages (spiritually dead, spiritual infant, spiritual child, spiritual young adult, and spiritual parent). The book is an expansion on the basic concepts found in Putman’s description and stages of disciple making. The stages are described well (and do not always conform to the stages that some churches use to describe their pathway to spiritual maturity). The author does a good job of providing windows into where a person is spiritually by the listening closely to the kinds of things they say and the kinds of questions they ask.

I found the book a helpful introduction to the disciple making process, written from the perspective of a pastor and practioner who has seen these principles at work over an extended period of time in a large, growing church that is doing a great job of raising of laborers and leaders. Outreach magazine lists the church where Putnam serves as one of the one hundred most influential in the U.S.

For those who are not well acquainted with the work of Navigator Church Ministries (formerly Church Discipleship Ministries), this book provides some great insights into what we do. NCM’s aim is to serve as catalysts and coaches as we come alongside local church leaders in helping create a disciple making culture within a local church. If we can ever be of service to your church, please let me know. We would be delighted to serve you toward the goal of becoming a more effective disciple making church, both within your community and among the least reached globally.

from June 1, 2014 prayer update

Church Discipleship is one of eleven missions for the Navs serving within the U.S. Our mission statement reads: “Partnering with church leaders to develop generations of disciples in everyday life – where they live, work, and play.” We serve as consultants and coaches to church leaders. We play a catalytic role in helping church leaders create a disciple making culture within their own congregation. We do this by coming alongside these leaders, modeling, networking, and recommending resources that provide practical help in six key areas: leadership development, life-on-life discipleship and mentoring, local and global outreach, mission and vision, small groups, and spiritual maturity.

Church Discipleship currently has 114 staff in 11 regions nation-wide, serving leaders in the 400 thousand Protestant churches in the U.S.. And we have 71 lay ministry partners serving as key volunteers alongside us in this work. Our vision is to see this grow to 1000 lay ministry partners.

God has promised to provide us with the resources we need for success in life. In II Peter 1:3 it says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” The next verse goes on to explain the role Biblical promises play in that process.

CDM also seeks to make helpful resources available to God’s people. The three key resources CDM makes available to local church leaders are the life experience of our staff, our printed resources, and our online resources. In this month’s update, I would like to introduce you to what is perhaps our most helpful online resource.

Discipleship Library (www.discipleshiplibrary.com) is a great resource on discipleship / disciple making for individuals, small groups, and in a variety of local churches settings. It contains thousands of audio messages from well known and not so well known Navigator and non-Navigator speakers on a broad spectrum of discipleship related themes. The audio messages are listed three ways: by speaker, by topic, and by Scriptural passage. It also contains links to hundreds of other excellent discipleship resources.

One of my favorites is a classic talk by The Navigators’ founder, Dawson Trotman, titled “Born to Reproduce”. Check it out, and many other helpful resources when you have the opportunity.

from May 4, 2014 prayer update

In my past two updates I shared with you about The Navigators. This month I would like to share with you more specifically about Church Discipleship, the mission within the Navigators that I serve with.

The Navigators was started by Dawson Trotman in 1933. Today more than 4600 staff from 70 different nationalities serve in 107 countries among 220 people groups in 174 languages. Our U.S. and international headquarters is at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. Our organizational motto is “to know Christ and to make Him known.” Our mission statement reads: “To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.”

Church Discipleship is one of ten missions for the Navs serving within the U.S. Our mission statement reads: “Partnering with church leaders to develop generations of disciples in everyday life – where they live, work, and play.” We serve as consultants and coaches to church leaders. We play a catalytic role in helping church leaders create a disciple making culture within their own congregation. We do this by coming alongside these leaders, modeling, networking, and recommending resources that provide practical help in six key areas: leadership development, life-on-life discipleship and mentoring, local and global outreach, mission and vision, small groups, and spiritual maturity. I will share more about some of the processes and resources we make available to church leaders in future updates.

Church Discipleship currently has 114 staff in 11 regions nation-wide, serving leaders in the 400 thousand Protestant churches in the U.S.. And we have 71 ministry partners serving as key volunteers alongside us in this work. Our vision is to see this grow to 1000 lay ministry partners.

I serve as part of the south central region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas). I also have a role as a liaison between Church Discipleship and Nations Within (one of ten other missions within the Navs U.S. work, focused on ministry among the 40 million plus first generation immigrants living in the U.S.). Initially my work will focus on personal training, cultivating relationships with my new colleagues, and fundraising. I look forward to soon shifting my full attention into the roles I was hired to play.

In late April I had the opportunity to spend four days with my new colleagues at our annual Church Discipleship national conference, held this year in Orlando. What a great kick-start to my new role with the Navs. Please pray for success in my initial work and for a smooth transition.

from April 6, 2014 prayer update

In my March update I shared a little with you about The Navigators. I would like to share more with you this month.

The Navigators was started by Dawson Trotman in 1933. Today more than 4600 staff from 70 different nationalities serve in 107 countries among 220 people groups in 174 languages. Our U.S. and international headquarters is at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. Our organizational motto is “to know Christ and to make Him known”. Our mission statement reads: “To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.”

The U.S. arm of the Navigators is organized under three spheres:
• launching
• life-long laborers
• the nations.
Ten missions function under these three spheres. The “launching” sphere includes three missions – Collegiate, Military, and Nav20s (young adults). These are the primary entry points into the Navs. I first got involved with the Navs back in the early 70s as a college student at UT. The “life-long laborers” sphere includes four missions – Community, Workplace, I58 Navs (Isaiah 58, the poor), and Church Discipleship. This is the heart of the Navs long-term work in the U.S. “The nations” sphere includes three missions – International Student Ministry, Nations Within (first generation immigrants), Nav Missions (our U.S. sending arm to the nations). This is the heart of the Navs cross-cultural work in the U.S. and globally.

There are also three ethnic networks (African American, Asian American, and Hispanic) that function as integrated parts of the ten missions.

I officially started with The Navigators on April 1. I have the privilege of serving as part of the “life-long laborers” sphere within the Church Discipleship mission. We have approximately 100 Church Discipleship staff nationwide, serving in 11 regions, and a growing number of key volunteers that serve alongside us. I serve as part of the south central region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas). I will also have a limited role as a liaison between Church Discipleship and Nations Within. Initially my work will focus on training, cultivating relationships with my new colleagues, and fundraising. I look forward to shifting soon into the roles I was hired to play. Please pray for success in my initial work and for a smooth transition.

from March 2, 2014 prayer update

This will be my last monthly update as part of Pioneers. It has been a good seven year ride. The last four years of the ten years I was part of Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment were under Pioneers umbrella, followed by the past three years as part of Pioneers Church Partnerships Team. There is much that I have loved about Pioneers, including their mission of initiating church planting movements among least reached peoples and their core values. I have many fond memories of the people and the churches God allowed me to partner with and serve. But as Philippians 3:13 reminds me: “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead”.

When you receive my next monthly update, we will officially be part of The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry. I am very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

The Navigators was started by Dawson Trotman in 1933. Today more than 4600 staff from 70 different nationalities serve in 107 countries among 220 people groups in 174 languages. Our U.S. and international headquarters is at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. Our organizational motto is “to know Christ and to make Him known”. Our mission statement reads: “To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.”

I read Acts 16 as part of my devotional reading this past week. Paul and his team are on their second missionary journey in this passage and hope to take the gospel into Asia, but are somehow prevented by the Holy Spirit. Plan B was to go into Bithynia, but again the Spirit prevented that effort. Then in a vision God provided the clarity Paul was seeking. God would have him and his team take the gospel into Europe, starting in Macedonia. In verse 10, Paul immediately responds with obedience and enthusiasm to the clarity that God provided.

It is my heart’s desire to do the same with the new opportunities that Lord has provided for us through The Navigators. These open doors came through months of seeking God for clarity regarding His desires for our lives, with Him opening up a vehicle that would better fit the gifts and passions He has placed within us.

Please join with us in praying for this new work. Pray that it would bear much fruit, fruit that would last, and be a work marked by answered prayer that honors Christ. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” – John 15:16.

from February 20, 2014 personal update

April 1 I will officially leave Pioneers and begin my new role with The Navigators as part their Church Discipleship Ministry. I will serve local church leaders in the south central U.S. (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas). You will be hearing more about The Navigators (www.navigators.org) and my role with them in the months ahead.

After months of searching for an organization and role where my God-given gifts and passions could better be utilized, I have found my landing place. Thanks so much for your prayers during this time of transition. I looked into more than 100 different opportunities. Since October I have given serious and prayerful consideration to three great opportunities. My first choice among those three options was with the Navs. Their application and vetting process has been slow and thorough, but it is now completed.

The Navigators was started by Dawson Trotman in 1933. Today more than 4000 staff serve in 107 countries. Our U.S. and international headquarters is at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs. Our organizational motto is “to know Christ and to make Him known”. Our mission statement reads: “To advance the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.”

Christ drew me to Himself more than 41 years ago as a freshman at The University of Texas at Austin. A few months after my conversion I got involved with the Nav work at UT. They laid the foundation for my spiritual journey and service with Christ. From 1973 to 1980 as an undergraduate student, a graduate student, and then as a recent graduate, I was actively involved with the Nav work at UT. I served as interim campus director (lay volunteer) for the UT Nav work during the 1996-1997 school year, and I served as associate staff (lay volunteer) with CDM (Church Discipleship Ministry) from 1995-2000.

God has used many different people and organizations as part of the process of helping me become more like Jesus and more effectively join with Him in His mission in the world. At the top of that list of people and organizations is The Navigators.

We are thrilled to remain in Austin, my home of 41 years. This will provide important continuity for our two children as they finish out their high school years. And I am thrilled to continue to serve local church leaders in their Great Commission efforts. For the past 13 years my vocational focus has been consulting and coaching local church leaders in the area of local and global cross-cultural outreach, with a special emphasis on church planting among least reached peoples. First as a regional director with Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment and then through Pioneers Church Partnerships Team. That passion remains unchanged. I am delighted to now be able to extend the scope of my consulting and coaching work with local church leaders into the six areas where CDM concentrates their efforts: leadership, life-to-life, mission, outreach, small groups, and spiritual maturity.

For those of you who of you who currently give to our work, we pray that you will make the transition with us to The Navigators. We will continue to depend on a team of faithful financial and prayer partners to make our work with local church leaders possible. Please continue to give through March 31 using our account with Pioneers. In April Pioneers will transfer all remaining funds in our account to our new account with The Navigators. Please begin giving through our new account with The Navigators on April 1. I will soon provide you with information about giving through The Navigators -- where to send checks, how to set up an electronic funds transfer, and other convenient giving options.

Thanks so much for your faithful partnership with us! We thank God for you. Please continue to pray for us as we make this transition. And please do contact me with any questions or concerns you may have about any of this. May God receive great glory as we move forward into this next stage of life and kingdom service.

from February 2, 2014 prayer update

This was my third consecutive year to be involved with churches in SW Kansas. I taught three Perspectives classes there in March 2012 and again in March 2013. Last weekend I had the opportunity to teach four times (Friday evening, Saturday evening, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon) at a church missions conference in a small rural church near Garden City. I also had the opportunity to share my story to the nations with the church’s Saturday morning men’s group. A story that I shared in four stages: clueless, getting started, searching for my role, and engaged.

It was a delight to interact with two 20 somethings that participated who have a heart for the nations. One wanting to serve in Nepal, the other in China.

In a world where we often believe “bigger is better”, this church is a great reminder of what God can and often does do through small churches. Sunday morning attendance at Pierceville Federated Church is under 100 (as attendance is in more than half of all churches across the U.S.). Their mission statement reads: “A great commission church with a great commandment heart”. I love it! This is a church that has a history of devoting 40% of its annual giving to missions through an annual faith promise process. How many big churches do you know that can make that claim?

Remember the story in Mark 12 of the widow who gave two copper coins. She was commended by Jesus for her generosity. First, because she gave out of her poverty. Second, because on a percentage basis, she had given more than any of the wealthy gave.

I wonder if we are sometimes inappropriately impressed by what large churches do in missions – with large professional staffs, lots of short term missions trips, lots of dollars given, a steady stream of new long-term workers for the harvest, ... Would we still be as impressed if we looked at it on a percentage basis? What are God’s expectations of a church of 100 vs. 1000 vs. 10,000?

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 seems to indicate that the master was equally pleased with the two talent servant that produced two additional talents as he was with the five talent servant that produced five additional talents. Why? Because they had the same results on a percentage basis.

John Rowell’s 1998 book, Magnify Your Vision for the Small Church, is the story of what a small Atlanta church was able to accomplish in Bosnia when they became deeply committed to the work there. God has used it to encourage many small churches to aspire for great things among the nations.

How about your church, how is it doing?
• Do your people take the great commission seriously, treating it as the marching orders for the Church, individually and collectively?
• Do they know what the Bible teaches about missions?
• Are they well informed about what God is doing among the nations?
• Are they praying strategically and fervently for the nations?
• Are they giving sacrificially for the nations?
• Are they seizing local cross-cultural opportunities with ethnic minorities, the poor, international students, and recent immigrants?
• Are they going, short-term and long-term?
• Are they focusing most of their energies on the two billion people living among people groups without access to the gospel?
• And are they doing these things in proportion to the resources that God has entrusted to your church, whether it be 100 people, 1000 people, or 10,000 people?

from January 5, 2014 prayer update

2014, a new year! Lots of new opportunities. I am not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. But I am a big believer in personal and organizational goal setting. I have some great hopes, aspirations, and goals for 2014.

The apostle Paul was a forward focused person. In Philippians 3:13-14 he says, “… forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

As I enter my 59th year, I really want to see meaningful forward progress in my character development. There are three interconnected character areas that I am looking to God to change in my life: anger, patience / extending grace to those who give offense, and critical spirit. These are engrained traits that won’t change overnight. but they can change over time and with God’s Spirit’s enablement. I am looking to God to do a deep work in my life in these areas that will be lasting and Christ honoring.

In my spiritual life I want to carry forward my 2013 goal regarding prayer. I made some progress last year, but not as much as I hoped. I am asking God for consistency and fervency, to extensively claim Biblical promises, and to meaningfully connect with Him. One of my life goals is to become a powerful intercessor. I also plan to continue my practice of reading through the entire Bible each year accompanied with some simple journaling.

Kathy and I celebrated our 30th anniversary last month. I want to see growth in our marriage in 2014. It is easy for unhelpful patterns to develop over time. Kathy and I want to develop helpful patterns that will enhance our relationship and better reflect Christ to our children and to a lost world.

This year will be a year of transition for me with my work and ministry. I will be transitioning into a new role with a new organization early this year. I am looking to God to provide a new venue for kingdom service that better fits the gifts and passions He has placed within me. I am currently praying through three good opportunities and actively engaged in application and vetting processes. I look forward to announcing what this new opportunity will be soon. Associated with this will be extensive new staff orientation and training. Cultivating lots of new relationships. And a renewed focused on fundraising (as I will need to raise several thousand dollars in new monthly support for ministry expenses, medical insurance, retirement, and organizational administrative fees). Fundraising is hard for me, so I welcome your prayers. I am continuing my graduate program in intercultural studies at Columbia International University in 2014. My spring class is titled “Acts in historical, theological, and missiological perspective”. I plan to take a class in the summer and in the fall as well. And hope to complete my graduate program in 2015.

How about you, what goals have you set for 2014? Would love to hear from you.