If we don’t reach out to “problematic” people, are we making a statement that our Gospel can only reach a certain type of person? In this episode, Mutua Mahiaini (International President of the Navigators) and Eddie Broussard (International Vice President) continue their discussion from Part 1 about hard lessons the International Executive Team is currently learning about reaching out to the poor, vulnerable and broken. They share another story of a team member in North America who is discipling a prisoner. They issue powerful scriptural challenges to care for people the way Jesus does and to learn from them at the same time. Mutua concludes that ministry to the poor showcases the transforming power of the Gospel.
Messy Ministry to the Broken, part 1
If the greatest fruit you see in your discipleship relationship is that the disciple starts to tell less lies, but then she turns back to drugs and gets arrested… how do you evaluate that? In this episode, Mutua Mahiaini (International President of the Navigators) and Eddie Broussard (International Vice President) get down to the nitty-gritty of reaching out to the poor, vulnerable and broken. They tell colorful stories of two IET members’ personal connections to people in need. One is in North America and one is in Asia, but both stories are roller coaster rides of people stepping out of their comfort zones to find perceived successes and failures. Mutua uses the stories to illustrate a poignant question: Are we motivated to do this type of ministry so we can tell positive stories, or because of the heart of God?
Mutua and Eddie also discuss the IET’s convictions about ministry to the vulnerable and broken, from the historic Money and the Navigators working groups to the inclusion of the word “everywhere” in the vision statement. They highlight the conclusion that the issues of stewardship and ministry to the poor are close to God’s heart and therefore our obedience is a lordship issue.
