# The Navigators

> The Navigators is a Christian discipleship nonprofit founded in 1933 by Dawson Trotman, built on a single idea: teach one person deeply, then have them teach the next. From a Navy sailor aboard the USS West Virginia, that one-to-one model grew into a global ministry operating in more than 120 countries with roughly 6,000 staff. Its work spans campus and military ministry, workplace and community discipleship, the widely used Topical Memory System, the NavPress publishing house (home of Eugene Peterson's The Message), and the Glen Eyrie castle and conference center in Colorado Springs.

- **Founded:** 1933
- **Headquarters:** Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
- **Founders:** Dawson Trotman (Founder)
- **Team size:** ~6,000 global staff and ministry leaders (data records list ~4,600 employees)
- **Products:** Life-to-Life Discipleship, Navigators Collegiate, Navigators Military & First Responders, NavPress, The Topical Memory System (TMS)
- **Notable:** Grew from one-to-one work with a Navy sailor in 1933 into a ministry in 120+ countries, Created the modern crusade 'follow-up' discipleship model adopted by Billy Graham's campaigns, Published The Message through NavPress, one of the best-selling contemporary Bible paraphrases

## Products & services

- **Life-to-Life Discipleship** — The core practice: walking alongside individuals through Scripture, prayer, and shared life so they mature and go on to disciple others.
- **Navigators Collegiate** — Campus ministry on U.S. university campuses; began in 1951 at the University of Nebraska. Added 26 new campus ministries in 2025.
- **Navigators Military & First Responders** — The ministry's founding stream, serving service members, veterans, and first responders.
- **NavPress** — The Navigators' publishing arm, best known for Eugene Peterson's The Message, a contemporary-language Bible.
- **The Topical Memory System (TMS)** — A widely used Bible memorization program - 60 core verses across 5 topical packs, available as cards, print, and apps in multiple translations.
- **Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center** — A retreat and conference center on the historic Glen Eyrie estate in Colorado Springs, acquired in 1953.
- **Eagle Lake Camps** — Youth camps on a sister property to Glen Eyrie, serving children and teens since 1957.
- **Navigators Worldwide** — International and cross-cultural discipleship, including ministry in restricted- and limited-access countries.

## Achievements

- Grew from one-to-one work with a Navy sailor in 1933 into a ministry in 120+ countries
- Created the modern crusade 'follow-up' discipleship model adopted by Billy Graham's campaigns
- Published The Message through NavPress, one of the best-selling contemporary Bible paraphrases
- Developed the Topical Memory System, among the most widely used Bible memory programs in the world
- Charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) since 1980
- Commissioned its 6th International President and added 26 new campus ministries in 2025

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — The Navigators Collegiate Mission announced the establishment of 26 new campus ministries.
- **2025-05** — Joe Maschhoff was commissioned as the 6th International President, succeeding Mutua Mahiaini, for a 10-year term.

## Links

- Website: https://navigators.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-navigators/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/thenavigators
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thenavigators
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenavigators/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Navigators
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@navigators_usa

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/the-navigators
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-12