The Navigators and Other Things That Are Not the Church

I find myself increasingly suspicious of movements. Let me explain.

I am a church man, and the further I go, the more of a church man I become. And when I say church man, I mean exactly that, a man of the church, the local church that is.

I love the local church.

I cherish the local church. I esteem the local church, and it is the local church that I serve.

The Bible assumes local church membership/headship. The local church ought to be the venue to enable the believer to discover his gifts and his call and then to empower him to walk in that gifting and call.

• Jesus is building His church. (Matthew 16:18)

• God brought together Jews and Gentiles into one new man, the church! (Ephesians 2:15)

• The church is the temple of God. (Ephesians 2:21)

• The church is growing into maturity, into the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)

• The church is the bride of Christ and one day, Jesus will come again to claim His bride.

• The local church is the hands and feet of Christ in the local community.

I guess that’s not enough.

The Navigators is not the church.

For some reason, the Lord has placed several Navigators in my life, several men who have previously been a part of The Navigators ministry. Per their reports, The Navigators consumed their spiritual life with a rigorous discipleship program focused upon the practice of the spiritual disciplines.

Anecdotally, one of the men was a Navigator for the better part of 30 years and has never been a member of a local church!

Intrigued, I checked out their website and found a repeated focus on what they call “Life-to-life discipleship.” Yep, it’s a—checks notes—movement. The word discipleship is littered across the home page, and as they tout, “All you need is just what God has given you—your gifts, heart and relationship with Him,” but not the church evidently.

“We do this on college campuses, military bases, workplaces, inner cities, local communities and hard-to-reach places.” Still no mention of the church.

Finally, among several ministries listed, further down the page, I found an icon to “The Church”, their ministry to the church or the Navigators Church Ministry (NCM) as it’s called. Success! There it is, the church!

However, clicking on the link, it was clear that the NCM was to help the church, that the Navigators would partner with the church, not be subject to the church. “Navigators Church Ministries helps pastors and churches transition to Jesus-style disciplemaking.” Apparently, the Navigators have cracked the code on discipleship and desire to guide and help pastors. No snarkiness intended here, it’s what is clearly stated.

Finally, I examined the Navigators Ministry Impact Report 2025 and you guessed it, not a single mention of the church.

Hear me say this, I am not demonizing the Navigators. I am not demonizing earnest Christians seeking to walk in discipleship. What I am demonizing is the relegation of the church to an ancillary or even competing organization or idea.

The Navigators is not the church.

The chapel is not the church.

We live in a military town. I served 22 years in the military, and I have attended many chapel services. I’ve served with some amazing chaplains, great men of God. I’ve served with some chaplains who well, not so much, and everywhere in between.

As the chapel is not the church, the chaplain is not your pastor.

The chaplain is not going to issue a rebuke and enact church discipline if you stray. You can disappear from the chapel, be completely anonymous—and yes, I realize you can do that in many churches today—and no one will notice your absence. There is no check on doctrine or the doctrinal stance of the chapel or the chaplain.

Any chaplain worth his salt would agree, the chapel is not the church.

In-line with being a church man, I’ve become an ordinary means man.

The ordinary means of grace are the singular recipe given in Scripture to guide the believer in being conformed into the image of Christ. Thus, we behold the glory of God through the Ministry of the Word, the Fellowship of the Body, and the Administration of the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion). In doing this, we see the glory of God as in a mirror, and we are transformed, degree by degree—from glory to glory—into the image of God. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Yes, God can and does sometimes make dramatic and immediate transformations in us. Yet, often, it is the ordinary means of grace, practiced week in week out, over time, that effectively changes us. And as we are changed into Christ’s image, our actions naturally follow suit.

Thus, absent the Fellowship of the Body, that is, the church, I will never become what God would have me be. I’ll never have all that God has for me. I’ll never know or see all that God desires I know and see. The church is absolutely essential for my spiritual development.

There are so many well-meaning—at least I believe they are well-meaning—competitors that have arisen, various movements and organizations, para-church ministries, missionary alliances etc.

None of these are the church.

In line with this, the Officer Christian Fellowship (OCF) is not the church.

Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) is not the church.

Your Christian Motorcycle Alliance (CMA) is not the church.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is not the church.

Young life, Youth for Christ (YFC), and Youth with a Mission (YWAM) are not the church.

No Place Left (NPL) is not the church.

No Place Left (Army) is not the church.

Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) is not the church.

Here’s one, your on-line celebrity pastor and your live-streamed worship service is not the church.

Whatever the latest Christian “movement” is, it’s not the church. Now, find you a local church that preaches the Gospel and jump in with both feet.