{"id":268564,"date":"2026-03-30T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/?p=268564"},"modified":"2026-04-08T10:05:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T16:05:24","slug":"seen-and-known-discovering-the-gospel-in-every-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/blog\/seen-and-known-discovering-the-gospel-in-every-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Seen and Known: Discovering the Gospel in Every Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cAfter this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands\u201d<\/em> <strong style=\"text-align: start; white-space: normal;\"><em><a style=\"text-align: start; white-space: normal;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/REV.7.9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Revelation 7:9 (NIV)<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When Anissa Haynes started her freshman year of college, she knew she wanted Christian community. Growing up in a Christian home, she had briefly heard of The Navigators in high school. By the time she stepped onto the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, she knew The Navigators would be a community where she could grow \u2014 and she wanted to belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NCC25: Beautiful Mosaic\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qKYVbViKGd8?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.navigators.org&#038;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What she didn\u2019t realize was how God would use that community to heal internal cultural insecurities she\u2019d long been avoiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Half Mexican and half white, Anissa came into college assuming her cultural background wasn\u2019t something she needed to think about. \u201cI thought, <em>I\u2019m a Christian, I\u2019m not going to talk about my culture<\/em>,\u201d Anissa remembers. \u201cBut in reality, that came from a place of deep insecurity. And while it\u2019s true that being a child of God is my first identity, in that moment, I was just trying to hide from God. I didn\u2019t want to let Him into processing that area of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anissa\u2019s perception began to shift when she joined a small cultural study for Latino students led by a Navigators staff couple called \u201cNavicanos.\u201d During one discussion, someone casually mentioned praying in Spanish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn that moment, something clicked,\u201d Anissa recalls. \u201cFor some reason, it didn\u2019t hit me until that discussion that God speaks Spanish.\u201d Though she had always known God as her Creator and Savior, realizing that God met her within her culture made her feel seen and known in an entirely new way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That sense of being seen was reinforced through something simple but powerful: shared meals. \u201cIn college, you\u2019re constantly eating alone or sitting at small tables,\u201d Anissa says. \u201cSo to sit at a table that was actually full was so special.\u201d Around that table, surrounded by other Latino students with similar stories and backgrounds, she experienced a community that felt like home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"0-mosaic-a-community-of-cultural-unity\">Mosaic: A Community of Cultural Unity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the group grew, so did the vision. When the original staff leaders stepped off, the ministry transitioned into something new: <strong>Mosaic <\/strong>\u2014 a space where students from any cultural or ethnic background could explore how their faith and culture intersect through Scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The name reflects the heart of the ministry. Inspired by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/REV.7.9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Revelation 7:9<\/a>, Mosaic celebrates the beauty of distinct pieces coming together to form one unified picture \u2014 similar to how people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will one day worship before the throne of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the opportunity arose for Anissa to lead Mosaic, she hesitated at first. She didn\u2019t see herself as the \u201cright\u201d person for the role. In her head, there was a mental checklist she believed a leader should meet \u2014 especially when it came to culture. Food, language, traditions, appearance \u2014 everyone seemed to rate authenticity differently, and she felt insecure about how she measured up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But God met her reluctance with an invitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Lord pressed upon my heart <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/2CO.12.9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">2 Corinthians 12:9<\/a>, \u2018My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,\u2019\u201d Anissa says. \u201cIt felt like He was leading me to lead in weakness, to put my insecurities on display, so other students could feel seen. And it\u2019s been sweet to see how the Lord used that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since then, Mosaic has become a place of healing and discipleship. Students gather regularly for \u201cheritage nights,\u201d which begin with a shared meal featuring a cultural dish \u2014 from Filipino lumpia to Chinese potstickers to Mexican food. Students introduce the dish and its cultural background, then move into small groups centered on Scripture and guided discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within Mosaic, students use a simple discipleship framework to reflect on their culture through the lens of the gospel: Where do we see God\u2019s creativity and beauty in cultural diversity? How have cultural experiences been affected by sin and brokenness? And how does Jesus bring redemption to both?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt The Navigators, we love to talk about how the gospel relates to all of life,\u201d Anissa says. \u201cAt Mosaic, we get to talk about how the gospel relates to your cultural identity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"1-embracing-the-diverse-kingdom-of-god\">Embracing the Diverse Kingdom of God<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Through Mosaic, Anissa has watched God bring freedom where there was shame, security where there was insecurity, and healing where there were deep family and cultural wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere is such insecurity and shame when it comes to cultural identity, and I just know the Lord wants to bring healing,\u201d Anissa says. \u201cIt is no accident that we are uniquely made within a cultural group, and God has a purpose and will for us within that unique design.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For one student, who is half Navajo and half white, Mosaic became a space for healing. In her matriarchal culture, inheritance traditionally passes to the oldest daughter. However, when her mother died, that inheritance went instead to a fully Navajo cousin. The hurt lingered \u2014 but through Mosaic, she began to see her story differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe told me, \u2018I know my inheritance with the Lord is secure and will never be taken away from me,\u2019\u201d Anissa explains. \u201cFor her to have this hurtful experience, but for it to be rewritten through the lens of the gospel and the hope of the inheritance to come, is so beautiful. She was able to see gospel themes in her lived experience with her culture, and that\u2019s what we hope for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mosaic has transformed not only how Anissa sees herself, but how she imagines the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cBeing a part of Mosaic, the Lord has opened up my mind to what I thought heaven would be like, now when I imagine heaven, it\u2019s so much more lively and beautiful. There\u2019s people worshiping in different styles and languages, and it\u2019s not just one cultural group, but the nations that are made up in heaven.\u201d<\/p><cite>Anissa Haynes<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Anissa\u2019s prayer is that more campuses would offer spaces like Mosaic \u2014 places where students can encounter gospel truth in a way that honors how God uniquely designed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt The Navigators, we really want students to walk with Jesus, not just in college, but for their lifetime,\u201d Anissa says. \u201cWe want them to be walking with Jesus until kingdom come. Mosaic plays such a beautiful part in casting that vision. We have a big God who is God of the world, God of the nations. <strong>And so I encourage you, give students the big and real picture of the Kingdom of the Lord. Let\u2019s not settle for a small picture<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<br>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"2-discipleship-tip\">Discipleship Tip:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you sense that God might be calling you to host a gathering like Mosaic in your own community? This week, ask God to show you some simple ways you could bring people of diverse backgrounds together to learn from and encourage each other as disciples of Jesus.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<br>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group cta ticss-63dda377 has-cool-gray-background-color has-background\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"3-building-discipling-relationships-through-storytelling\">Building Discipling Relationships Through Storytelling<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">When people come to a new group, they wonder: <em>Will I fit in?<\/em> This discipleship tool will show you how to make people feel welcome and build trust by asking storytelling questions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignwide is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-499968f5 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-orange-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/resource\/building-relationships-small-group\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LEARN MORE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mosaic helps students discover how the gospel meets their cultural identity, bringing healing, belonging, and a bigger vision of God\u2019s Kingdom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":268545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_helpful_pro_status":1,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6337],"tags":[1483,221],"mission":[150,57],"topic":[44],"class_list":["post-268564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disciplemaking","category-ministry-impact-stories","tag-disciple","tag-featured","mission-navigators-collegiate","mission-navigators-edge-corps","topic-discipleship"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/033126-Article-Web.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"The Navigators","author_link":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/staff\/thenavigators\/"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268564"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":268576,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268564\/revisions\/268576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268564"},{"taxonomy":"mission","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mission?post=268564"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.navigators.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=268564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}