ChristianWeek

WINNIPEG, MB—Roger Berrington believes that God has a place on Canadian university campuses even though the sub-culture of Christendom is largely unwelcome. “The post-Christian culture is our milieu,” says the national campus director for the Navigators of Canada.

But the challenges of living effectively in a place where political correctness and hedonism run rampant have not dimmed his enthusiasm. “I am passionate about experiencing and communicating the gospel in non-religious ways,” he says. And he bases this passion on a firm commitment to continuously study the life and teachings of Jesus.

Berrington, who’s been interacting with students at the University of Manitoba for 20 years, currently carries two major sets of responsibilities. “I still have a lot of grassroots ministry involvement locally,” he says. “In the last couple of years I’ve been helping develop the university aspect of the Navigator work. We have a presence on almost 25 campuses. My role is to oversee that and help shape it along more ‘missional’ lines.”

The language of “missional” reflectsan evolution in the Navigators’ way of ministry. Traditionally known as a discipleship-oriented parachurch ministry, the Navigator identity was becoming wrapped up in some of the forms, rather than the principles. It was known as quiet time, Bible study or Scripture memory.

Live purposefully

“Beneath that is the idea to walk with God well, to live well and be redemptive in the conduct of our life. We want our young students and emerging leaders to live purposefully among the lost as insiders, connecting with people wherever God has providentially placed them,” says Berrington.

“They will be people who care deeply about their communities and spheres of influence; people who are with the lost and hurting and can identify with them; people who make a meaningful difference both now and in eternity.

“We want them to experience, live out and proclaim the gospel with strong social compassion, being challenged to have a greater perspective as to their work in the world for the Kingdom.”

Berrington earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba (Physical Education and Recreation Studies) in the mid-1980s. About seven years ago he completed an MA in student development from Providence Seminary in Otterburne, Manitoba.

This formal education is useful, he says. “At a fundamental level, people want to learn. They want to improve; to make a difference; to become people of purpose. Education is needed and wanted.

“What kind of education is another question,” he adds. “Our idea of ‘education’ needs to be broader than it is. The classroom is effective for many. But we need other models, other methods. We need more opportunities to break it down from 40 in a room to one-on-one. We could use more small groups that are more mobile, more flexible.”

Berrington describes his own seminary training as “fun and intellectually stimulating.” But, he adds, “there’s something about learning on the job that is fundamental. The very idea of mentors and apprenticeships is to be alongside.”

So, what is another good model for training Christian leaders? Berrington is addressing this need by overseeing the development of the Navigators’ “Lead from Within” two-week leadership development program that hosted its first class of 20 in Ottawa last May.

The program involved a classroom schedule punctuated with adventures around Ottawa. These included time on Parliament Hill as well as volunteering with some of the city’s down-and-out. Students spent a day with the homeless in order to learn to more deeply understand, engage and pray for Canadian communities with significant socio-economic challenges.

At the core of the experience, says Berrington, is an effort to explain what a local believer looks like. “We want to help people learn to lead from within a vibrant walk with Christ. The inside life makes us authentic, full of life and able to influence.

Starting point

“The starting point for leadership is a deep, personal commitment to the ongoing cultivation of one’s devotion to and relationship with God. Not just because it helps me lead better, but because this is my own calling in life—whether or not I exercise leadership,” says Berrington.

“The second part,” he adds, “is living and leading from within a particular cultural setting. Rather than being outsiders who preach at a campus, we need to be incarnational. We need to pitch our tent lovingly in our context. God gives us families, neighbors and colleagues. Some of us choose to spend more time around people outside the faith rather than bury ourselves in the Christian subculture.”

A key statement in the Navigator’s vision for Canada calls for an “integrated faith-filled and faith-fulfilled movement of leaders and labourers who are advancing into every sector of Canadian society and to the nations.” This grand theme of helping Christians to become more engaged with God and neighbour is pivotal.

For his part, Berrington wants to see “a movement of people and communities really living among lost people, not drawn completely into the subculture of Christendom. In earlier years, he aimed to develop more evangelistic, apostolic-type Christians like Paul.

But his recent study of New Testament scriptures reveals a different emphasis. “They are full of instructions to be good people, to mind your own business, to shut up, to live a good life. God packages us in a lot of ways and backgrounds. Our [Navigator] calling now aims to understand this reality,” he says.

Too often, he adds, Christians are hung up on the need to measure and determine value on results. “I’m called to live a good life among my neighbours. We need good people who represent Christ well. We can’t underestimate the impact of a good life.”

What will it take to establish a positive Christian witness in post-Christian Canada? “Let God do his stuff. Get out of the way. Stop trying to control everything.”