Discipleship is a term tossed around in Christian circles, but what does it mean? Discipleship is the process of following Jesus, becoming more like Him, and helping others do the same.

To clarify, a disciple is someone who is a follower of Jesus. People who participate in discipleship or as we call them, disciplemakers, help others know Jesus so they can, too, become disciples and disciplemakers.

Disciplemakers have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The first mark of a disciplemaker is someone who has developed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This involves accepting Him as your Lord and Savior and committing your life to Him. There are many ways to learn about Jesus, The Navigators even offer ways to connect and learn about faith. Your story coming to faith matters as a discipleship because it becomes the testimony you share with the people you disciple. It can become one avenue for sharing the gospel.

Sharing the gospel can take many forms. It can involve personal conversations, sharing your testimony, or inviting others to church. At The Navigators, we use a life-to-life discipleship model. We invest in personal relationships by equipping discipleships with resources. Our field staff go after the one and share life together. This includes conversations, meetings at events, or even in the workplace. We’ve even had staff disciple people at comic book shops and in unreached places worldwide! The possibilities are endless!

Disciplemaker help build a foundation.

Once someone has accepted Christ as their Savior, disciplemakers help them build a foundation in their faith. At The Navigators, we provide resources for new believers to help them continue to discover how Jesus is working in their life. Resources like our CORE courses, or Topical Memory System for memorizing Bible verses, or the Wheel illustration and so much more. We know that becoming a Christian is a big step, and we don’t want new believers to feel like they are left hanging. 

Disciplemakers start a chain reaction.

Disciplemaking can repeat from one person to the next, starting a chain reaction. This is the beauty of life-to-life discipleship. Once one person develops a disciple, then that new disciple can disciple another, and on and on. This model is how The Navigators have operated for over 90 years!

It started with the founder of The Navigators, Dawson Trotman. He discipled naval soldiers and after one soldier came to faith in Jesus he wanted to introduce his comrades to Dawson so they could also learn. But Dawson saw how this soldier could use his experience and disciple those men himself. From 1933 and on, this chain reaction has continued. 

Becoming a disciplemaker.

Any follower of Christ can become a disciplemaker. In fact as followers of Christ it’s part of our duty to help others learn about Jesus. At The Navigators we empower and equip disciplemakers with resources, trainings and more. But it’s not necessary to become a disciplemaker. You can start by investing in one person and teaching them what you’ve learned. If you’re interested in forming a personal ministry of your own and discipling full-time or part-time, then joining staff with The Navigators may be for you.

If you are looking for a way to get plugged in and discipled, we can help connect you with a local staff member or through a digital avenue.

Whether you choose to disciple with help from an organization like The Navigators or another way, we hope you better understand what discipleship is and how it is an essential part of spreading the Gospel. 

Each day someone grows closer to Christ because of a Navigator. 

We often think we must have the proper education, experience, or background for a job. But what if being a Christ follower qualified you as a full-time disciplemaker?

At The Navigators, we see the various aspects of our faith communities, like church, small groups, and ministries, as essential pieces to the body of Christ. We also see how a grassroots movement of one-on-one relationships could impact the kingdom and start a chain reaction that continues for generations. 

Did someone walk alongside you and share the gospel with you? Did they teach you about the Bible? How to pray? To help you when life got tough? You may have discovered the message of Jesus on your own, but what if you had someone to guide you? What if this person was navigating life just like you? 

We believe God can use the everyday disciplemaker to impact lives. 

The Bible highlights the power of ordinary people. Jesus picked fishermen (Mark 1:14–15), tax collectors (Matthew 9:9-13), and nay-sayers (Acts 9), to begin his ministry. He asked them to follow him, and their lives changed forever. Do you have a similar story?

It’s a story many Christ followers know well. But it doesn’t end quite there. These disciples of Jesus shared what they had discovered and spread the good news worldwide. 

Think about it. You know Christ because of Jesus and his initial disciple’s efforts. Since then, disciples have continued to pass on the Good News for generations, and you could be part of an ongoing generational impact of disciples. 

Isn’t that mind-blowing? 

Our society considers education, background, and experiences as the validity of our works and ideas. But Jesus wants to use the education, knowledge, and experience you already have to meet people where they are. The Navigators have over 90 years of experience supporting everyday disciplemakers, and we are ready to partner with and help you in your ministry calling. Jumping into full-time ministry is a possibility for anyone because of the prayerful planning and work of The Navigators. 

What if you were that Navigator who brought someone closer to Christ today? 

Your personal ministry could impact someone’s life today and in future generations. If you struggle to feel like you can minister in your current context and would like to invest in life-to-life ministry opportunities, then full-time ministry may be for you. If you want to learn more about joining staff with the Navigators, visit: https://joinstaff.navigators.org/ or fill out an interest form here.

We are looking for passionate Jesus followers to join our staff who initiate and invite people into relationships, sow seeds of the Gospel, and encourage faithful steps of obedience. If you wonder, “Could this kind of ministry be my job?” we’d love to explore that with you.

The journey to joining staff includes three phases: 

Phase 1: Explore

Phase 2: Interview

Phase 3: Launch

Below is a brief summary of the journey.

Phase 1: Explore

Get Started

The first step to considering joining staff is to submit a staff interest form found at joinstaff.navigators.org. This form is for people considering serving as field staff who raise personal financial support to provide for their salary and benefits.

If you are more interested in a ministry support role with a traditional salary, consider the opportunities within our U.S. headquarters and business missions. 

Explore

After submitting your staff interest form, we recommend exploring our resources in the Helpful Articles section of this site. You can also head over to navigators.org to review our mission and values. 

During this time, a team member may contact you to learn more about your heart and calling. 

Apply

Ready to apply? Visit joinstaff.navigators.org/apply to submit your Field Staff Application. This step sends you into the next phase in the journey. 

In most cases, we’d recommend submitting a staff interest form before a formal application. That way, it allows you to explore and ask questions. It will enable us to get to know you as well. 

Phase 2: Interview

Interview

After receiving your application, our team may coordinate a relational interview with you. Our team will ask about your motivations and passions for becoming a Navigator. 

Discernment

Next, we’ll work with national and local Navigator leaders to discern potential opportunities. We will look within The Navigators for a role aligning with your passions and calling.

Acceptance

You’ll receive a personalized offer to serve with the Navigators if it’s a good fit. The letter will include a job description and a fundraising budget.

Phase 3: Launch

Fundraising

Once accepted, we put our new field staff on the fast track to fundraising with training and support from The Navigators Ministry Partner Development Team. 

Orientation

Joining the Navigators is different from the typical workplace. We offer excellent tools, resources, and events to support a disciplemaking ministry. All new staff attend a virtual New Field Staff Onboarding, where they learn the ins and outs of being a Navigator employee. 

Training

We also offer self-paced Navigator Core Training, which walks through the “Five Traits of a Disciplemaker” and Navigator 101. All Navigators should understand where we come from to help us get where God wants us next. 

Conference

We invite all new field staff to come together at the New Field Staff Conference. It’s an opportunity to gain inspiration and encouragement at our Glen Eyrie property while building relationships with new staff and Navigator leaders.

We hope outlining our process helps you understand where you are in your journey. It honors us to know that you would consider joining our disciplemaking movement! We can’t wait to see how God uses your life and experiences!

Do you have more questions? Feel free to contact us below or submit a Staff Interest form to get started.

Grasping the idea of discipleship can be challenging in today’s context. 

In the Bible, the disciples were with Jesus and followed him wherever he went. The apostles carried what they learned worldwide, teaching and encouraging new believers. We only know a little about what their lives practically looked like. 

So, what does being a disciplemaker look like today? 

We sat down with Stowe Campbell, currently in New Zealand, working as a Navigator field staff member, to ask him what a day in his life looks like as a full-time disciplemaker. 

On an average weekday, Stowe wakes up early and heads to the gym. He lives near the university’s campus, where he disciples students and can visit its recreation center. He says he does cardio and runs most days but hits weights a few times weekly. 

After working out, he heads home, gets cleaned up, and checks his email. “The Navigators is a crazy high relationship organization,” says Stowe, “Email is how I stay on top of what’s going on in the organization.” He eats the same dry muesli breakfast every morning. “I like to eat it dry since I’m allergic to dairy, and everyone thinks I am crazy. I just like it.” 

Then, he prays and reads his Bible. 

Monday

On Monday mornings, for two hours, he teaches his staff. They are going through each line in the Old Testament and recently finished Judges. 

“Their eyes were so big when we finished Judges because of how messed up it was back then. But I love the Old Testament. I am an Old Testament guy.”

After Bible study with his staff on Mondays, he may meet with a staff member to check in with them over lunch. This way, he can care for his staff well and ensure their needs are heard or met. He says, “I eat Indian twice a week. I didn’t start eating curries until I moved to New Zealand. And I love food.” 

Then, he will check in with another staff member after that. 

By late afternoon, Stowe jumps back into admin work or digs into personal study. In the spring semester, he leads a men’s discipleship group on Monday nights, but right now, he has Monday evenings pretty free. 

Tuesday

On Tuesday mornings, he leads his staff meeting. During this meeting, it’s a staff roundup, and they discuss the group Bible study that will happen later that evening. His wife also helps lead the Bible study student leaders, and he says, “My wife and I work as a team.” 

After the staff meeting, he often schedules lunch and one-on-one time with students. Since his ministry focuses on University students, he ensures his schedule is flexible. He tries to schedule each meeting back-to-back so he can meet with as many students as possible.

When the Bible study time rolls around in the evening, Stowe helps his team prep the meal and leads the lesson. When it’s time to split into groups, Stowe will leave the Bible study, go home next door, eat dinner with his family, and then return to wrap up the lesson. He says the students share more when they are in smaller groups, and since he leads the studies, his presence can sometimes dampen the freedom students feel when sharing their opinions. 

Throughout the rest of the week, Stowe meets with students, staff members, and tag-teams other tasks and ministry needs with his wife. 

Finally, on Friday mornings, he oversees an online Bible class for two hours in addition to teaching his staff similar content beforehand.

Weekends

Many Navigators spend time on the weekends ministering to people, but Stowe says that in New Zealand, the weekend is reserved for errands and sports. His sons play rugby, basketball, and field hockey, and their games always happen on a Saturday. During weekends, he also enjoys hiking with his family and getting outside. 

On Sunday, his family attends a church where they are actively involved. Stowe helps introduce worship songs every couple of weeks and leads communion and confession.

What he enjoys the most

Out of all the activities Stowe does in a week, he enjoys developing his staff and helping them read the Bible the most. Often, he thinks new staff feel like they have to be finished products by the time they join The Navigators. Yet, he believes that every person is a constant work in progress, and he says, “All I care about is if my staff members are trending in the right direction and that they have the right motivations.”

Stowe is just one Navigator among thousands, and his day can look completely different from one Navigator to another. Hopefully, taking a glimpse into his life will help you learn how discipleship could look in your life.