Workshops
Discovering God, Leaving a Legacy
Ron Bennett
Is your life unfolding as a mere narrative, or does it resonate as a divine melody? In this workshop, you will learn how to discover, compose, and share your sacred song—your spiritual legacy—as you explore the various landscapes of life and the hidden, divine presence of God that we can discover in each of them. God wants to be discovered, showing us his glory through the refracted prism of life’s landscapes. Each landscape offers us a unique look into the rainbow of colors that make up the light of his glory. He invites us to individually ‘taste and see that the Lord is… ‘, not just know about him but experience him. And then, having seen his glory, we can share our discovery with others so they, too, can experience the joy of discovery.
Speaker Bio: Ron joined the staff of The Navigators in 1970 after serving as a military intelligence officer in the US Army. He has served in various leadership roles with the Nav Collegiate and Church missions.
He authored Intentional Disciplemaking and co-authored Beginning the Walk and The Adventure of Discipling Others (NavPress). More recently, they and their Navigator staff team developed a gender-specific discipleship series, HighQuest. His latest is a trilogy entitled Rethinking Discipleship: The Quest, The Design, and The Discovery. He writes a biweekly blog called The Adventure of Discipleship (www.rbennett.net).
Enjoying Scripture Memory for a Lifetime
Sam Hershey
At the first Nav training program I attended, someone said that if you don’t enjoy a discipline, you will most likely not keep it up. To me, this is a significant premise behind Scripture Memory: removing difficulties (“speed bumps”) to find a way to enjoy it. This is personal and individual, and if issues are solved by seeking God and engaging Him for solutions, a successful pattern will emerge.
The goal of this workshop is to help everyone access their Scripture Memory and adjust what they are doing to bring greater success to their experience.
And in that pursuit, it is more important to know a smaller number of verses well for meditation and sharing than to know a greater number of verses that are unclear and frustrating to review.
Speaker Bio: Sam and his wife, Shirley, live in Vista, CA. Sam and Shirley have been married for 48 years and have three sons in heaven. They have served on The Navigators Staff for 51 years. Sam currently oversees The Navigators 2:7 Series ministry internationally. Both Sam and Shirley minister among friends and neighbors in the San Diego area.
Fourth Quarter Strategy: Making the Most fefore the Clock Hits 0:00
Dean Merrill
Speaker Bio: Dean Merrill led award-winning magazines such as Campus Life, Christian Herald, and the Focus on the Family periodicals group for 21 years before turning his attention to book creation. Among his best-seller titles are Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (with Brooklyn Tabernacle pastor Jim Cymbala), Too Small to Ignore (with Compassion International president emeritus Wess Stafford), and In the Presence of My Enemies (with Philippine missionary hostage survivor Gracia Burnham). His solo works have included such provocative books as Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Church (Finding a Better Way to Influence Our Culture) and Damage Control (How to Stop Making Jesus Look Bad). He was the general editor of Tyndale House’s popular Every Man’s Bible.
Gardening for the Kingdom and your Health
Peggy Mowry
As a certified Master Gardener and tree specialists-Peggy will talk about how she has turned her hobby of gardening into a ministry with healthy benefits.
Speaker Bio: Peggy Mowry is a former middle school teacher and a retired editor at McGraw-Hill Publishing. Besides being an experienced disciple maker, Peggy is a certified Life and Leadership Coach with The Navigators. Upon retirement from McGraw Hill, she became a certified Master Gardener. Peggy regularly speaks on the benefits and skills of gardening and draws principles and practices of discipleship from gardening at Above and Beyond Acres.
Holding the Word
Bill Mowry
The “Word Hand” is Navigator traditional resource that needs a new look for a new generation. Join us as we look at the “hand” in a fresh way and explore how current brain and learning research can enhance our experience of God through the Scriptures.
Speaker Bio: Bill Mowry is a veteran staff member with The Navigators. Bill’s primary ministry investment is helping churches grow disciple-making cultures. He has an MA from The Ohio State University with an adult education emphasis and is a published author. His books include The Ways of the Alongsider (NavPres), Walk With Me: Simple Principles for Everyday Disciplemaking (Moody Press), The Ways of the Leader: Four practices to Bring people Together and Break New Ground (NavPress), and Holding the Word: Five ways to Experience God in the Scriptures (NavPress).
Bill and Peggy live in Columbus, Ohio where they garden at their home — Above and Beyond Acres.
Hope for Hurting Parents and Grandparents
Brian and Nicky Waltmann
If you have an adolescent or adult child or grandchild who is “wayward” in some way and you are hurting emotionally, this workshop is for you. Whether you have lost your child or grandchild to unbelief, rebellion, addiction, self-harm, mental illness, LGBTQ issues, or other harmful choices, this is a place where you can connect with other staff who understand what you’re going through. We will talk about grief and loss but also look to God as our true source of hope. We pray you will come away from this workshop with some added knowledge and resources and a clear sense that You Are Not Alone.
Brian grew up in Indiana and met The Navigators as a student at Purdue. He came on staff with The Navigators in 1997 and served with the Collegiate Navs for 16 years in Indiana, Illinois, and Texas. He then joined the staff of another Christian organization and worked with them for 5 years. He rejoined the Navs in 2018 and has been serving with TDC (formerly PRT) at Headquarters since then. Brian and his wife, Nicki, were married in 1998 and have 3 grown sons. Because of their own journey, they started a support group in 2024 for Navigator staff who have “wayward” kids and grandkids.
Identity
Bill and Sue Tell
By this time we have all studied, read and taught about our identity in Christ. That is NOT what this workshop is about. Rather, we will look together at two age-appropriate issues regarding our identity.
- Six principles of living out of our identity at our age.
- Living out of the unique identity we have as elders.
Lessons from Legos…For you AND your Grandchildren
Bob Ewell
I’ve just built a replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral…out of Legos! 4,383 pieces. Maybe you’ve helped your grandchildren build a Lego project. If so, you know that discipline and perseverance are required…and there are other lessons as well for life, discipleship, and ministry. Let’s explore these together, and there will even be a bit of hands-on to familiarize everyone with the Legos-building process.
Dr. Bob Ewell lives in Monument with June, his wife of 56+ years. They have four children and eight grandchildren. Bob, around The Navigators since 1967, had a 20-year career in the Air Force, and has been on staff since 2001, serving with Navigator Church Ministries and now Encore. He has written five books including Everyone on the Wall! and That’s Not Church! and Other Essays about Disciplemaking in the Local Church.
Leveraging our Influence as Grandparents
Mary Bennett
In this workshop, we will explore fundamental principles and practical strategies for intentionally becoming salt and light to our grandchildren. Just as Paul commended Timothy’s grandmother and mother for their godly influence, we, too, have the opportunity to shape the lives of our grandchildren in a culture that increasingly denies the biblical worldview. We will explore ways to influence and guide our grandchildren to follow the Lord within the context of our modern culture.
Speaker Bio: Mary Bennett is a wife, mother of four children, and grandmother of nine grandchildren. Mary’s love for God’s Word and heart for discipleship began in college through the ministry of The Navigators. She and her husband joined the Navigator staff in 1970, where she continued discipling women on campuses, in the marketplace, and churches.
She has a background in secondary education and worked as a paraprofessional assisting children with autism in public schools. Mary is passionate about helping mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers raise children in a culture that often rejects biblical values.
Mary has authored a Bible study called Fire-resistant Parenting and coauthored Beginning the Walk (NavPress).
Seniors Ministering in a Sexually Sorry Society
John Purvis
What are the unique mental, emotional, physical and rational challenges facing seniors? How can we discern if we have the capacity to take on specialized ministry which has a high demand? What are ways to check, filter, and control, content on electronic devices? What are the best resources available to use in ministering to sexual strugglers? When do we pass the baton to professional help with a defeated struggler?
Speaker Bio: John began ministry to youth in1960. He joined Nav staff in 1970, ministering at Univ. of Ill, Mankato State, Univ. of Wis. and Wheaton college. He has served on national teams of Fundamentals of the Ministry, Scriptural Roots of Ministry, Peoples Resources, and National Leadership Development. CoMission and SHAW (Sexual Health and Wholeness), making him well-qualified to speak to this issue.
