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To advance the Gospel of Jesus and his kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of labourers living and discipling among the lost

Student outreach ministry

Student discipleship

Students are being reached with the gospel and discipled in Auckland University, Massey University and Canterbury University.

Students (an article in ‘People to People’ the in-house magazine of The Navigators of New Zealand.)

If Jesus stepped onto one of our university campuses today we would probably find him among students who didn’t yet know God and who had an interest in finding him—in the cafes and university lounges, talking about life and faith. The believers who might hang around with Jesus would be involved with him in his mission.

This picture inspires those of us working with students. We look for ways to be among mainstream students ourselves by taking radical steps to live among them or close to them.

In mid-December 1999 Simon and Juliet Cayzer took up the Warden’s position at Fergusson Hall next to Massey university. Students look to the wardens to talk about their concerns and life issues.

Student leadership

Often students themselves are the best ones to reach other students with the gospel.

Taking this to heart has led Canterbury university students to play indoor netball and soccer with their non-Christian friends. A number of the Canterbury students have been flatting with their non-Christian friends, which has made following Jesus far more visible. At Massey this year one of the students invited his classmates to read the Bible with him. Three people said yes, spending much of this year reading through the book of John.

Making Jesus and the gospel more visible and accessible to students has led us to look for ways to serve students. One of our fourth-year students at Massey suggested academic study groups for hostel students. So we did. We looked at issues like how to take notes in lectures, write essays, do maths problems, study for exams, handle stress and take exams. We had a ball and really helped some students along the way. At the end of the year we gave a Navigator Exam Survival Pack to eachstudent. It included Moro bars, home baking and a copy of The Message of Hope, by Eugene Petersen.

Just as Jesus looked for people to join him in his mission, we look for students with a heart to follow Jesus among their peers who don’t yet know God. For these students we do all we can to help them better know God and live distinctly amongst their non Christian friends.