ou may have heard the Navigators’ calling statement, “To advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom through spiritual generations of laborers living and discipling amongst the lost.” A “laborer” is a disciple of Jesus actively involved in the process of evangelizing to the unsaved and helping the saved deepen in their relationship with Jesus. Guy Madison is a laborer here in Oklahoma City, and for the last 15 years, he has felt called into ministry as a full-time “marketplace” laborer, sharing Christ and recruiting disciples through the natural connections he has with people through his business.
In Fall 2018, while owning and working full time at his business, Guy took on a leadership role within the Navigators as the leader of the Navigators Workplace ministry here in Oklahoma City. Since taking on this role, Guy Madison has seen God mightily grow his awareness of what it truly looks like to daily labor in God’s kingdom. One of the ways Guy shares Christ and ministers to others is through following Jesus’ life example, serving his customers with honesty and integrity while endeavoring to glorify and honor God in all he does. He lovingly responds to others in their anger, frustration, and use of colorful language, instead of rebuke or retaliation. This response has caused coworkers and customers alike to inquire as to what makes him different, opening the door for spiritual discussion. As a workplace laborer, Guy can sit across the table from another working person at lunch and instantly relate as someone who also has bills to pay, a family to provide for, people to lead and serve, and who deals with the same workplace stressors of hiring, firing, and growing a business. Guy loves that his business experience qualifies him to speak into the lives of other laymen and laywomen as a friend and equal.
In the fall, when Guy started leading the Workplace ministry, he began facilitating bimonthly lunch meetings to provide fellowship, encouragement, and equipping to other market place laborers. Twice a month, laborers gather over a meal and fellowship with each other, catching up on life and interests. They transition from fellowship into encouraging each other’s faith walk by asking about each other’s work and businesses, following up on prayer requests, and challenging each other in their relationships with their lost bosses, coworkers and customers. Lastly, to finish their hour and a half of fellowship, they discuss the equipping material/book they have been working through. Each attendee is encouraged to welcome friends, neighbors and coworkers into this community, including believers and nonbelievers, to learn more about God’s principles for success in the workplace so they may become better workers, leaders, and neighbors.
Since launching these meetings, Guy has seen God significantly grow his awareness and desire to reach the lost people in his social circles and has found he stops to think more about the souls around him, stretching him to want to actively love lost people by sharing the love and joy of Christ amidst the darkness of this world: “We’re called to be a witness for the Lord to the world however we can, and there are people all around us that we can love on and be an example.”
Are you aware of your neighbors and the lost people among you, and are you willing to start loving them by simply being their friend?
To learn more about the Navigators Workplace ministry email us at okcitynavs@gmail.com
