Navigators I:58 is advancing the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom among people who live in communities directly affected by systemic injustice. Believing in the power of presence, mission staff labor alongside local leaders in a process of whole-life discipleship seeking to renew hope, restore justice, and rebuild communities.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
-Isaiah 58:6
I:58’s name is sourced from Isaiah 58. Central to this passage is God’s heart for those who are “yoked” by “chains” of systemic injustice. In this passage God promises that if, collectively, we pursue “loosening the chains of injustice...setting the oppressed free” then hope will arise and neighborhoods and communities will be renewed. With a preference towards following local heroes, I:58 staff and local leaders, seek to love God and our communities, crossing the divides of economics and race, by pursuing justice through racial reconciliation, youth programs, business initiatives, advocacy work, re-entry, affordable housing, and more.
Our hope is that God would raise up generations of disciple-makers who renew hope, restore justice, and rebuild communities in the places and the people who society has put in the margins. Whatever form our ministry takes, the heart is the same as ever: we are passing on the living gospel of Jesus' Kingdom from one generation to the next so that Jesus can bring transformation and wholeness.
1. Passion to know, love and become like Jesus Christ.
We point to Jesus alone, offering our cultural gifts as worship while laying our cultural biases at the foot of the cross.
2. The truth and sufficiency of the Scripture for the whole of life.
We tell each other the stories of God found in the Bible trusting that the Holy Spirit will speak to us through them, both as individuals and as a community. We rely on God’s word as we wrestle with injustice, poverty, racism, and oppression so that we may cultivate godly attitudes and actions.
3. The transforming power of the Gospel.
We believe that the Gospel of Jesus and his kingdom transforms all of life. It reconciles us to God, to ourselves, to one another, to our communities, and to all of creation. As the good news spreads, the places we call home become increasingly characterized by justice, equity, and a deeper understanding of the unique way God designed each of us.
4. The leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
We make room for the mysterious and fluid influence of the Holy Spirit as we disciple one another and impact our communities.
5. Expectant faith and persevering prayer rooted in the promises of God.
We live in the tension of God’s goodness and the reality of evil and suffering, never losing sight of the hope fulfilled at kingdom come. We ground ourselves in rhythms of confession, prayer, lament, and celebration, adamantly expecting God to do a new thing in our midst.
6. The dignity and call of every person.
We see what is lovely in the God created image of every person and community, humbly listening to and honoring the stories that tell us who we are and where we have come from.
7. Love and grace expressed among us in community.
We desire to be known and loved, by God and others, accepting and embracing across our differences. We speak the truth in love, seeking not to enable, rather always desiring growth and development.
8. Families and relational networks in discipling the nations.
We collaboratively create ministry contexts that embrace the cultures of the families, communities, and relational networks of those we walk with. The work is hard, the journey is long and it calls for embedded commitment to people and place.
9. Interdependent relationships in the Body of Christ in advancing the Gospel.
We partner and submit to our neighbors and fellow believers, sharing leadership, power and resources as we grow together into wholeness. In this process, we privilege local ways of knowing and being, trusting God to unleash new movements of the Gospel.
