About the Cincinnati Navigators
What is The Navigators?
The Navigators is a group of christian friends open to all
students who are interested in developing spiritual direction and
depth in their lives while having a blast in the process. We offer
weekly large group gatherings and activities, weekly small groups
for building deep friendships, weekly leadership meetings, and
regular mentoring for interested students.
What are The Navigators all about?
The center triangle represents the Trinity. We dream that:
1) each of you would know and experience deep in your belly that
you are the beloved, cherished child of your Heavenly Daddy,
that:
2) you would so love and trust Jesus that you would want to give
Him your complete allegiance and become like Him, and that
3) you would so tune into the Holy Spirit that you would be filled
with His power and He would guide you into the romantic adventure
He has for you.
From there (the next ring out from center) we long that your
relationship with each person of the Trinity would yield two kinds
of human relationships that:
1) you would be a loving "insider" with someone in your life who
doesn't yet know Jesus--see the other side of this letter for more
on that, and that
2) you would also be an "alongsider" with someone who is a
"newbie" in this "following Jesus thing," that you would help them
walk with God and give their lives away to others (we call that
"spiritual multiplication").
The outer ring represents several contexts within our Nav
community wherein you can get developed in the above ways,
including weekly small groups, weekly large groups, leadership
development and mentoring opportunities, weekend conferences/road
trips, crazy fun events, as well as through M:UD (Mission: Urban
Development), where we are renovating housing for families in need
in Walnut Hills, tutoring younger kids alongside organizations like
Wizkids, and SBC (Serve Beyond Cincinnati), where students take
trips during academic breaks to serve others in need in locations
around the world.
Who are The Navigators Staff in Cincinnati?
Back(left to right): Christina Sommers, Charly Sommers, Reggie
Philpott, Evan Griffin
Front(left to right): Katy Dietz, Julie Otten, Billy Otten, Kim
Griffin
Evan and Kim Griffin joined the Cincinnati Navigators in 1989,
moving from Chicago, IL. Evan is also a Communication professor at
U.C., and Kim works part-time at Sylvan Learning Center in Blue
Ash. They have a son named Tyler, who has the best "bad guy evil
laugh" in the Western Hemisphere.
Charly and Christina Sommers have been serving with the
Navigators at the University of Cincinnati since 2004. They both
began following Jesus through a community of Navigators in 1995
while in college. They have 4 children(Grace, Nathan, Rose,
Jonathon) and a dog named Alamo.
Billy and Julie have been on staff with the Navigators since
2009 -- the same year they were married. Billy graduated from
Wright State University with a degree in Philosophy and Julie
graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in Visual
Communication Design. She worked as a graphic designer (emphasis in
typography and print) for three years before joining staff. Their
influences include but are not limited to: St. Augustine,
Battlestar Galactica, Joanna Newsom's "Have One on Me", cats and
kittens, Arrested Development, John Calvin, NT Wright, St. Paul,
Final Fantasy VII, and the Canadian wilderness.
Katy Dietz graduated from the University of Cincinnati in June
of 2010, and joined the Navigators staff starting in the Fall of
2010.
Reggie Philpott graduated from the University of Cincinnati in
March of 2010 and joined the Navigators staff in the Fall the
following year.