By Chad and Kathleen Selje, Co-National Campus Directors, Navigators Canada
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” —Isaiah 43:18
On a September evening in Ottawa, more than 80 students crowded into the backyard of our National Director for a fall launch barbecue. At the University of British Columbia (UBC), over 100 packed into the first Nav Night of the semester. In Calgary, the campus team was stunned when more than 70 students arrived for their welcome barbecue—the largest in memory.
Across Canada, Navigators are asking the same question: What is happening?
The answer is simple and humbling. God is moving in new ways on campus, drawing students to Himself with spiritual hunger not seen in many years.
A Wave of Interest and Initiative
At UBC, momentum is undeniable. Twenty-seven students are serving in leadership roles this fall with an unprecedented level of ownership and vision. Students are not just showing up; they are taking initiative. At a recent ice cream social in the university’s famous Rose Garden, young leaders connected with freshmen, invited them to Bible studies, and spread the word about the upcoming fall retreat. One student-athlete shared how he had taken a year before university to attend a discipleship school, and now hopes to invite his teammates to study God’s Word with him. A dozen engineering students wandered in after a club meeting looking for ice cream, but many stayed for over an hour, drawn by the warmth of the community.
This eagerness is not limited to Vancouver. At the University of Calgary, staff and interns marveled at the enthusiasm of newcomers. “We were blown away by over 70 people who came out,” wrote Campus Director Rick McCallum. “Lots of keen new guys showed up. Dietrich Riegle recruited nine first-year guys to his Bible study. Not a scrap of food was left.”
Two years ago, Canadian students gave our national internship program a name: Wave. The metaphor has only grown more fitting. God’s Spirit is moving across campuses like a wave—rising, cresting, and carrying with it a generation eager to follow Christ and help others do the same.
The Fruit of Faithful Investment
The growth we now see did not appear overnight. For the past two years, staff and students alike have sown faithfully, discipling new believers, strengthening conviction in Scripture, and cultivating vision for people. This fall, that groundwork is bearing fruit.
One shining example came through UBC’s “First-Years at 5,” a simple dinner and games event created to welcome freshmen. Around one table, a first-year student answered an icebreaker by sharing that his greatest hope for the year was to grow in prayer and evangelism. Such hunger is not manufactured by clever programming—it is the Spirit of God stirring hearts.
As encouraging as the numbers are, Navigators in Canada are committed to the deeper work. The goal is not merely to gather crowds, but to invest in lives—to help students know Christ, make Him known, and help others do the same.
Basecamp: Streams in the Wilderness
Nowhere was this wave of God’s Spirit more visible than at Basecamp, the national student conference held each May. Attendance more than doubled in just two years, with 124 students from 13 campuses gathering in 2024.
The investment required was significant. One campus rented a charter bus, while others raised funds to fly students in from five provinces. But the fruit was worth it. In post-conference surveys, 100% of attendees said they would recommend Basecamp to a friend.
Yet the numbers tell only part of the story. The depth of student engagement was striking. Over 50 students voluntarily attended a 7:45 a.m. prayer gathering for the nations after long days of teaching and late nights with friends. Others surrendered hidden sin, embraced fresh disciplines of time with God, or caught a first-time vision for life-to-life discipleship.
“I sensed God saying: ‘Come back to Me,’” one student shared. Another reflected, “I saw how God works through honest, vulnerable community.”
The hunger for God, coupled with the joy of genuine relationships, is shaping a generation of kingdom workers.
Raising Up Workers for the Harvest
The Wave Internship program continues to play a central role in what God is doing in Canada. This fall, Wave interns began serving on campuses in Calgary, Ottawa, and even New Zealand. Their presence has infused ministries with energy and capacity, allowing more students to be reached and discipled.
At Basecamp, a Wave Internship Preview session drew remarkable interest. For the first time, current interns helped lead the event, sharing their own stories of growth and impact. Sixty-three percent of surveyed students indicated a strong interest in applying for Wave—far surpassing previous years.
As Jesus said in Matthew 9:37–38, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” In Canada, the harvest is indeed plentiful. Through Wave, God is raising up laborers to meet the need.
Community that Transforms
Ask Canadian students what stands out most about The Navigators, and their answers are remarkably consistent: relationships. Whether peer friendships, discipleship connections, or the bonds between staff and students, it is in the context of authentic community that transformation happens.
Students do not want surface-level “show up at meetings” community. They long for real connection, honest discipleship, and shared mission. This is what Navigators staff and student leaders are offering—and what God is blessing.
A New Thing
In Isaiah 43:19, God declares, “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Canadian universities can feel like spiritual wildernesses, yet in these very places God is bringing streams of life through His Spirit.
We, along with our staff, interns, and students across the country, are in awe of what He is doing. Our team sees new students arriving hungry for truth, leaders stepping forward with fresh courage, and communities forming around the Gospel. Truly, He is doing a new thing.
The Wave is coming—and it is already here.
