As a cadet at West Point more than 10 years ago, Major Craig* was focused on academic success. He was content to hold his Christian beliefs as something he had grown up with, but they didn’t really impact his day-to-day life. Then on his first duty assignment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, he had roommates who were Navigators and living out their faith.
“These men helped me understand what it meant to have accountability and to live out the Great Commission,” says Major Craig. “It was at Lewis-McChord that I started getting up early in the morning to spend time with God. That meant 5 a.m., since we started our work assignments at 6 in the morning. This practice has stayed with me and still is important to my faith life.”
A subsequent posting at Fort Riley after he got married, gave Major Craig and his wife the opportunity to be discipled by a Navigator couple. This helped his wife share in the vision of what it could look like to have a ministry mindset as part of a military family career.
Now back at West Point as an instructor, Major Craig is active in spiritually mentoring cadets as the officer-in-charge of Navigators. One of the cadets, Calvin*, is the son of a Navigators Military family whom Major Craig met while he was at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Calvin was asked by Major Craig to lead a Bible study during his junior year. Initially he was unsure about whether he had enough Bible knowledge to lead. “I talked to my father about leading a study,” says Calvin. “He reminded me that teaching is one of the best ways to learn, and that being challenged is a great way to grow in my faith. I decided to step up and lead. Our schedule is pretty intense, but unless I invest in my faith, I won’t keep growing spiritually.”
PRAY for continued growth and depth among the cadets and faculty involved in Navigators Military at West Point. Pray that cadets will catch the vision for how fulfilling the Great Commission can be part of their daily life in a military career.
*Names changed
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Thank you, MAJ Craig, for your faithfulness to Jesus and investing in the next generation of Army officers! Thank you, Calvin, for stepping up. I’m regularly praying for the gospel to advance at West Point. Go Army, Bless Navy!
I’m a retired Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era, and along with learning for myself I am willing and able to help my fellow veterans’ needs. I also am a Certified as a Bible Counselor from Light University.
Interesting directions for including God dailey.