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Missions At Your Doorstep Dinner

Brian — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:00:30 +0000

On August 15th the Couples with Young Children Community Group at Fellowship Church will host the Missions At Your Doorstep dinner. This dinner will be held from 6:00 - 7:30 and is being planned as a way to unleash the full potential of our faith community towards international students outreach for the coming year. Come and hear testimonies of how God is working in this ministry. We will conclude with a time of prayer for the nations who have come to study here in Knoxville.

Invitations are being mailed to those who live in the Knoxville area and are currently on our ministry mailing list. However, the dinner is open to all who are interested. If you wish to attend, please rsvp by sending an e-mail to brian@utnav.org

Over 80 languages spoken in Knoxville

Brian — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:45:20 +0000

I recently learned that over 80 languages are spoken in Knoxville. That’s amazing. It doesn’t sound like it could be true, but then I thought I’d make a list of the different countries from which I have met people in the past 10 years. Here goes: Since 1998 I have met people from

From Asia: China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka,Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, The Philippines, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia

From Africa: Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, The Gambia, Senegal, Ghana, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, , Gabon, Cameroon, Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Congo, Zaire, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt

From Europe: Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Bosnia, Croatia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Macedonia, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, The Netherlands, The United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Turkey,

From North and South America: Haiti, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Canada.

That’s amazing! God is so good. Such a mission field exists here. Each one of these future world leaders who comes to know Christ and who is equipped and trained in discipleship, will be a missionary ready to be sent to the ends of the earth. Now that is something to be excited about!

March Prayer Update

Brian — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:16:29 +0000

February was an amazing month! First of all, Sarah and I were blessed to connect with and share about our ministry with many people during Missions Week at Fellowship. As member of the church prayed for international students, for us and for this ministry, we were strengthened and encouraged. Specifically, we shared during the 24-hour missions prayer, Cheers, and CYC. Thanks so much to those who prayed and fasted during the 24-hour prayer. As we visited the Cheers community group, we were amazed at the peace manifest in that community! It was so comforting to be able to update our home group, CYC on our ministry. Finally, we co-facilitated a workshop on cross-cultural ministry called “Lost in Translation.” While not specifically about our ministry, we brought in one of the students in our ministry to share with the class. Each of these experiences presented opportunities to make new contacts and to invite more people to participate in outreach to internationals in this community. We are so grateful to those who opened doors for us and welcomed us to share. I also had the opportunity to help host a group of future leaders of Brazil during the month of February. A brief video snapshot of their time in Knoxville can be viewed on You Tube by searching for “Student Leaders Brazil” – They really enjoyed learning to sing “Rocky Top.” Please join us in praying for the following this month:

Praise God for his continued financial provision. Each month additional partners are joining us and we are getting closer to full funding. We currently need to raise an additional $1600 monthly
Pray that God will put a desire to know Him intimately in the heart of my friends Vic, Xinan, Xiaojun, Min, Omid, Mahdy and Faete.
Please pray for my Nigerian friend, who is experiencing nagging problems with his car and for him to get over a hurdle with his immigration paperwork so that he can continue his studies.
I am hosting a Bible study on Tuesday evenings for men. Please pray for 2 or 3 additional students to join us who want to learn from the Bible.
Pray for Sarah and I as we balance family, ministry, part-time job and church commitments.

A final note of praise. I have a Chinese friend who is a new believer that I meet with each week. In spite of his struggles with a relationship and his learning of several troubling things about American culture (in contrast to his all positive experiences initially), he told me that he learned something wonderful about God during the past two weeks. He said, “Though many people may not see it, the Bible is a book of love AND it is powerful.” He reminded me that I had shown him Hebrews 4:12 a few weeks ago. “That verse is so true!” he said. Praise God!

How we do ministry

Brian — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:01:10 +0000

Sometimes when we look at ministry, we think in terms of programs, numbers of participants, baptisms, etc. When I was first introduced to the Navigators, I had many questions centered on these issues. Mainly, I wanted to have a clear understanding of the impact of the Navigators. I’ve since come to find out that the Navigators have a very distinct approach. This is best understood by looking at the Navigators vision, values and distinctives that I have included below. It is because of this approach to ministry that we say we are “changing the world, one leader at a time.”It really is one life at a time. The gospels show us that Jesus did this with Peter, James, John and the other disciples. Paul did it with Timothy and Mark. By God’s grace we aspire to see this happen in our relationships with the international students to whom the Lord introduces us.

OUR VISION

To advance the gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom into the nations, through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling among the lost.

OUR DISTINCTIVES

Our desire is not only to reach the international students on campus. We want to see the gospel move among the millions of people represented by the families and relational networks in the nations from which these students come.

We begin with the internationals’ home cultures in mind. What will be reproducible in their country? What can they do given their resources?

We do this through building relationships with individuals and their family and friends. Along the way, we enable internationals to minister and lead, and we help them develop their God-given gifts.

We value internationals becoming laborers in the marketplace, building generations of ministries in their own sphere of family and friends.

Our Values

The passion to know, love, and become like Jesus Christ.
The truth and sufficiency of the Scriptures for the whole of life.
The transforming power of the Gospel.
The leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Expectant faith and persevering prayer rooted in the promises of God.
The dignity and value of every person.
Love and grace expressed among us in community.
Families and relational networks in discipling the nations.
Interdependent relationships in the Body of Christ in advancing the Gospel.

Ministering With Us

Brian — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:03:12 +0000

Do you want to be more involved in ISM? There are three primary ways that everyone can be involved. If you have time available, consider reaching out to an international student in relationship. You can sign up to be a part of our International Friendship Partner program this January or you can be involved in other ways. For example, we currently have a student who moved from a furnished apartment to an unfurnished apartment. He has no furniture and is looking to buy used furniture. If you would like to sell a sofa, kitchen table and chairs or bed to this student, please contact me. Also, we might need a pick-up truck to deliver these items to the student. In addition, I sometimes have requests from UT for temporary housing for students (less than one week), airport pick-ups or help with student trips. If you have an interest let me know and I can help you get you in touch with the correct contacts at UT.

If you don’t have time, but have a burden to make an impact in this ministry, please consider giving financially. We are responsible to raise 100% of our annual budget and we do not have the time required to minister in this way without the support of our ministry partners. If God moves you to store up treasures in heaven as Jesus exhorted us in Matthew 6:20, then I encouraged you to pray, asking God whether you should partner with us financially.
Finally, we are dependent on our prayer partners. Some have been gifted with a passion for prayer. We want you to lift up this ministry, that God may bless the students, staff and ministry partners. Please pray for us in the spirit of Colossians 1:11-13. We know that God hears your prayer.